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This article is sponsored by Zermatt Tourism. All views and opinions are our own and we always report truthfully on our experiences, sponsored or not. For up to date prices of tickets and passes, please visit the Zermatt Tourism website here.

It isn’t always possible to spend weeks on end exploring an area; sometimes you only have a day or two. It might be that you’re passing through on the way to somewhere else or in town for something special. There are so many opportunities to make the most of what is in an area, but sometimes if you’re only there for a short amount of time, you wouldn’t even know half of what is there just waiting to be explored. Achievable, accessible adventure is about creating opportunities where possible.

In this series, we’ve put together our ultimate, quick and easy to follow must do’s in some of the world’s most incredible locations. The Matterhorn is one of those mountains that is undeniably captivating and set in the Swiss Alps, you’re in for an absolute treat. This was our first visit to Zermatt, and we were absolutely blown away by the level of beauty before us. What we love about Zermatt is how accessible it is from Europe and due to the incredibly well-connected train network in Switzerland, makes it an easy way to get right into the heart of the mountains over a short space of time.

When we started speaking to Zermatt tourism about the tiny amount of time we had available to make our trip to the Matterhorn landscape a reality, we were quite concerned that we wouldn’t be able to really make the trip ‘worth it’. Boy, were we wrong.

Through the incredibly detailed plans that were available for hikes in the area and other attractions that allow you get to get really up close and personal to one of the most iconic mountains in the world, we started to see that it was very possible to base a trip to Zermatt and the Matterhorn over a long weekend. Sure, this wouldn’t cover everything there is to cover in the area; you could easily spend your whole life enjoying the hiking, mountaineering and potentially never get bored. That isn’t always possible though, and there is absolutely no reason why only having a weekend to spare should deter you from getting a taster for big mountains that, by their nature, throw you into a range of easy to challenging hikes and real deep mountain landscapes that are incredibly accessible.

Table of Contents

• Reaching Zermatt
• Zermatt as a base
• What to do
• The 5 Lakes Hike
• Matterhorn Glacier Trail and The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
• Gornergrat

Reaching Zermatt

The closest airports to Zermatt are Geneva and Zurich, both in Switzerland. You might think that hiring a car would be the best option, but, actually, the trains are incredibly well serviced and will take you roughly the same amount of time to drive as it will to take the train. The train journey in itself is roughly 3.5 hours depending on which airport you fly to. Geneva and Zurich airport have numerous flights a day.

Zermatt is also carless, except local taxi services which run from different hotels in Zermatt and local business owners – and most of these are electric. So, if you’re only planning to visit Zermatt, a car will not really serve you. If you do drive, you’ll need to park your car at the closest town of Täsch and take the twelve-minute train which runs every twenty minutes into Zermatt to begin your day. If you are going to be visiting other areas in the Alps, this might make sense for you, but otherwise, take the train and enjoy the break from driving.

Zermatt as a base

We expected Zermatt, based on our experience of other Alpine resort towns to be very touristy, and we weren’t wrong. The thing is though, Zermatt has something a little different to it that we can’t quite put our finger on, but that we really liked. We were amazed with the level of food we were able to get here (we both agreed that the tempura sushi we ate here was some of the best sushi we’d had in a long time) and the atmosphere felt much more like a big city than a small, valley town on the side of the Matterhorn. Sure, there are many shops selling the usual souvenirs but amongst them, you’ll also discover independent merchants and makers selling homemade items from hand creams to art; a great place to spend some time looking around after your hikes.

What to do

As you know, we base most of our experiences around hiking, and if you’re looking for an adventure, Zermatt is a pretty good place to start! The town in connected with a series of cable cars, Funiculars and the Gornergrat Bahn, which allow you access to the hikes in the area. What we love about the Alps is you will find hikes suitable for all experience levels and due to how well sign posted everything is, feel much more at ease. We of course still recommend plotting your routes into a mapping device and downloading offline, just to be on the safe side.

A quick trip to the tourism center in Zermatt will leave you armed with a map and booklet explaining the breadth of what is available in the area (not to mention the many more mountaineering routes that can be attempted by experienced alpinists and guided groups). As already mentioned, these ideas only tip the iceberg of what is available, but we’ve focused on some of the most iconic hikes and sights in the area to give you a taster of what this landscape has to offer.

The 5 Lakes Hike

Hike: 3 hours

Difficulty: Medium

Best time to visit: Summer months – between July and September/October – always check trailconditions with the tourism office first

Details on the cable cars timetable can be foundhere. The 5 Lakes hike was possibly one of the most stunning hikes we’ve ever had the pleasure of doing, but, we’re likely to say that about everything we write here as we have nothing but incredible memories of all of them! This hike holds a special place for us though as it was our first hike to see so many angles and views of the Matterhorn. It is important to note that the Matterhorn is often covered in cloud. Don’t let this stop you in your tracks; the rest of the scenery is incredible, and you’ll often have moments where the mountain pops out of the cloud to mystify you with its presence. Work with what is there with regards to the weather – you can’t always have perfection, but if you go with what you’re dealt, you can still have an amazing time and some wonderful photographs to boot.

The hike, by nature of its name, makes a loop and passes by five lakes;Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee, and Leisee. Three of thelakeshave reflections often visible of the Matterhorn and you’ll be treated for the majority of thehiketo unobstructed views of the Matterhorn. This is by far one of the most popular hikes in Zermatt and you certainly will not have the trail to yourself. However, you can significantly improve your chances if you want a slightly quieter experience by going as early as you can.

Once you’ve taken the funicular up from Zermatt (which can be caught about a five-minute walk from the tourism center in town and trains run very frequently) you’ll need to catch the cable car up from Sunnegga to Blauherd to begin. You’re dependent on the times that the train and cars run, which begins at 8am. It’s completely possible to hike up from Zermatt which will add about 3.5 hours uphill to your hike, but will suddenly make this much more challenging, if this is what you’re fancying.

The hike starting from the cable car is mostly downhill, but do not let this fool you, this is still not a walk in the park. If you’re coming from sea level, due to the hike being around 2,500m, you’ll likely feel out of breath quicker. There are also some sections which are steep uphills, but these sections are relatively short. We’ve seen the hike labelled as both easy and medium, and we always feel like this is very much dependent on personal opinion. We’d rate the hike as medium, due to the altitude and the fact that there are some steep sections both up and downhill that might be unsuitable for absolute beginners. The trail is incredibly safe, though, and the signposting is so easy to follow, you’ll unlikely need to look at your trail map.

You’ll have the best light on the trail either early in the morning or early afternoon but work with the time you have and what works for you – you’re pretty much guaranteed to get incredible photographs at any time of the day.

