Formentera is the smallest and southernmost of the main Balearic Islands, about 20 km from end to end, and it has no airport: everyone arrives by ferry from Ibiza at the port of La Savina, about 30 minutes away. Most visitors come for the sea. The north of the island, with the Ses Illetes and Llevant beaches and the salt pans, lies inside the Ses Salines natural park, whose posidonia meadows keep the water so clear.
The island is flat except at its two ends. To the south-west, Cap de Barbaria is a bare cliff with a lighthouse; to the east, the La Mola plateau rises to 192 m with another lighthouse and the village of El Pilar. In between sit the capital, Sant Francesc Xavier, the long Migjorn beach on the south coast and Es Pujols, the busiest resort.
Formentera works best slowly. Distances are short, 32 signposted Green Routes cross the island and the Consell caps the number of cars in summer, so a bike, the bus or a vehicle hired on the island gets you everywhere.
About 30 minutes by fast ferry from Ibiza Town, Formentera works as a day trip if you choose which part to see.
What it is
Fast ferries leave Ibiza Town's port for La Savina, Formentera's only port; sailings are frequent all year, and Baleària and Trasmapi are two of the operators. The real decision is scope: one day covers either the north (Illetes, Llevant, the salt pans) or Sant Francesc and Cala Saona.
How to do it
Leave the car in Ibiza: from 1 June to 30 September vehicles hired outside Formentera are banned, and your own needs a paid Formentera.eco authorisation whose visitor quota runs out in summer (it was full every day of August 2025). Firms along La Savina's port hire out bikes, scooters and cars, and the L3 bus reaches Ses Illetes in 15 minutes.
Good to know
In must30's view, La Mola and Cap de Barbaria are worth a night on the island.
Swim at Ses Illetes and Llevant on the Es Trucadors sandbar
Ses Illetes
Half a day to a full dayNo booking needed
Two beaches back to back on one sandbar, in places only 50 m of dunes apart, so the wind picks your side.
What it is
Ses Illetes faces west over shallow turquoise water with a string of islets offshore, and Llevant runs 1,450 m along the opposite side of the Es Trucadors peninsula. Both lie in the Ses Salines natural park.
How to do it
Llevant is sheltered when the wind blows from the west, Illetes when it comes from the east. From 10 May to 15 October cars and motorbikes pay to enter (€5 to €7 per car by date for non-residents), and the car parks hold 384 cars. Cyclists, walkers and electric vehicles go in free, and the Green Route from La Savina is 3.3 km.
Good to know
Keep to the boardwalks over the dunes, and do not try to wade across to s'Espalmador from the point: it is prohibited because of strong currents.
Sail to s'Espalmador and snorkel over the posidonia
s'Espalmador
Half a dayBook ahead
A boat trip to the islet north of Formentera is the way to see the posidonia meadows that keep these waters clear.
What it is
S'Espalmador lies inside the Ses Salines natural park, and UNESCO listed the posidonia meadows as World Heritage in 1999. Visitors may land only through the entry and exit channels and walk the beach, the shore and the signposted path to the lagoon, where the famous mud baths are prohibited.
How to do it
Hire a boat with or without a skipper at La Savina, or join an excursion. Anchoring on posidonia is banned across the Balearics, so boats drop anchor on sand or tie up at the regulated buoys in s'Alga bay.
Good to know
If a trip promises a landing, ask whether it holds park authorisation: in 2025 the Govern opened three cases against companies for unauthorised landings, with fines of more than €70,000 in total.
Flat until the climb to La Mola, with 32 signposted Green Routes, and bikes enter the natural park free while cars pay.
What it is
The Consell's Green Routes (Circuits Verds) cover more than 100 km of tracks and quiet lanes, and many of them suit bikes. Between Sant Ferran and Es Pujols, the narrow Camí de ses Vinyes runs between dry-stone walls, with a detour to the Estany Pudent lagoon, where flamingos are easiest to see at the end of summer and in autumn. The long classic, Sant Francesc to the Barbaria lighthouse, is 9.6 km, about an hour each way.
How to do it
Hire a bike at La Savina, where the ferry docks, and start with the route to Ses Illetes: 3.3 km, about 15 minutes, past the salt pans and along the Camí de sa Guia.
Good to know
The Consell's Metrominut map marks eight short rides from the port.
