Pinta Xinxo Beach Review
An often ignored little beach at the far end of San Antonio bay
Many beaches dot the coastline of San Antonio Bay and Punta Xinxo is the very last of them. The furthest away from the main town and consequently one of the least visited in the bay, it’s not very large and its neighbour Pinet beach is noticeably prettier and livelier and so tends to draw more people.
Visitors to Xinxo tend to be staying locally in one of the large hotels that border the beach but if you fancy a walk along the coastline or a day of beach hopping then Xinxo is worthy of being a stop on your list, if only to say that you’ve visited every beach along the San Antonio bay strip.
A narrow little beach it’s only 30 m long and 9 m wide but it makes the most of what its got with rows of sun loungers and parasols for rent at €10 a day and a beach shack selling cold drinks, ice creams and simple food. Several different watersports operators are set up for business along the beach offering pedal boat hire, kayaks, paddle boards and jet skis not to mention all the fun you can have being dragged behind a speedboat on water skis, wake boards or the inflatable of your choice.
If you’re happy to stay on the beach, and why wouldn’t you be? You’re in good hands; the sand is soft although the surrounding brush isn’t, so stay on the paths or risk thorns in your feet! The sea is clear and blue, with a sandy seabed, although not everywhere so pick your route carefully. The surrounding rock arms that protect this little bay keep the sea calm and quiet and also make for some great snorkelling especially over at the far end by the boat shacks and ramps, but watch out for incoming ferries. Boats depart from here to other beaches in the surrounding area and ferries also go from this beach to San Antonio Port on a regular basis saving you the trouble of the 40 minute walk to town although if you don’t have your sea legs yet you can also easily get a bus to the centre of San An.
This beach has no lifeguard although there are clearly marked swimming and boating areas to keep you safe. The beach is bordered by a pedestrian walkway with no road in sight making it a safe spot for kids to run around and there are slopes down to the beach for ease of access. The beach is lacking showers and toilets but there’s no shortage of facilities in the surrounding area, there are several bars and restaurants that border the beach and most are fine with beach goers using their toilets.
The most noticeable complex is the Playa Bella Hotel that stretches along the edge of the beach. If you’re hanging out at Xinxo it’s probably because you’re staying at this hotel and if you’re not, you’ll probably want to be if only for access to their fun pool which features pirates ships and dancing gorillas. Sadly this is for guests only. The restaurant is fair game though and has a large menu featuring pizzas, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, curries, fajitas, stir-fries and much more, all at pretty reasonable prices. The bar is open to the public too and there’s nightly entertainment of the one-man show/Abba tribute band variety.
Across the road sits the pretty lounge bar Beach Star. With it’s chilled vibe and pastel colour scheme this is a beach lounge the like of which would cost you a lot of money on a busier beach but here on overlooked little Xinxo you can chill by the pool in a hammock, listening to live DJ’s for the price of a €10 day pass. Cocktails will cost you €7-10 on top of that and the menu features such tempting items as king prawn caeser salad and bloody mary bruschetta with grilled halloumi. If you’d rather provide for yourself you’ll find little supermarkets on the road behind the beach selling all the essentials.
Head to Punta Xinxo as the last stop on a San Antonio bay beach tour, for a good local beach if you’re staying in the area or for a pretty little sandy beach that’s often quieter than it’s neighbours, good for snorkelers and water sports enthusiasts but avoid if you need a lifeguard service.
