Exploring the Isle of Formentera… It was like a dream!

There’s probably a few places your mind wanders to when it’s grey and gloomy… As soon as I set foot on Formentera I knew that it would be etched in my mind, and haunt all my rainy humpdays forevermore. Meaning, it was the most magical, sparkling and dreamlike place I’ve ever been! A short ferry away from Ibiza, once you arrive it feels worlds away, without the glitz and intense nightlife of Ibiza. Instead, it has rustic farmland and whitewashed villages all surrounded by the clearest blue water you’ve ever seen. Throw away your filters because you won’t need them! If you’ve been partying it up in Ibiza, a trip to Formentera is the perfect antidote. Admittedly there’s not a heap to do there, but cycle around, wallow in the vibrantly blue water and feast on paella. But something about the fact that you don’t have an overflowing itinerary makes it all the more magical. Read on for what we did!

Formentera Travel Guide

Stay & Go

The only way to get to Formentera is by ferry from Ibiza… Orrr by massive superyacht, many of which you will see speckling the horizon. We opted to leave out yacht at home (ha!) and grab the public ferry. We did a day trip to Formentera rather than staying on the island itself so did the return trip in a day, leaving around 10am and coming back at 6pm. If you want to do a day trip, it’s easy to get a ferry from the Ibiza Port – they leave every hour and it only takes about 35 minutes to get there, you don’t need to book either. If you want to stay there, there’s only a few hotels but lots of airbnb and agrotourismo (farms that offer bed and breakfast).

See & Do

Hire a bike or a scooter and explore the dry backroads and traditional farms of the island. For our day trip we hired bikes near the port and did a loop of the island, up to Es Calo and back to Playa de Illetas. it was about a 20km round trip and quite hot so a scooter or a car might suit you better if you prefer a more relaxing pace.

Drive or ride up the mountain to the lighthouse at Pilar de la Mola, for a view down across the island.

While away the day on the picture-perfect beach of Playa de Illetas, a long finger of sand on the north end of the island. This beach is a great option if you don’t want to venture too far from the ferry and is connected to the port town by a gorgeous coastal path.

Dive in at Es Calo – a rocky shoreline with the most gorgeous sparkling blue water I have ever seen!

Explore the old town of Sant Francesc Xavier.

Eat & Drink

Full disclosure… My number one priority on these trips is to eat an amazing lunch. Hence I tend to research every possible option, googling every nook and cranny of the place. After researching till my fingers were very sore I decided on Es Calo Restuarant, and we hightailed it from the ferry, jumped on a bike rode like mad to get there before it got busy… We noticed that restaurants tend to be either booked or fill up really early, so there was no dawdling on this one. And we were in luck, we got a lovely table and it was the most delicious and enjoyable lunch of the trip, looking at at the blue water and gorgeous cliffs… Even if I was completely sweaty and windblown from the ride 🙂

If you visit the main town of Sant Francesc Xavier, check out S’Abeurada de Can Simonet for authentic Spanish dishes.

Eat a yummy breakfast in a delightful courtyard at Ca Na Pepa.

Check out relaxed beach club Beso Beach, a great option if you don’t want to go too far from the ferry.

On our way back to the ferry we had a last drink at Es Moli de Sal, a lovely spot for lunch near Playa de Illetas.