The buildings and houses alongside the industrial dock of the salt pans are known as Sa Canal. The road that leads to the beach ends at this point, and so visitors arriving by car must park their vehicles there, as access is restricted by the salt company. Sa Canal is a famous landmark and full of charm. A huge store with high stone walls and a gabled roof welcomes visitors. Today it is known as La Nave, a cultural venue that is used as a contemporary art gallery, managed by the famous art collector Lio Malca. Beyond, other whitewashed buildings with their emerald green painted woodwork indicate the zone of industrial activity. The long pier stands out among the buildings and here is where the boats that arrive to load up the salt are moored. Conveyor belts run along this iron structure carrying the precious cargo to the holds of the transport barges. Entering the settlement on foot, you will discover the little cottages scattered there and there. Built to house company workers, they have a colonial air, with their balconied porches and slate roofs. Beyond the houses, a path leads to a little cove with fishermen’s huts and a ramp where you can still see the remains of an old salt barge. Beyond it is another wider ramp also made of stone which served as dry dock for the barges needing repair. Still anchored to the rock thick rusty chains hang from the barge’s sides in discreet testimony to the intense activity of a bygone age. This is a lovely area for swimming, or for simply admiring the vast expanse of the beach Ses Salines, while scanning the horizon to make out the shape of Formentera and the little islands out to sea.
