S'Espalmador (; ) is a small, privately owned uninhabited island located in the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...

Features

The island is just to the north of

Formentera Formentera (, ) is a Spanish island located in the Mediterranean Sea, which belongs to the Balearic Islands autonomous community (Spain) together with Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza. Formentera is the smallest and most southerly island of the ...

, from which it is separated by a shallow

sandbar In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material, and rises from the bed of a body of water close to the surface or ...

. During low tide, it is possible to wade between the two islands. The area is visited by canoeists and

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

s heading between

Ibiza Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...

and Formentera. The island has pristine

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

es, freshwater springs and a mud-bath. To the north of the main island is Illa des Porcs (Pig Island) which was once used as a hideout and stronghold for pig smugglers. The En Pou

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

was built on the island in 1861 to mark the southern side of the ''Es Freus'' strait between the island and

. The island had been owned by the Cinnamond family who bought it for the equivalent of €252 in 1932. In March 2018, despite efforts at purchase by the Formentera government, Catalan architect Norman Cinnamond and his sister Rosy sold the island to two wealthy Belgian businessmen, brothers Christian Cigrang and Jean Cigrang for £16 million (~€18 million).

Conservation issues

In August 2024, Spanish authorities launched an investigation on possible environmental crimes after reports surfaced that filming for the music video of the

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...

single " Lifetimes" had been held in the island's ecologically sensitive sand dunes without proper authorisation from the environment department of the Balearic Islands.

Gallery

File:IllotsFormentera2.jpg , S'Espalmador is located just north of

File:Illa des Porcs.JPG, En Pou

, Illa des Porcs

References

Uninhabited islands of Spain Islands of the Balearic Islands {{Balearics-geo-stub