Matterhorn Glacier Trail and The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Hike: 3 hours

Hike and Glacier Paradise: leave a full day for this

Best time to visit: Summer months – between July and September/October – always check trailconditions with the tourism office first. Glacier Paradise can be reached all year round.

Difficulty: Medium

Details on the cable cars timetable can be foundhere

The Matterhorn Glacier Trail projects you into a high-altitude environment unlike any we’ve ever seen before and is a trail well worth doing for the sheer experience of being in this other worldy place. The hike puts you in close contact with the glacier environment and we can honestly say, was an experience unlike any other, and it just left us wanting more. This hike, that is achievable in just under three hours and with the accessibility this route has to other routes in the area, you’ll be very tempted to come back.

Again, most of this hike is downhill, but it certainly isn’t to be discounted as there are a number of sections on the hike that are uphill. You’re also at altitude so it’s important to remember that you may feel more out of breath than you did further down the mountain. There is something about this trail that leaves you feeling humbled, due to the lack of pastural green that you’ll be so well accustomed to further down the mountain, you’re projected into an environment of snow and rock.

There is an eerie beauty about it, and you rapidly start to realize that you’ve left the sounds of birds, insects and marmots behind for silence. Again, we’d rate the hike as medium due to the altitude, but if you take your time (which you’ll want to due to the plentiful photo opportunities), it is completely doable.

It is possible to hike up from Zermatt to the starting point of this hike, which begins from the cable car station Trockener Steg and you hike down to the station Schwarzsee, where you can catch the cable car back down to Zermatt. The hike up to Trockener Steg would add about three hours to the hike, but we’d really suggest you’ll need longer for this. There is a significant amount of elevation gain in this hike and when you add in rest stops, photo opportunities and general hiking at altitude, you may well want to give yourself most of a day to enjoy this comfortably. Personally, we’d advise that unless you really want a challenge, that you’re better off leaving your energy for the Glacier hike and then the time you’ll spare can be spent visiting the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise.

Either before or after you’ve finished your hike (or even if you don’t fancy doing the hike at all), it’s well worth visiting the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Boasting the highest cable car station in Europe, the incredibly beautiful journey up to an impressive height of 3,883m allows you unbelievable views of countless 4,000m peaks. On clear days, the views stretch into neighboring Italy, and it is possible to ski from the Switzerland to Italy from here (quite an impressive idea). The other highlight is that it’s possible to ski here on the Theodul Glacier 365 days a year.

As well as the impressive views, there is also a restaurant, glacier palace and cinema lounge to keep you interested, but really, your eyes will most likely be on the views in this stunning high-altitude landscape. If you really want a challenge, it is possible to set off to scale nearby 4,000m peaks with a guide or if you’re an experienced mountaineer. This environment can really give you a taster for what is available and what there is out there.

Because the Glacier Trail Hike is on the same cable car line as the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, it’s really possible to make a day of it for this adventure. We personally enjoyed starting the hike early and doing the Glacier Paradise afterwards, but you may wish to head up top first and do the hike on the way down. The light on the mountains first thing in the morning was exceptional and we also had the trail relatively to ourselves. When we visited the Glacier Paradise all the way to the top station, sadly, the views were covered in a thick layer of cloud that didn’t seem to have any intention of clearing.

However, don’t let something like this disappoint you too much, as the views from the cable car are simply stunning. The sheer size of the glacier has you in awe (and also really questioning how small it makes you feel). It truly is another world, and the ride itself, raising high above the glacier and surrounding snow and rock landscape is an incredible introduction for most people to a landscape that will be completely unfamiliar to them.

Gornergrat

Hike: Ranges from 15 minutes to 6/8 hours

Difficulty: Medium

Best time to visit: Summer months – between July and September/October – always check trailconditions with the tourism office first

Details on the Gornergrat Bahn timetable can be foundhere

There are many options in this area, and for us, we think this gave us some of the most beautiful views and hiking trails in the area. What we loved about the hiking around Gornergrat was the fact that it was quite a lot quieter than particularly the five lakes hike. There are plenty of ways to take in this area and the incredible views of both the Gornergrat Glacier and also the Matterhorn. Your first option is to take the beautiful train ride all the way up to the Gornergrat Glacier at 3100m. The train ride itself is truly phenomenal and, if you have members of your group who aren’t up for hiking or have accessibility issues, this would be a great experience to share with them.

If you’re just wanting to take the thirty-minute train there and same back, which is an absolutely beautiful experience in its own right, our top tip would be to head up early evening and take one of the last trains back. The great thing about this is that the trains run later than the cable cars in the evening (running to just after 8pm – please check current times on the Gornergrat Bahn website) so if you’re wanting to take in the scenery, it would even be possible to squeeze this in at the end of another day’s activities. The sunset views in this area are truly magical and will make for an absolutely unforgettable journey.

In terms of hiking you have many options:

You can hike up from Zermatt to Gornergrat – the timings suggest roughly 3.5 hours, but we’d really suggest you’ll need longer for this. There is a significant amount of elevation gain in this hike (roughly 1,500m) and when you add in rest stops, photo opportunities and general hiking at altitude, you may well want to give yourself most of a day to enjoy this comfortably.

A second option, and something that is very enjoyable is to take the train up to Gornegrat and hike all the way back down to Zermatt. This is absolutely a doable hike but is quite steep in places and is mostly all downhill, so you’ll be aware you have knees by the end of it.

There is also the option to start your hike down or up from the various station stops along the way. We must admit, before we went, we were concerned with how confusing we’d found various reports online about where to hike to, where to get off at, but in reality, everything is so well signposted that you’ll find your way easily.

It is also worth mentioning that you can easily hike to a lake called Riffelsee with possibly one of the most iconic reflection views of the Matterhorn. You can easilymake the distance to suit you. If you don’t fancy the hike, you can just walk 5 mins from the train stop to the lake and then walk back to the train. Or you could extend the hike, starting higher up or hiking lower down than the official route. You could spend anywhere from 15 minutes to eight hours hiking in this area, and we truly enjoyed the serene time we got here. If going for a shorter hike, we’d really recommend starting the hike relatively close to evening light – there really is something magical that happens in the mountains at that time.

We left Zermatt with a heart full of memories and some absolutely incredible photographs – we think it is safe to say, we’ve found one of our favorite places. What we love about Zermatt as an accessible adventure is just how well connected everything is and how possible it becomes to make a long weekend packed with hiking and adventure a reality. Sure, you are only going to scratch the surface with what is available here and we are already itching to get back.

