Sant Francesc Xavier

Sant Francesc Xavier is the main town of Formentera and sits inland rather than on the coast. It is small: a square with a white fortified church, a couple of shopping streets, the town hall and the island’s everyday services. This is where Formentera runs itself, rather than where it presents itself to visitors.

History

The church on the square is not an ordinary village church but a fortress: thick walls, small openings, built to shelter the population when attacks came from the sea. That is not decorative — Formentera lay unprotected in a busy stretch of sea and was almost depopulated more than once in its history. When the island was resettled, the interior was chosen over the coast: out of sight from the sea was safer. It explains why the main town of an island famous for its beaches has no beach.

What to do here

• Look at the white fortified church on the square and note how thick the walls are.
• Do your shopping here; this is the island’s practical centre.
• Visit the craft market in the centre when it is on.
• See the small chapel of Sa Tanca Vella, the modest old structure near the square.
• Use the town as a hub: the roads to every part of the island run from here.
• Come in the early evening, when the square belongs to the residents.

Facts

• Sant Francesc Xavier is the main town of Formentera.
• The town lies inland and has no beach of its own.
• The parish church is a fortified building that could serve as a refuge during attacks from the sea.
• The island’s local government and everyday services are based here.

Good for

A short stop en route, stocking up, and seeing how the island works away from the beach.