Formentera

Formentera is the southernmost of the Balearic Islands, just below Ibiza. It has no airport: the only way in is by boat. The island is low and narrow, with a flat middle, a sand spit in the north and a higher plateau in the east. Its main town is Sant Francesc Xavier, inland.

History

Formentera is thinly populated and always has been: a shortage of fresh water and an exposed position made the island vulnerable, and at several points in its history it stood almost empty before being resettled. Those who stayed lived off fish, salt, figs and grain; the square white houses with thick walls and the windmills on the high ground belong to that economy. Between Ibiza and Formentera lies the strait with the posidonia meadows that were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 together with Dalt Vila, Puig des Molins and Sa Caleta. Those seagrass meadows are the reason the water here is so clear — and they are protected, so boats may not anchor over them.

What to do here

• Come by ferry from Ibiza harbour; there is no other way to arrive.
• Rent a bike or a scooter — the island is small and flat enough to explore that way.
• Walk the sand spit north towards Ses Illetes and look back across the strait to Ibiza.
• Drive to the high east, La Mola, for the lighthouse and the view along the cliffs.
• Visit Sant Francesc Xavier, the main inland village, with its fortified church on the square.
• Snorkel over the posidonia meadows and keep off them; they are protected.

Facts

• Formentera has no airport and is reached only by sea.
• Sant Francesc Xavier is the main town; Es Pujols is the main resort.
• The posidonia meadows in the sea between Ibiza and Formentera have been UNESCO World Heritage since 1999.
• Espalmador is the islet in the strait between Ibiza and Formentera.

Good for

A day trip from Ibiza, or a longer stay for anyone after swimming, cycling and quiet.