There is so much more on offer here, and plenty of the trails will offer you much more solitude, if that’s your thing. You’ll also find a great introduction here if you’re wanting to build up your confidence in higher alpine environments. It is, without a doubt, one of those places that you find yourself just eager to return to in order to explore some more. Zermatt, you’re mesmerizing!

This article is sponsored by Jungfraujoch Top of Europe. All views and opinions are our own and we always report truthfully on our experiences, sponsored or not.  For up to date prices of tickets and passes, please visit the Jungfraujoch Top of Europe website here.

Even for those with no interest in mountaineering, the names Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger surely hold significance. These three Swiss peaks have, thanks to the super-human efforts of pioneering mountaineers, elevated themselves into popular culture.

As children, we both ate up stories of mountaineering and Alpinism and knew the names and reputations of these peaks long before we knew the names of our local mountains. These three peaks are part of a north-facing wall of rock that extends from the valley below towering over the villages of Grindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg.

The section below the Eiger and directly above the village of Kleine Schiedegg – known as the North Wall, or even in English by its German name ‘Nordwand’ – is infamous as one of the most challenging of Alpine climbing routes and indeed it is a route that has claimed many mountaineer’s lives. At 1800m it is the tallest north face in the Alps.

During the 1930s when the race was on to conquer the Nordwand, it was not unusual for tourists and journalists to keep track of the climber’s progress (and in turn to witness some horrific disasters) through telescopes from the cafes and bars of Kleine Scheidegg. The area is steeped in mountaineering legend!

From the summit off the Eiger (3967m), a mountaineer may traverse the ridge to the summit of the Mönch (4107m) and then on to the Jungfrau (4158m).

Between the Mönch and the Jungfrau, the ridge dips to 3466m.In this dip, known as a saddle, you will find the upper reaches of the Aletsch Glacier. This saddle is known as the Jungfraujoch.

The Norwand may not have been conquered until 1938, but the three peaks were all conquered by different routes in the 19th Century and the increasing popularity of Alpine tourism at the same time lead to the construction of the unique Jungfraujoch Railway between 1898 and 1912.

Put simply, it is possible to travel by train from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch. At 3454m this is the highest train station in Europe and indeed there are few cable car routes that go higher in the Alps.

In turn, Kleine Scheidegg is connected to the wider Swiss rail network and as such the high mountains are easily accessible by train.It is possible to fly into Zurich airport and reach the Jungfraujoch travelling exclusively by train.

The fact is that this is not the kind of landscape most people will get to experience or photograph – this environment, and the sights that go with it, is generally reserved for experienced hikers and mountaineers.

However, the railway does something unique and throws the door open to this experience. What’s more, it make it easy to bring larger pieces of equipment into play should you wish to use these to record the place:

We took advantage of the easy access to bring a large tripod and heavy-weight super telephoto lens with us – both of which would likely have been left behind had we attempted to hike up on foot, and both of which proved to be extremely useful. For us, this ease of access was perhaps the best part of the trip. The mountains, these lofty views that are often only reserved for the few are suddenly available for the many via the railway.

For our trip, the Jungfraujoch Top of Europe Railway line provided us with tickets from Interlaken to the Jungfraujoch.This was a journey we had been keen to make since we first visited Switzerland.

There are two stations in Interlaken, and you must leave from Interlaken Ost for the Jungfrujoch. There was plenty of available parking near the station including a large open-air lot and a multi-storey.After a short wait, we had our tickets and timetable in hand and were ready to depart.

One of our concerns about the journey beforehand was the weather.As with any summit attempt, it is a great shame if you get to the top only to find it draped in cloud and your views spoiled.

Fortunately, there are webcams you can check on the Jungfraujoch to see how actual conditions are at the summit.It is also worth noting that the station is high enough that even if there is bad weather in the valley, the summit itself can be clear with good visibility over the surrounding mountains.

From Interlaken our journey took roughly two hours with three changeovers: Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen – roughly twenty minutes journey followed by a ten-minute wait. Lauterbrunnen to Keline Scheidegg – roughly forty minutes followed by another ten-minute wait – and finally Kleine Scheidegg to the Junfraujoch – thirty-five minutes.

The itinerary may seem complex, but the journey was actually very straight forward. The stations along the route are all fairly small and the changeovers simply involved walking to the opposite platform. At Kleine Scheidegg, there was a bit of a backlog, and the train we had intended to take filled before we could board it, however this did not introduce much of a delay.

It’s worth pointing out that whilst we travelled the full route from Interlaken to the Jungfraujoch, there are numerous other stops along the route other than the three changeover points mentioned above and these stations serve as starting points for numerous hiking and mountaineering routes covering a full range of difficulty grades.

On our previous trip to this part of Switzerland, we had made use of a different branch of the railway to travel from Grindlewald to Alpiglen to do a hike beneath the Nordwand itself.

We had originally intended to catch the train back, but on that occasion, we decided to hike back down to Grindlewald – the flexibility the railway offers in terms of being able to reach trailheads and even to do several shorter hikes in one day is fantastic – it truly opens up the mountains to a wide range of ability levels.

As we’ll see later, this flexibility extends far beyond simply putting hiking routes into easy reach.The possibilities and enablement this transport network in the mountains offer really is extraordinary.

Straight out of Interlaken Ost, the scenery is spectacular. The train follows the valley floor, and initially the views are of cliffs and waterfalls towering above you. However, rapidly you start to gain height. We’d read somewhere online that the best views are to be had when you sit on the right-hand side of the train relative to the direction of travel and this proved to be a good tip.

As you gain height, the scenery become less pastoral and more alpine. You start to get glimpses of snow-capped peaks – indeed the peaks here are high enough to have year-round snow cover and to host glaciers.

By the time you board the train at Kleine Scheidegg for the final leg of the journey, you are certainly in the high mountains.The lush greenery of the lower valley has given way to bare rock and snow. The first stop after Kleine Scheidegg is Eigergletscher – literally Eiger Glacier – and this was a popular jump-off point for many of the serious looking hikers on the train.

The station was undergoing some major construction work when we passed through as part of an ambitious project to add a direct cable car connection from Grindlewald, but despite this, you still get some fantastic views of the glacier. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore the area around this station, but we have already decided it will be on our list for the next time we visit the area.

We are both photographers first and foremost and from this point of view, the landscape in the high mountains is truly spectacular and it would be hard to replicate the images you can make here at lower altitudes.

For many visitors, the bleak unforgiving landscape shrouded in year-round snow will be a very alien experience. Even if you are used to skiing in the Alps, you may likely find the sight of the empty slopes slightly unnerving. Whilst it is certainly an impressive landscape, the sheer scale and majesty of it all can almost be overwhelming.

