More about: Day Trips to Formentera from Ibiza
Formentera is an island full of wonders that has a very special place in the imagination of the hippie culture in Spain. Strolling along its beaches at sunset, it's easy to understand why so many people fell in love with this island and left everything behind for a simpler life without the burden of modern life (and without electricity, as until the late 1960s there wasn't even electricity on Formentera).
Taking a boat trip to Formentera from Ibiza isa lovely experience to include in your Balearic Islands holiday, and discover this little paradise in the Mediterranean.
1. All-inclusive boat trip to Formentera from Ibiza
Once you arrive in Ibiza, the island's incredible atmosphere, its routes and its beautiful coves put you under a spell that is impossible to resist. But visiting Formentera will undoubtedly be one of the most beautiful experiences of your trip and a perfect complement to your getaway to Ibiza.
What this experience includes
Before sailing to Formentera, you'll take a tour of the highlights of Ibiza, and on the way to the neighbouring island you'll stop in the middle of the sea to enjoy a splendid day snorkelling, swimming in the waves, diving down the boat's slide or relaxing in the sun on an inflatable flamingo.
Lunch is included in the price of the excursion and will be served on board the boat: a four-course menu of homemade food, with a choice of a paella dish or a vegan hamburger, with wine, ice-cold beer, and dessert of ensaimada and greixonera, the island's typical cake.
On arrival in Formentera, you can explore on your own and return to Ibiza mid-afternoon or in the evening to watch the sunset from the boat and end the day in an unforgettable way.
2. What you'll see on this excursion
The route of the experience, made up of the most beautiful places in Ibiza and Formentera (which you can visit at your own pace to discover all its nooks and crannies), will take you on a beautiful full-day getaway. Here is the detailed itinerary of the excursion with each stop:
Ses Salines beach
Ibiza's best-known beach for its crystal-clear waters and its most exclusive beach bars, with sandstone carvings in the remains of a quarry from which the material was extracted to build the walls of the capital of Ibiza.
Es Cavallet
A beach of white sand and turquoise water, the first nudist beach in Spain and an old strategic enclave where the Ses Portes defence tower is located. This place is one of the best known in Europe for celebrating gay culture, where thousands of members of the collective come every summer as a meeting point.
You will pass by the beach on the boat and you can admire the beauty of its wide and colourful coastline.
Atlantis
Atlantis is an old quarry from which the stone was extracted to build the walls of Dalt Vila, the fortification of Ibiza Town.
The cuts in the rock created a peculiar hidden cove that was a popular gathering place for hippies in the 1970s: you can still find Buddha figures carved into the rock, inscriptions and paintings in a dreamlike, almost alien landscape, where the rocks cut and shaped by erosion have created a place of fantasy.
Es Vedrà
The island of Es Vedrà is a place of mystery and legends. At first glance, it is a place from which to watch a wonderful sunset and breathe peace, but what the eyes do not perceive is that it is the third place with the greatest magnetic force on the face of the Earth, followed by the North Pole and the Bermuda Triangle.
It is not only a magical place according to science, but also according to legends and stories: it is said that the mermaids who attacked Ulysses' ship on his journey home at the end of the Trojan War lived here, and if you ask a fisherman in the area, he can surely claim to have seen something strange or inexplicable while sailing around the islet of Es Vedrà at night.
Whether it's because of the magic this place transmits or because you can't resist trying to unravel its secrets, Es Vedrà is a place you can't miss on a trip to Ibiza. During the excursion, you will go around it on the boat to get a unique perspective of this place.
Jondal cove
This place is the opposite of what you would expect from a cove: it is a beach in a beautiful setting, hidden behind a small cliff, which is of course one of the favourite places for locals to moor their yachts.
Despite the hustle and bustle of boats that gather at Cala Jondal, it still offers a beautiful view from the boat, which you will have the opportunity to enjoy on this excursion.
Es Cubells
This charming village on the edge of a cliff in the south of Ibiza has some lovely coves at its foot. Platja des Cubells, Ses Boques and Cala Llentrisca don't get all the visits they deserve, as they are little pieces of paradise within easy reach.
You'll pass this beautiful spot on board the boat and even go to one of the coves for a refreshing swim before having lunch and setting sail for Formentera.
