Seaweed

[Little Miss Sunshine]

Just got back... and missing PP already!
Just wanted to ask whether anyone else - that has visited this summer - thought the sea was getting more and more taken over by weed?
Been going to PP for nearly 20 years and although there has always been weed in the sea, it was never quite so close to the beach... the beaches and sea seemed a bit dirtier too.
Can anyone recommend any better beaches for swimming... love Formentor, but HATE the crowds!

 

[Belladonna]

The Beaches link below may help out. If you click on each square which shows a beach, it willl give you more information on it.

 

[allanglens]

Best beach for swimming?

Cala Molins at Cala San Vincente. Excellent for snorkelling as well, with rocky surrounds and a clear sandy bottom at diveable depth.

allanglens

 

[kate1]

At the end of April I certainly did notice a very seaweedy (or even sewage-y!) smell, which I'd never noticed before, around the jetty belonging to the Capri bar on the Pine Walk. It put us off having a drink in that area but then those very narrow beaches in that part of the Pine Walk always seem to have a bit of weed and debris on them and people tend not to swim there in any case because they are not really suitable. The beaches didn't seem any less clean elsewhere - further up the Pine Walk near the Bahia was fine and likewise the beaches at the Llenaire end. We didn't notice any weed in the sea either.

 

[Little Miss Sunshine]

Thanks for the responses, so far... we stay at the Miramar, so we are in the area Kate mentions - near Capri etc. We stayed there last year also, and I can't remember the weed being so bad.

Next time, will try Cala Mollins... we tend to get very lazy and only venture to Pollensa and Palma. The pull of PP is so strong.... just wish the sea was a bit cleaner and less weedy.

 

[Gommar Goffer]

LMS - the trick with Formentor is to avoid the days when the coach parties go there, trouble is I can't rember what days that is - it could be Tuesday and Thursday

 

[eleanor]

Or it could be Monday or Wednesday!
It was very busy when we went on a Wednesday.

I think perhaps there are a couple of coach companies going over during the busy times and perhaps they have an arrangement to go on different days?

The place is so beautiful though that crowds or no crowds - it is a must to see. The ferry across is such good value too and what a view!

 

[wragh]

there looks like some awesome beaches over there. i bet it's great to just go and relax and not worry about anything!

 

[eleanor]

We just love to go over by ferry as the views are fantastic. Just love to villa watch too - some of them are wonderful. Would love to know what goes on behind the gates! There is one for sale at the moment and it is only twelve and half mil (12,500,000 - is that right? about as close as I will ever get to that number!!)

Anyway - seaweed! Isn't seaweed a sign of clean water or do I have that wrong?

 

[med777]

the commas go in groups of 3 Eleanor... but think we all get the drift... telefone number stuff !

Miriam

 

[eleanor]

the commas go in groups of 3 Eleanor... but think we all get the drift... telefone number stuff !

Miriam

Yep - as I said the closest I would get to a number like that! It's a different world to mine!

Good job I taught English and not maths lol

 

[debz1]

The sea at Formentor and CSV is the best IMO and as clear as a swimming pool. However the seaweed in PP is nothing like the stuff you get in the UK. Its actually quite pretty!! Having said that I never put my feet down when I'm swimming over it....you never know what lies beneath

 

[Smiddy]

We just love to go over by ferry as the views are fantastic..Just love to villa watch too - some of them are wonderful. Would love to know what goes on behind the gates! There is one for sale at the moment and it is only twelve and half mil (12,500,000 - is that right? about as close as I will ever get to that number!!)

Anyway - seaweed! Isn't seaweed a sign of clean water or do I have that wrong?

Was told Sinatra and Ava Gardner once went on holiday in one of them. NOW we're talking celebrities!

 

[eleanor]

I wonder which villa they were in? emm.. that villa for sale has just gone up another mil! lol

 

[Gommar Goffer]

and don't forget that John Wayne had his villa at Formentor - no idea where or which one though - anyone know?

 

[eleanor]

OMG another mil! lol

 

[Andreas and Noisette]

This year we were rather dubious about the water quality in the bay. Maybe it was just our patch (opposite La Golleta) but it was not the usual crystal clear turquoise that we are used to and looked very cloudy at times and yes there was loads of seaweed. Not the usual 'lettuce leaf' growing on the sea bed but blankets of fluffy moss. Where it floated on the surface it looked like horrible scum. The sea bed sand it seems had been washed away too during the winter thus exposing the sharp rocks of the bay. The jelly fish were also present as some bathers were stung . Needless to say there were no early morning swims to feed the fish this year. Has anyone else found this to be a problem this year? For some quality swimming we visited Cala San Vicente and Formentor instead, which we had not done for quite a number of years and in fact we enjoyed the change.