As you usually do, we saw many people photographing wide panoramic views, but on top of this, we searched out detail compositions with longer lenses which, as we’ve talked about in previous articles here can bring some really fresh interest to your landscape photography.

For the final ascent to the Jungfraujoch, the train enters a steep 7km section of tunnel that works its way up through the mountain. The tunnel runs close to the face of the mountain and there are ventilation windows along the way and even two full stations within the tunnel – Eigerwand and Eismeer.

These are not regular stations and the train does not stop at Eigerwand. However, it does make a five-minute stop at Eismeer (literally, Sea of Ice) from where you have a fantastic view over a glacier from the panoramic viewing galleries.

The view from Eismeer truly captivated us, and it is worth taking a moment to look at the enablement the railway allows here. The view from the tunnel galleries offers a glimpse of an unspoiled Alpine wilderness – the type of view that would typically be the reward of a lengthy and arduous hike.

Five minutes looking at Eismeer was not enough and we have since tried researching hiking routes so we can potentially revisit it on foot (or ski!) one day. There seems to be very few published routes and the only trail we can find from looking at our maps involves a glacier crossing – in short, it would appear that hiking to Eismeer would be a tough journey suited to experienced hikers and mountaineers.

The railway opens up the experience of this fantastic landscape to practically anyone and whilst there are no doubt some mountain purists who would grumble at this, we think this is a fantastic thing.

Finally, you reach the top – though as mentioned before, the Jungfraujoch is not strictly the top. The actual summit of the Jungfrau is still some 700m higher. For those with the appropriate mountaineering skills, it is possible to use the Jungfraujoch as a starting point for a summit bid, but this is a technical mountaineering route and is certainly beyond the skill level of many who will visit the Jungfraujoch and the route should only be undertaken with a skilled guide.

If you absolutely have your heart set on hiking, there is one accessible route from the Jungfraujoch to theMönchjochhütte– a mountain refuge where climbers will often spend the night before a summit attempt of the Jungfrau. This is a roughly 4.5km round trip with around 360m of climbing. Depending on the weather conditions on the day, it can be attempted during the summer months.

Whilst the route can certainly be attempted without a guide, it should not be undertaken lightly – the length and ascent may not seem like much, but the high altitude will make hiking more difficult and potentially much more difficult if you have no experience of high altitudes.

We would advise that if you intend to do this route you have prior altitude and snow hiking experience and you should absolutely have appropriate clothing and gear with you (sturdy boots, crampons or at least micro spikes, walking poles or an ice axe, mountaineering sunglasses, high factor sunblock etc.)

The station itself has a number of viewing platforms plus a fenced-off outdoor area all offering spectacular views out across the Alps. There are also a number of tourist-friendly facilities including restaurants, gift shops, a chocolate museum and various informational displays about the construction of the railway.

The station itself sits on the edge of a glacier and there is a tunnel system – The Ice Palace – carved straight into the ice. Most people will visit this to see the various ice sculptures dotted around the tunnels, but for us there is a slightly more unusual appeal: the ice in glaciers like this is ancient and, critically, glass-clear.

Staring into it, you’ll see tiny trapped bubble of air and pieces of debris. Here and there you will see bands of fine particles which could be evidence of ancient forest fires or volcanic eruptions. Looking into the ice gives you a rare chance to see deep time made real.It can be an eerie and humbling experience!

The final attraction at the summit is the Sphinx Observatory. This sits at 3571m – 117m higher than the Jungfraujoch – and is accessed via a lift from the tunnels around the station.

The observatory is the iconic structure on the mountain, and you’ll no doubt recognise it instantly from the main promotional images used by the railway. The unusual name comes from the rock peak on which the observatory is constructed. This is still a working observatory and one of the highest in the world.

For visitors, the Sphinx offers an outdoor panoramic viewing platform with spectacular views over the surrounding mountains. The thin air above 3000m is also worth noting. Whilst you are still way off the mark of needing supplemental oxygen as climbers on 8000m peaks need, the thinner air is noticeable.

We saw many people panting and pausing to catch their breath as they climbed stairs in the station and our back-packs of camera gear – whilst nowhere near light-weight to start with – seemed a lot heavier than normal.

As always with high altitude, the best advice is to take things slowly and gently and, if you feel yourself short of breath, just pause for a moment or two until you catch up with yourself.

Finally, our journey back gave us a second chance to see the fantastic views from the train, and in the evening light these had changed dramatically from what we saw on the way up that morning.

The Jungfraujoch Top of Europe railway is a fantastic and fairly unique proposition. In some ways, it is the product of its time – we very much doubt that a railway line up such a tall mountain would be constructed today for a whole host of reasons.

Because of this, it gives visitors a unique experience of the mountain and allows a fantastic level of access to heights and views that would normally only be accessible to the fittest hikers and most experienced mountaineers.

Sure, there are plenty of mountains in the Alps you can ascend via cable car, but the rail experience is different – you are closer to the mountain and the pace seems more leisurely.

As such, you have more to look and to savour the experience. First and foremost, we are photographers and the journey allowed us to get images that we otherwise would not have been able to capture on our visit – there is no way we would have been able to hike up the mountain with tens of kilos worth of equipment.

Some purists may balk that the experience sanitises the experience of the mountains and the wilderness, but we do not agree with this. The chance to experience the high mountains, the thin air and the stunning views should not just be limited to elite mountaineers, and in this journey, anyone can come up close and personal with a more primal face of the world.

Something occurred to me recently that, when I started looking further into it, realized it was actually something that is a problem for a lot of people and that is how our perception of events affects our enjoyment of them. Why are there some things that happen in our lives that we feel confident and happy about, and others we want to run as fast as possible away? Aside from these questions, how does this apply to travel, adventure and hiking?

I can give two really clear-cut examples of this. I could keep writing for days of all the experiences I’ve had that have affected my hiking and confidence with adventure in both positive and negative ways largely down to my perception or often pre-conception of the event.

