If you plan to spend an unforgettable holiday in Formentera hotels we invite you to know a little more about this spectacular island, which is Formentera

Defining the island of Formentera, which is only 19 kilometers long from the port to the lighthouse of La Mola, is more complicated than probing into the etymological past of its name which has various explanations that are accepted by many but none of which are accepted by everyone.

The island, which is 82 kilometers square, has half a dozen beautiful beaches, two lighthouses and only one “mountain” … perhaps its beauty lies in its simplicity. There is the beauty of its fine white sand beaches, its crystal clear water of unequaled transparency, its typical Mediterranean vegetation and its mild climate all year round.

The start of our “trip” begins as we leave from the port of Ibiza by boat, on a journey which until only recently was  made by famous vessels such as Manolito or the Joven Dolores that “crossed” the 11 nautical miles that separate “las pitiusas” (Ibiza and Formentera) even on the days of big storms. Leaving the coast of Ibiza on the right, our journey advances inexorably across the sea towards our dream destination, an island far away from the worldly noises and stress that characterize the cities, an island of pirates, of hippies, an island that inspired musicians such as Pink Floyd or that was the scene of a novel of Jules Verne ...

While we are advancing on our journey that will take from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the type of boat that we are on, on our right we leave behind the fortress castle of Ibiza, the beaches of  Playa d’en Bossa and Es Cavallet, and the salt pans that speak to us of the past when the commerce of salt was the primary source of work in the islands.

Halfway through our journey we find ourselves in Los Freos “Es Freus”, formerly called “Las Puertas” (The Doors) which is the obligatory passageway towards the south and east coast of the peninsula. The first strait is between la Punta (the point) of Ses Portes and el Illot (the small island) Caragoler. The second strait is between el Illot Caragoler and la Illa (the island) d’es Penjats (which, as its name indicates, refers to executions and hangings) and the third “door” is situated between the lighthouse of la Illa d’es Penjats and el Illot dels Porcs (Pigs)…

After passing Los Freos (Es Freus) we find on our left the island of Espalmador with its watchtower on its highest point (as we will later find also in Formentera). South of Espalmador Beach we find Es Pas, the narrow strait that separates Espalmador and Formentera. This passageway, where with the passing years and the inclemencies of the weather, has been sculpted by nature just as a potter sculpts an earthenware vessel and is in continual evolution. 

The island of Formentera starts where the strait of Es Pas de Trocadors finishes with a triangle of fine sand and rocks barely decorated with vegetation until we arrive at Illetas (Ses Illetes) Beach. From the boat, just minutes before arriving at the port of La Savina, we can see the small islands that the beach is named after. For the tourists this beach is definitely the most famous and it is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island where we are about to land.

When we arrive at the port of La Savina we realize that this is very different from the place that we have left behind. There is a new ferry terminal, some hotels and a marina but the atmosphere is very relaxed and the disembarking that we were waiting for is very calm as we take a deep breath of the pure air of Formentera. 

In La Savina we find the offices of Formentera Mar and Marina of Formentera as well as the Fishermen’s Association. Next to the new marina we find the fishermen’s wharf which reminds us of the fishermen who went to sea to provide a living for their families and even today there are people who follow the tradition of fishing. On the wharf we can see fishing tools and some fishermen who are repairing their fishing nets before they throw them again into the sea.

Next to the port is the Estany d’es Peix, the smaller of the two lagoons of Formentera, which has a small beach and various hotels bordering it. As this lagoon is connected to the sea by a narrow strait, many of the local residents keep their small boats anchored here, especially the typical fishing boats (llauts) with diesel engines that glide along the coast of Formentera.

We leave La Savina on the straight road that brings us after only three kilometers to the “capital” of the island, Sant Francesc Xavier (San Francisco Javier). We come to a roundabout and arrive at the town which is on the right-hand side. In San Francisco (pronounced San Franciscu by the local people) there is the Town Hall, which is the government of the island, located in the square of the fortress church (or perhaps it should be said the opposite way, that the church is located in the square of the Town Hall). Next to the church is the old Town Hall which later became a library and which is now a gallery for exhibitions. 

In front of the church on the opposite side of the square is the Town Hall and next to it is the famous “Bar Centro”. On Saturday nights during the summer there are jazz concerts in the square in front of the church. In San Francisco we can also enjoy visiting the handicraft market with its “hippy” stalls that are set up each morning. 

Continuing on our tour of the island, we leave the “capital”, turn right and after two kilometers we arrive at the town of San Fernando “Sant Ferran” which is small, peaceful and home of the lively Fonda Pepe with its PyK Restaurant (although everyone refers to it as the restaurant of the Fonda). In addition to the mythical Fonda, San Fernando is also famous for the square in front of the church where hippies and visitors get together for animated pagan festivities as they play guitars, drums and “deegeeredoos” accompanied by jugglers and the occasional concert or play. In this part of the island (as well as in La Mola) the passage of time seems to have stopped as though it is waiting for the return of the hippies…and perhaps they will return… 

Just two kilometers from Sant Ferran on the coast there is the tourist capital “par excellence” of the island. Es Pujols, which was once a small coastal fishing village, has become the actual center of tourism. There, after a torrid and relaxing day at the beach, the tourists can find everything that they need from hotels, restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops to a lively street market held at night on the promenade next to the beach. Es Pujols is also the center of night-life in Formentera with various night-time pubs and the Tipic disco.

If we continue on the main road from San Fernando (not turning left to go to Es Pûjols) we come upon the small fishing village of Es Caló de Sant Agustí. Here we find a small harbor with the rustic sheds (that can also be found at Es Pujols beach) that the fisherman use to protect their llauts (small fishing boats with a diesel engine) and to repair their fishing nets. In this small village there are tourist accommodations and agencies that rent cars and scooters as well as well-known restaurants such as Rafalet and Pascaul where you can eat seafood or paella. 

As we leave Es Caló we begin the slow and winding climb up to La Mola where there is Sa Talaia, the highest point of the island at 192 meters above sea level. At the beginning of the climb, on the lelf-hand side of the road, there is the Roman Way (Camí Romà or Camino Romano also known as Camí de sa Pujada or Camino de la Subida) which is a track paved with stones (recently restored) that passes through vegetation and along the cliffs where it provides stunning views of the sea and the Tramontana coast of Formentera.

We continue climbing up for more than two kilometers of winding road until we reach the village of El Pilar de la Mola. La Mola, which until only recently was an authentic refuge for hippies, still conserves this magic halo as though here the hands of the clock do not turn at the same speed. On Wednesday and Sunday afternoons there is an animated hippy market of arts and crafts where we can buy local handicrafts as well as enjoy the music of songs accompanied by guitars and drums. These hours of the “mercatino” ( as the Italians say) are the only time when the village seems to wake up from its eternal lethargy which seems to envelop it and which gives it a “unique” atmosphere. 

After following the road for another two kilometers we find ourselves at “the lighthouse at the end of the world”. This place was chosen by Jules Verne in his novel “Hector Servadac” to be the only place in the world where a comet that would hit the earth could be seen. Of course, the purity of the air here is indisputable and the horizon appears to go on  infinitely so it has been a perfect place for hippy parties over the years. Next to the lighthouse a monument has been built to commemorate Jules Verne, the writer who immortalized this place in his novel. 

We can visit here at night and contemplate how the rays of light of the lighthouse (which saved the lives of many sailors before the invention of the GPS) sprinkle across the plateau of La Mola as well as across the sea and it is well worth the effort to witness this.