Watch the sunset from the Cap de Barbaria lighthouse
Cap de Barbaria
Half a day by bike from Sant FrancescFree
A lighthouse on a 100 m cliff at the end of a narrow road across bare, windswept ground, as Julio Medem filmed it.
What it is
It stands at Formentera's south-western tip, and Medem used the image in Lucía y el sexo. The Cova Foradada nearby is entered through a hole in the rock, and the 1763 Torre des Garroveret watchtower is a short walk away.
How to do it
From 15 May to 15 October a barrier at km 6.5 of the Es Cap road closes it to motor traffic. Leave the car or scooter in the car park at sa Tanca d'Allà Dins (60 cars, 100 motorbikes) and walk or cycle on; people with reduced mobility can drive through. In 2025 the Consell posted a controller there from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 18:00 to sunset, so the easier plan is the 9.6 km Green Route from Sant Francesc, about an hour by bike.
Browse the La Mola craft market and walk to the lighthouse
El Pilar de la Mola
An afternoonNo booking needed
A craft market where everything on sale is handmade on Formentera, then a walk off-road to a lighthouse 120 m above the sea.
What it is
El Pilar de la Mola sits on the plateau at Formentera's eastern end, and on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons from May to October its square hosts the island's main craft market. Founded in 1984 in the wake of the hippie years, it keeps that one rule, from ceramics and silver to leather and painting, with live music between the stalls. The lighthouse stands beside a monument to Jules Verne and houses an art exhibition.
How to do it
The L2 bus from La Savina runs to El Pilar and on to the lighthouse. From the village, a 2.8 km Green Route reaches the Far de la Mola without touching the road. The exhibition costs €4.50 and is closed on Mondays and from 1 December to 11 February.
Good to know
On the other summer evenings, Sant Ferran's art market takes over.
Climb the Camí de sa Pujada from Es Caló to La Mola
Es Caló de Sant Agustí
About 80 minutes on foot uphillFree
Climb the old stone-paved track that was the way up to La Mola before the road, with views opening over the island.
What it is
Es Caló de Sant Agustí is a small fishing settlement on the north coast, with a natural harbour ringed by white huts and wooden slipways laid out like a fan; they were declared of cultural interest in 2002. From here the Camí de sa Pujada, sometimes called the Roman path, climbs 4 km to the plateau. As you climb you see the Racó de sa Pujada and the Pou des Verro, and at the top the path passes the Terramoll vineyards before reaching El Pilar.
How to do it
The Consell rates it difficult and allows 80 minutes on foot. Start early and ride the L2 bus back down, or time the climb for the afternoon market.
Good to know
For a swim, try the rock and sand coves of Ses Platgetes next to the harbour.
The only sandy beach on Formentera's cliff-bound west coast, and since it faces west, one of the island's best sunset spots.
What it is
Cala Saona is about 140 m of sand in a small bay between Punta Rasa and the Caló d'en Trull, with reddish rock, fishermen's boat sheds and turquoise water, and a hotel above the beach. Watch the sunset from the sand or from the viewpoint on the cliff above.
How to do it
By car, head from Sant Francesc towards Cap de Barbaria and take the signposted turn-off; there is a car park at the end of the road. By bike, the Green Route from La Savina is 5.5 km, and the seasonal L5 bus runs from the port. Rent a kayak or paddle board to reach the sea caves under the Punta Rasa cliffs.
Good to know
It draws big crowds, so arrive in the late afternoon.
Walk Sant Francesc Xavier, the capital with a fortress church
Sant Francesc Xavier
Free
A small capital built around a whitewashed church made as a fortress against pirate raids, with an iron-clad door and gun slit.
What it is
Sant Francesc is Formentera's small capital, and its centre is the church on Plaça de la Constitució, blessed in 1738: thick walls with almost no openings and a barrel vault meant to withstand artillery. Look for the tiny Sa Tanca Vella chapel, from the 13th or 14th century, the Fossar Vell cemetery restored by the architect Marià Castelló, and the ethnographic collection at Carrer de Jaume I, 15.
How to do it
Behind the church, the Jardí de ses Eres holds a second-hand market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, and from May to October craft stalls fill the pedestrian streets. At the Mercat Pagès in the Centre Antoni Tur Gabrielet, farmers sell island fruit, vegetables, honey and wine.
Good to know
Come early or at dusk, when the light softens the white walls.
About 5 km of sand and rock coves along the south coast, usually sheltered from the prevailing summer winds.