The first example is how my fears and anxieties got in the way of me enjoying, or rather, feeling emotionally on top of our winter expedition in the Pyrenees. Usually, before we decide to do something that is going to really stretch ourselves, I’ll be really excited. When those ideas come, it’s almost like I’m deciding from the true me, the me that doesn’t see restriction or worry. Then after a while the self-doubt can set in. ‘I can’t do that. I’m not going to be able to make that work. What if it’s scary?’ I’ve come to a point with those thoughts where I am so aware of the pattern they take, that every time I get to work on seeing them and changing them to be thoughts that are helpful for me, it becomes easier. This trip, however, felt ultimately different. No amount of inner work and positive re-enforcement seemed to help me. This further increased my frustration. I’d convinced myself that I wasn’t fit enough. Because I had convinced myself of this, my motivation went down quite a lot when training for the expedition. I flitted between feeling strong and believing I was capable of this, to worrying. One of the hikes I remember the most was a prep hike with our really heavy packs, simulating what we’d need to carry on the hike in, and I felt so tired. Rather than perking myself up in moments of tiredness like I usually do, I’d let myself get into this spiral of worrying that if I couldn’t do a simple hike at sea level, how was I going to manage this at a higher altitude and in snow? I didn’t want to get on the flight out, I was nervous and thought a number of times about actually not going. Even though the group of people we were doing it with were also nervous and I had a lot of conversations with them and we managed to rationalize a lot, and we were in good hands with our team, I just couldn’t stop worrying. The hike in was one of the hardest experiences of my life to date, and I don’t say that lightly. It was snowing like crazy and we were hit by a blizzard. It was bitterly cold, and I just convinced myself I couldn’t do it. Luckily, I was supported by a truly awesome human being called Nat who looked after me and pushed me when I felt like I couldn’t do it. I had to dig incredibly deep to get up to that hut.

In conversations since with Matt, we’ve talked many times about how I more than easily had the strength and fitness level to get up to that hut, but a lot of it was mental. Sure, it was a really tough hike, probably the toughest one I’ve done, but I had it in me to do it. I got to the point where I felt like I would rather just sit there and die than make it up to that hut. Or that I could stay out there and just be ok and make it up in the morning. In reality, those thoughts were not good ones. To me, at the time, they felt like the only way. At one point I fell over and could hear the guide telling me that I needed to get up so we could move quickly before the storm got worse, and after a while, her voice seemed to just leave, and I felt peaceful. I’ve got no idea how long that happened for, probably only a matter of seconds or minutes but it felt like it carried on forever. I remembered telling myself that I was quite happy to stay there and give up. Interestingly, what happened next was that I got up and made it there a lot quicker, with a lot more strength than I’d had moments previously. I don’t know if that was just some kind of survival instinct kicking in, but it worked. What I saw in myself that day was something I didn’t like. I saw an intense weakness rather than the strength I tapped into to get there. That effected my ability to concentrate for the whole week we were there. The hike out was pretty brutal as well; we were trying to get out of avalanche zones as quickly as possible and the only thing that seemed to keep happening was falling over in the knee-deep snow. Trying to right yourself on snowshoes, with a 18kg pack on your back is harder than you would imagine! What was incredibly interesting there, though, is when we were through the worst of what needed concentration to get through and we were into the easier terrain, my brain was still going to thoughts of ‘I don’t think I can do this’. I immediately noticed this and started a really involved conversation with one of the guys who was on the expedition too. That last couple of hours of hiking was so much easier because my mind was elsewhere. I learnt so much from that experience, and it genuinely has made me a better hiker, and certainly a lot less apprehensive about things that worry me. I found I was able to do some really big things after that. I’m not trying to get across a point here that if something feels bad to you that it is always in your head. I do not believe that is the case. I do not believe that every time something bad happens that it is our perception of it that makes it bad. But I often wonder how much differently I would have experienced this event if I had not been so worried mentally that I couldn’t do it? I wonder if I’d have been able to tackle this difficult, tough situation in a bit more of a level headed way, I might not have experienced some of the things that happened.

The second example is completely intertwined and represents the same experience but at completely opposite ends of the spectrum. The first is regarding the first time we headed to The Dolomites in Italy. When we were getting into hiking, I started to realize I had a bit of an uneasiness with heights. It just wasn’t something I’d noticed before because I’d never really had the opportunity. There had been a couple of hikes up to that point in the places we’d been where I’d felt an uneasiness whilst we were hiking. I felt quite apprehensive before the trip to The Dolomites, and I wondered what was going on. The Alps understandably were on another level to anything that I’d ever hiked before. Whilst we drove the mountain passes taking in the breathtaking scenery, I felt sick. I was scared of the drop offs on the side of the roads. I let this fear take over so much that I didn’t want to drive on any of these roads and I felt like I was really letting Matt down. This completely ruined my experience of this trip. After that trip, I decided that I was so annoyed at myself that I had to set this straight and went to work on learning a lot of techniques that I still use today for facing my fears head on and also for dealing with the idea of normalizing heights. A year later we returned to the exact same spot in The Dolomites and I had a very different experience. I had done so much work on my perception and the difference was that I was really looking forward to the trip. I felt a lot more confident in the knowledge I’d gained since then and I was almost unphased by driving on mountain passes now that I’d done it so much. The first drive along the mountain pass as we arrived was a beautiful experience that I’ll never forget. As I started to see the scenery I’d seen before in the summer sun, I felt like I was seeing it for the first time. I was relaxed and I felt so grateful to be there. I felt emotional and overcome by how beautiful my surroundings were that I spent the next few days crying happy tears as we hiked and drove all over making beautiful memories.

So, what was it about this experience that was so different from the first and second time? Firstly, I’d spent a lot of time identifying what the problem had been the first time round and addressing it, but it wasn’t just that. I believe it was how I went into it, and what my energy and attitude was to it. The first time, I was looking for a million reasons to be scared. The second time, I was looking for a million reasons to enjoy myself. The problem is, especially when looking back to the first example I gave, is that when you’re looking for problems, talking yourself down, telling yourself something is scary or that you can’t do it, it really affects your ability to actually do what it is you want to do. It is like you’re unconsciously manifesting what it is you are wanting to see (which in those cases, is the worst-case scenario and that the worry and fear is justified).

Thinking about it in an even simpler term, have you ever noticed how when you tell yourself on a hike that you’re feeling tired, you ultimately feel tired? Have you also noticed how when you tell yourself that you feel awake and are enjoying yourself, it feels easier to hike? There have been times where I’ve been able to turn myself around from feeling really tired on a hike, just by the way I choose to talk to myself.

Then there was something else that I realized. Fear and excitement are the same feeling. When my friend said that to me quite a while ago, I just dismissed it; I thought she was wrong. Then I started to think about it a lot again at the beginning of this year and really analyzed it. I looked at times where I felt fearful about something. I also looked at times where I felt excited about something. I realized pretty quickly that whilst the thoughts are different, the feelings in the body were the same. Heightened senses, tingling head, alertness raised. I think what it boils down to is that our minds get confused sometimes by our feelings. Or it can also be a case that if you’re naturally someone who worries, you will most likely go to worrying first rather than excitement. It is the easiest thought. So, I tried an experiment to really prove this idea. I thought about something upcoming that I felt uneasy about and I started telling myself instead that I was excited. It felt really fake at first, but then I know for a fact that if you tell yourself something over and over again, you end up believing it, so why not make it positive? You’re essentially trying to trigger your brain to think differently and change perspective. Sure, this thought of fear about this particular event I was focused on didn’t go away overnight, but the more I caught myself feeling worried, I was able to turn it round to excitement. It worked. By the time we went and did the thing in question, I didn’t feel crazily excited by it, I just did it. I tried this another few times afterwards, and I found that the more I did this and identified this ‘misplaced’ emotion from a fearful thought and worked it into an excited thought, I was starting to enjoy the things that I was feeling scared of before. I was starting as well to feel much more level headed in these experiences.

For me, recognizing that sometimes our fearful thoughts are actually misplaced emotions is a really great way, especially if you find yourself naturally straying towards negative or catastrophic thinking, to turn your thoughts around to enjoyment instead. The aim here isn’t to think that everything you’re worried or concerned about is all just misplaced emotion, it is instead to become more rational. Of course, in the outdoors, there are going to be situations where you will need to make a calculated decision on something, but if you can do that from a much more level headed space, you’re going to enjoy your experiences so much more.

Table of Contents

• Here are my action steps to move out of fear and into excitement to enjoy and enhance your adventure experiences:

Here are my action steps to move out of fear and into excitement to enjoy and enhance your adventure experiences:

1.Identify a few times where you feel like your experience of an event hasn’t been the same as most of the other people around you, or something where your reaction has stood out. What you’re trying to identify here is if your reaction is based on something else going on other than the stimulus of your surroundings. It may help you to write this down so you can get all of your thoughts out. Try to remember how you felt about the event before it happened. What was going on in your head? Also try to look for experiences that have happened where you’ve really enjoyed them and felt really confident. What were the differences with these events? What were the thoughts going on that differed so dramatically? I often find for me, that when I’ve done something before, I often go into it feeling much more confident than I would if it were my first time doing something.

2.Check in with yourself and your thoughts before heading off on whatever it is that you’re doing. Do you feel ok? Are there any hesitations or reservations? I always find it really useful to write these down so I can see them clearly in front of me. One of the main problems when we feel fearful about something is that we don’t recognize it and we instead let it simmer away until it becomes a much bigger problem than it needs to be. When you have your thoughts written out, ask yourself if that worry and concern is helpful or if it is based on fact. If you’re finding a pattern where your thoughts are based on the worst-case scenario, then it’s clear you need to look at replacing some of these thoughts with thoughts that will serve you from a better place.

3.Acknowledge your thoughts rather than try to just push them away. Chances are, if we try to push our thoughts away, they only come back tenfold. A better solution is to acknowledge the problem and choose instead to think a more serving thought.

4.Use the idea of a misaligned emotion. When you find yourself thinking about what it is you have upcoming and realize there is fear in there navigating the show, repeat to yourself that you see the misaligned thought and you feel excited. Keep repeating this. As many times as you need to, and you will start to see a difference in how you’re processing the upcoming event. The key here is to catch your thoughts when they happen before they build up.

Imagine just how much more enjoyment you can get out of your adventures if you’re not letting fear control the show so much.

Imagine what else you might say yes to.

As you probably saw from our Instagram, we’ve recently been to one of the Spanish islands, Ibiza. Whilst Ibiza is known as a party destination, there is also another side to the island.

Ibiza is one of those places where it’s party scene has arguably done it a great service but also possibly removed it as a location for many tourists who otherwise would visit for a quieter, more relaxed trip.

Sadly, the majority of thoughts people have when they think about the island is its wilder side and don’t realize there is so much more on offer if you are prepared to find it.

I’ll be honest, Ibiza for us has always formed more of a ‘holiday’, and last year when we visited, we took advantage of San Antonio and all that was on offer there.

We also didn’t have a car for that trip so were quite limited in what we were able to do and experience. We had a great time, but when we returned this year, we were intent on a different experience.

One of our friends had started to give us a few suggestions of where we could go for a more secluded experience, and managing to get a couple of taxis out to some of these locations last year really fueled our ‘this is incredible and there is a lot here to experience’ mindset.

You’ll find this article is a little different as it is going to marry together a couple of our categories. This isn’t just a travel piece, but also a mindset piece as it is going to cover some of the interesting discoveries we made in Ibiza this time around and how this has affected our adventures, our growth and our confidence.

I’m primarily writing this from my perspective because it wouldn’t be possible to write this any other way, but Matt had similar experiences to me with a lot of what I’m about to cover.

It can be absolutely amazing when you visit a place and realize just how much you’ve been able to develop whilst there. Sometimes this can happen in the most unlikely of places, like Ibiza. I never expected when I was on the flight out to Ibiza that I’d be feeling the way I do afterwards.

I was expecting a lot of relaxing, a lot of exploring and that to be about it. What I’ve come back with instead, is a much different attitude, a bite in my belly for something I’ve really enjoyed and a greater lust for life. I’ll explain why…

I’m guessing you’ve probably realized by now that hiking is our main thing! Hiking has formed a deep passion for both me and Matt and because of this, we predominantly plan our trips around hiking and backpacking. This is great, except what to do you do when you get somewhere that isn’t really known for its hiking and doesn’t really have that many hiking trails?

We had a vague idea of this when we visited last year. It was not possible to get an incredibly detailed map of the island when we visited, but with the one map we were able to get loaded into ViewRanger, we persisted anyway.

There were numerous times where we tried to hike somewhere only to get a few miles down a road to be met by frequent ‘Private Road’ signs; a little frustrating when the map you have makes no indication of this!

There were a couple of times when we headed out to the coast onto ‘paths’ that were more of a make your own trail over rocks situation. We’re normally fine with this, but we couldn’t help but crave in some circumstances a little bit more by way of a trail. We also knew that this would put a lot of people off.

We found ourselves this year in the North of the island staying in the beautiful Portinatx at the Sandos El Greco Beach Hotel. We’d heard that the north was where all of the mountainous landscapes were and is also the quieter side of the island.

Whilst it was absolutely a heaven of quiet and beautiful mountain views a plenty, we were faced with the same experience; no hiking trails. We managed a few short hikes, but nothing we were really able to get our teeth into.

Some of those hikes were along stretches of coast where we were scrambling over rocks; fun for us but not for everyone. Others had us walking on roads. We felt quite sad in some ways that we were surrounded by this incredibly untapped potential, but that wasn’t really accessible.