What it is
Migjorn is the name for Formentera's south coast, split into coves from Es Mal Pas in the west through Es Ca Marí and Es Valencians to Es Arenals and Es Copinar. Although it faces south, its beach bars catch good sunsets. Es Arenals is one of the island's two beaches adapted for people with reduced mobility, with ramps, shade, amphibious chairs, lifeguards and reserved parking. Nearby, beside the road at km 10, stand the remains of Can Blai, a Roman fort that was never finished.
How to do it
Reach it by any of the turn-offs south from the main road past Sant Ferran, or on the L2 bus, which stops at Ca Marí and the Es Arenals junction.
Good to know
For swimming, Es Ca Marí, Es Arenals and Es Copinar have the best sandy bottoms.
Formentera has no airport, so you fly to Ibiza and take a ferry from Ibiza Town's port to La Savina, the island's only port. The crossing takes about 30 minutes and sailings run all year, more often in summer; Baleària and Trasmapi are two of the operators on the line. In season there is also a direct ferry from the Spanish mainland. If you plan to bring a car or motorbike between 1 June and 30 September, read the vehicle rules under Getting around before you buy its ticket.
Getting around
From 1 June to 30 September every motor vehicle needs an authorisation under the Consell's Formentera.eco scheme. Visitors apply at formentera.eco and pay a daily fee (in 2026, €9 a day for a car in July and August, minimum €45), and once the visitor quota is full no more are issued. Vehicles hired outside Formentera, quads, caravans and motorhomes are banned in that period, so hire on the island: firms along La Savina's port rent bikes, scooters and cars. Otherwise, cycle or take the bus: Bus Formentera lines link La Savina with Es Pujols, El Pilar and the La Mola lighthouse, Ses Illetes and, in season, Cala Saona.
How many days
In must30's view, three or four. Give one day to the north (Illetes, Llevant, the salt pans), one to Sant Francesc, Cala Saona and Cap de Barbaria, one to Es Caló, Migjorn and La Mola on a market day, and one to a boat trip. A day trip from Ibiza covers the north or a bike loop, not much more.
When to go
May to October for swimming. The official tourist board names May, June and September as the best balance of weather and crowds, and the sea reaches 26 to 27 °C at the end of summer. July and August bring the most traffic: in 2025 the Formentera.eco vehicle quota was full on every day of August. In winter the island is quiet and some businesses scale back. The La Mola craft market runs from May to October, and flamingos are easiest to see on the salt ponds at the end of summer and in autumn.
Where to stay
Es Pujols is the busiest resort. Migjorn, on the south coast, has hotels and apartments of every size along 5 km of beach. Sant Francesc, the capital, sits at the centre of the bus lines and bike routes, and La Savina suits short stays because the ferries are there. Es Caló and El Pilar de la Mola are the quiet choices at the eastern end.
Questions travellers ask
Can you visit Formentera as a day trip from Ibiza?
Yes. Ferries from Ibiza Town's port reach La Savina in about 30 minutes and sail frequently all year. Hire a bike or scooter at the port, or take the bus, and pick one area: Ses Illetes and the north, or Sant Francesc and Cala Saona. Check the time of the last ferry back before you set off.
Can I take my car to Formentera?
From 1 June to 30 September only with a paid authorisation from the Consell's formentera.eco portal, and only while the visitor quota lasts. In that period cars hired in Ibiza or anywhere else off the island are banned, as are quads, caravans and motorhomes. Outside those dates no authorisation is needed.
Do I need a car in Formentera?
No. The island is about 20 km long and mostly flat, 32 signposted Green Routes link the villages and beaches, and Bus Formentera lines run from La Savina to Es Pujols, Ses Illetes, El Pilar de la Mola and Cala Saona. A scooter or car hired on the island helps for the climb to La Mola.
Do you have to pay to go to Ses Illetes?
Only with a car or motorbike. From May to mid October non-residents pay to park at the entrance to the Ses Salines natural park, €5 to €7 per car depending on the fortnight in 2025 and 2026. Pedestrians, cyclists, electric vehicles and people with reduced mobility get in free, and the L3 bus runs there from La Savina.
Can you walk to s'Espalmador from Formentera?
No. Crossing on foot from the tip of Es Trucadors is prohibited because of strong currents. You reach s'Espalmador by boat, mooring at the buoys in s'Alga bay, and you may land only through the entry and exit channels; on shore you can walk the beach and the signposted path to the lagoon. Mud baths in the lagoon are banned.
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