Maybe we completely missed a trick, but we don’t believe we did. When looking online for hiking in Ibiza, you soon find a real lack of information on this. One blog we read even suggested that you could make your own trails.

The problem we have with this is the idea of walking for a few miles to an indeterminate point to be turned back due to a private road. Or to be travelling unknown on somebody’s private property. This for us is a no.

We spent quite a while wondering what it was that was stopping Ibiza from having many designated hiking routes, and in speaking to one person they told us they thought it was perhaps because there wasn’t really any call for them.

Based on the demographic of people we saw in the North of the island, we figure it would be a case of build it and they will come. To be clear, it is not my intention to put down Ibiza in the slightest, and as you’ll see, I believe it to be an incredible place.

What I find is that my feet get itchy for getting out on the trail and I see so much potential here. I understand why hiking isn’t always at the forefront of a countries spending – it is a privilege and a luxury after all!

We’ve written an article before about how being rigid with your adventures is killing your experiences which you can readhere. This trip gave us the perfect opportunity to walk our own talk.

Yes, I’ll admit it can be completely disappointing sometimes when you’re expecting one thing from a trip and you get there, and it isn’t possible. You have two choices though, you can wallow in this and not enjoy the experience, or you can look at it from another perspective and reframe it.

We decided to do the second, and I am so glad we did. We were in this absolutely beautiful place and we decided to start going with what felt good. Soon enough, we were discovering incredible beaches where we were maybe two of four others there.

Sometimes these beaches were completely deserted, and we had our very own private paradise. We decided that we were just going to go with the flow and rather than making this solely about one new thing, it would be about whatever felt good.

For a previous control freak, this felt both exciting and a little terrifying because, you know, old beliefs and all! I’ve been a huge fan of swimming for a number of years now, and I frequently swim in a chlorinated pool. Whenever we head to hotels, I am eager to get in that pool straight away.

I love how the water feels on my skin and I love how I feel when I’ve thrashed out as many laps as I can and got my body all warmed up. For quite a while I’ve been pining to wild swim.

I’ve had ideas tossing around in my head for swimming in the lakes of Snowdonia and the Alps but have always found a reason not to do it. There has always been a reason not to get too cold or that we don’t have time.

I quickly realized this trip was going to give me the opportunity to wild swim and to open water swim to my heart’s content. We had access to incredible beaches, turquoise waters and calm currents, what more could you ask for?

The problem was, that even though my heart was telling me that I really, really wanted to do this, my brain started to have its stern word with me about the dangers involved. It wasn’t even like it was the first time I’d swam in open water either; having done quite a lot of snorkeling and swimming on the coasts of Greek Islands and North Africa. That was over ten years ago, and whilst I knew I’d done it, it was unfamiliar, and I started to worry.

When I started going swimming at a pool a couple of years ago, I was scared of the deep end, I was scared of the length and I was also scared of the idea of swimming on my back, getting water in my eyes and a whole number of other things.

Whilst I’d managed to work over these and get to the point where I felt incredibly comfortable, this was in the pool. This was a controlled environment where I could see the bottom. The sea was different, and if I’m honest, I think this is what had put me off about swimming in lakes too.

However, because I knew I had so much resistance to this, I knew that I had to try it. I had to see what it felt like. I could always decide that if I really, truly didn’t enjoy it, I could always stop.

This is the thing you see, when we are about to try something new, we often seem to get this idea in our heads that we will have to do it for eternity.

When we’re in our logical brains, we realize this isn’t really true. However, we’re not in our logical brains when were scared or apprehensive about something. I had a secret feeling though that I was actually going to really enjoy this.

With the next few days came a series of swims in other worldly, beautiful open waters. Calm, clear, full of amazin tropical fish. Yet every single time came I was about to swim came the trepidation I had felt the time before around the idea of going from standing in the water to actually splashing down into a swimming position. That moment where you push yourself from ‘safety’ to doing something uncomfortable always feels like the most drawn out, incredibly uncomfortable moment of your life.

You’re wondering whether you’re going to be ok. You’re wondering what’s going to happen when you say yes to what you want and move towards it rather than shying away and retreating. In my case, each time was actually around the ten-minute mark of deciding whether or not I actually wanted to swim.

I started to ask myself what it was that I was even scared of. I quickly decided it was a couple of things. One was jellyfish. There had been quite a lot of jellyfish in the waters around the island. One of which had stung Matt on our first swim. That gave me a great reason not to want to swim.

Even though I’d managed to find a great app that shows you where jellyfish had been reported on the island and wherever we were, were clear of jellyfish. The other thing was swimming into deep water; I’ve heard from many swimmers that the one thing that always has them returning frantically to the shore is realizing how deep the water is beneath them.

Couple this with wearing a snorkel mask and actually being able to see how deep the water is, well…needless to say, that was certainly a reason not to set off. I think the third reason was that I felt a little squeamish about the plant life growing on the bottom of the seabed. Not sure why, but it was there so I had to work through it.

The truth is, they were all really good reasons not to want to do this. I didn’t want to get stung by a jellyfish and I didn’t want to drown. They were also fears that weren’t really based in fact, so after a while of rationalizing them, I just got on with it and flung my body into the sea.

I did this over and over again for the next few days, getting better and better at flinging myself into the water before I’d really had a chance to think about what I was doing. I realized a good while ago that it is better to just get out there and do something before you’ve had too much time to decide otherwise and I can truly say this works. Plus, we usually find that what we were scared of isn’t even a problem once we get going.

I had moments of every single swim where I was hit by panic. Panic that I was too far out, that I was going to get swept away by a freak wave that would come in or get bitten by some indeterminate sea creature, but every time I concentrated on being mindful. I went back to my breathing.

I flitted, like in so many situations in my life, between completely loving and hating what I was doing. However, those moments of completely loving it began to take over the other moments and I realized just how much I was enjoying this.

I was swimming with fish I had never seen before, I was swimming along with them through the beautiful pools of light that were hitting the surface of the water and I felt completely alive.

The feeling of the water hitting my skin ignited my senses as I went through pockets of warmer and cooler water. The sun glistened on my back as I pushed through the shining mirror around me and I realized that I felt better than I had for a long time.

When I had my mask on, out to sea and head down looking at all the fish that swam past me, I realized I was in a quiet spot where I wasn’t thinking, I wasn’t trying to do or be anything. I just was. I was content. It felt meditative.

I started to realize just how my swimming experiences were really starting to relax me and I went head first into island life. I spent all day just pining for new beaches, looking out at quiet spots and walking at about a third the pace I normally would.

I had a constant smile attached to my face and I was constantly allowing myself to dive between what felt good in every second. I found myself constantly wearing my swimsuit; something that I had never had the confidence to wear outside of the water before.

In the space of one week, I’d gone from being worried about swimming for five minutes, to getting back to the beach and realizing I’d been in the water for times of close to two hours. Time had no concept anymore and I felt like I was living in a bubble.

But that bubble was what I needed at the time, and that bubble of being in the moment allowed me to have so many creative ideas. It also had a great impact on the time Matt and I were spending together. This trip wasn’t really about taking photographs, it was about us connecting.

On the day that was our seven-year anniversary, we spent it in the water, finding fish and swimming. We’ve always believed that nothing brings you closer together than shared experiences and this just gave even more fuel to the idea that this is true.

This also ignited my want to find more places to swim, and more ways I can work wild swimming into my experiences on a more regular basis. I’m not going to say I don’t feel apphrension, but I know that it is natural to feel that way.

If I had have become completely stuck in the idea that this was a hiking trip, and not what it turned out to be, I would never have allowed myself these experiences.

I find it is better to go into situations with an intention of how you want to feel rather than what exactly you want to create. Because often, if it is not exactly as we thought, we don’t see the wealth of other opportunities that are around us.

Table of Contents

• Action tips:
• The best beaches for wild swimming, snorkeling and diving in Ibiza
• Portinatx – S’Arenal Gran and S’Arenal Petit
• Port de ses Calletes
• Bennirras beach
• Cala d’Hort
• Cala Salada
• Cala Xaracca
• Cala Xuclar
• Cala Olivera
• Ses Balandres
• Es Portixol

Action tips:

• The time just before you do something is when you’ll feel the most resistance. It is best to get in and just do it before your brain takes over!
• Get comfortable doing new things. Rather than just getting comfortable with the concepts. It’s important to realize that you’ll probably always feel an element of apprehension before you do something new. One of my favorite phrases to say to myself is ‘I’m comfortable being uncomfortable’.
• Allow yourself the ability to look at what is real and what is a story.
• Don’t get stuck too much in your plans and allow yourself to be flexible.

The best beaches for wild swimming, snorkeling and diving in Ibiza

The beaches and coves we found in Ibiza were mainly based on the North of the island, and we would really recommend this oasis to base your stay around. There is a bus network on the island, but with a lot of the more remote beaches and coves, it is fairly hard to get to these by public transport.

You do not need an expensive hire car here, just something that will do the job. The beauty about Ibiza is that it is a small island, and whilst it does have some steep inclines and uneven roads, it is relatively low rent to drive around.

We found the majority of the time, we’d be in the car for, at the most, thirty minutes, and that would be to get to the other side of the island. The beaches we found, especially the more secluded ones, either involved driving up to the beach and walking to the shore or walking down a path from the top off a hill.

Some of them were a little more involved and include some minor scrambling over rocks or steep hill climbs down to get there. What I can promise you though, is that every single one of these beaches is completely worth the effort.

With most of these, a sense of adventure is needed, but that being said, they are all really achievable and most can be accessed from the car or via a short walk. Be aware that it gets very hot in Ibiza, and if you’re swimming in the sea, you’ll need to put on a lot of sun cream due to how to water is being reflected on you!

Portinatx – S’Arenal Gran and S’Arenal Petit

Both absolutely beautiful beaches, and both where we stayed. The waters here are clear, and you’ll be treated to really warm waters with a big array of fish. There are plenty of options for food and drink at the lively bars overhead from the beaches. Out of the beaches listed, I’d say these two were of the most popular and therefore the busiest we encountered.

You won’t find yourself alone at any time of the day on either of these beaches, but the people won’t impede on your own relaxation. You also have the opportunity to swim to quite deep waters around here.

Port de ses Calletes

This was without a doubt my favorite of all the beaches, due partly to the fact that we had it to ourselves. The drive there was also beautiful as you pass through pine forests and mountain views.

You need to take a winding road down to the beach, and when you get there, you’re met by the most wonderful view! This is a great place to swim and snorkel and you could quite happily spend all day relaxing at this incredible beach.

Bennirras beach

We found this large beach by accident, but we really enjoyed the swimming here. The water was clear, and the shore was pebbly, which meant lots of fish. This beach was quite busy, but we didn’t find any problem with the amount of people there.

Cala d’Hort

Overlooking Es Vedra, this turquoise cove has some of the best views of the island as well as beautiful water which is sometimes a little choppy, but usually a haven for swimmers and snorkeling. There is a little hike you can also do on the cliff top which gives you great views of Es Vedra.

Cala Salada

Close to San Antonio, this piece of quiet gives you a real sense of what traditional life is like on the island. What is even better is that if you follow the coastal path from this beach in either direction (path isn’t always obvious, but don’t let that put you off) you’ll find a wealth of beaches that you’ll potentially have to yourself.

Cala Xaracca

This was one of our favorite beaches on the island due to its wonderful rocky sea bed and incredible rock formations. You’ll get a great swim here and it is a great place to head to later in the afternoon or early evening due to the way the light hits the water. This beach is quiet!

Cala Xuclar

From my perspective, this beach that is close to Portinatx main beaches was my favorite. I saw the most incredible fish I’d seen on the island here. I would point out though, that when the sun goes behind the hills that form the cove, the waters do quickly get quite cold, but I think this was one of my favorite spots on the island.

I loved driving down the narrow windy road through the trees too! This is also a quiet beach, and quite small. There is one restaurant but most other things you’d want to bring with you.

Cala Olivera

On the East of the island, this is a beautiful beach, but for us, didn’t hold the appeal of some of the other beaches. This could be partly due to the waves we saw when we were there and that there didn’t appear to be any visible fish.

However, I’d love to go back and experience this beach again on a calmer day. This is meant to be a beach that is frequented by locals and I can see why they love it.

Ses Balandres

One of the most beautifully stunning areas on Ibiza, but you also have to work quite hard to get down to the beach. If you’re experienced and want an adventure and a quiet beach, this will be the one for you.

There is not an exact route down to the beach, but you instead have to follow ropes and ladders put in place to get from the cliff top down that fishermen have installed. It probably takes an hour to get down to this beach and an hour back, but the effort is worth it!

Es Portixol

There is about a 200m downhill to contend with when you first arrive at the car park, and then, obviously the same back, but this is well worth the effort. You’ll most likely not see many others there and it has some of the clearest waters of Ibiza.

Be sure to follow the signs for Portixol from the road, and then, when the road suddenly stops, you can park on the right and follow the path/road (which is forbidden to cars) down to the beach.