Ses Illetes beach
You'll arrive in Formentera and visit Ses Illetes beach, the island's most iconic and best-known beach, and a taste of the beauty you'll find in this corner of the Mediterranean.
Vibrant turquoise waters, contrasting with the white of the sand, and a promise of tranquillity with its calm waves: I could describe this beach in a hundred ways and none would come close to conveying the almost impossible beauty of this place. I guess you'll have to visit it to experience it.
Espalmador Island
Espalmador is a completely unspoilt island off the north coast of Formentera. Carefully preserved and protected as part of the Ses Salines Natural Park of Ibiza and Formentera, this island is a beautiful sight from the surrounding waters.
The island's beaches, free of human footprint, are its great treasure, the most beautiful of which is Platja de S'Alga. Espalmador is also visited for its mud with curative properties, which bathers rub on to enjoy its qualities.
At 16:45 in the afternoon, the organised excursion to Formentera will end, at which point you can head back to Ibiza or explore the island on your own until 20:00, when you'll have the last chance to return to your hotel on the boat.
Alex's Traveller Tip
One of the most special places on Formentera for me is the lighthouse of La Mola. Watching the sunset from there is a beautiful experience and the walk along the cliff to the lighthouse is totally worth it.
3. Why I recommend this experience
Formentera is a place of peace and natural beauty, which can offer a certain contrast in comparison to its big sister, Ibiza, which is more developed and adapted to international tourism. The great advantage of this organised excursion to Formentera from Ibiza is that you will get to know the most beautiful of both places in a very complete tour where you can have fun and relax.
It's a perfect place for a day trip as you'll be able to cover it in a very short time (it's no more than 20 kilometres from one end of the island to the other) and bathe your eyes in the stunning blue that surrounds Formentera.
During the time you have to explore Formentera, you can go to Cap de Barbaria to watch the sun start to set or take a stroll around Cala Saona.
4. Prepare your own excursion to Formentera from Ibiza
As an alternative to the organised excursion I recommend, you can visit Formentera on your own. You won't visit some of Ibiza's most iconic sights from the boat and you'll miss out on some unique views of both islands, but you can enjoy the route you choose at your own pace.
Ferry
The first thing you'll need is ferry tickets to get to Formentera from Ibiza. The journey between the two islands is about 45 minutes, and the ferry leaves every hour from Ibiza harbour.
You can buy tickets for the journey at the port itself, but places per ferry are limited so my recommendation is to book them in advance online, which will also save you a bit of money and a lot of stress.
Another option is to take the Aquabus, with a ticket price of about €20 per person. It departs from the Port of Ibiza, Figueretas beach and from Playa d'en Bossa beach.
Getting around Formentera
For a full-day excursion around Formentera, I recommend renting some kind of vehicle. It doesn't have to be complicated, a bicycle will suffice, but here are some options available at the island's port.
- By car or motorbike: You can hire a small car, or a Jeep if you fancy a bit more adventure, but honestly exploring Formentera by motorbike or bike is second to none. The roads lend themselves to this as they are quite easy to navigate and enjoying the sea breeze and sunshine as you ride along them is a unique sensation.
- By bike: Cycling allows you to cycle along the bike lanes and even go off the beaten track at times. As long as you don't mind pedalling for a whole day, it's the most ecological and respectful way of touring Formentera and the good thing is that you can stop at any time to take a dip in the sea to cool off.
Itinerary
Here is a small guide to the most worthwhile places in Formentera:
- Faro del Cap de Barbaria: The most beautiful viewpoint on the island, although not so much for its surroundings, but for its breathtaking views.
- Cala Saona: The bay of Saona hides among its pine forests one of the most beautiful coves on the island. Its crystalline waters and its small beach bar make it an ideal place to rest before continuing the excursion.
- Es Pujols: A small fishing village that has become a refuge for the "Flower Power". Its small shops, bars, restaurants and stalls seem not to have aged a single day since the 70s, and will transport you straight back to the hippie era.
- Ses Portes Tower: A small watchtower anchored in time, from where you can see the island of Espalmador.
- Ses Illetes beach: This beach is the description of paradise, with its transparent waters and fine, pristine sand. It is located on a stretch of land on the north coast of Formentera.
Whether on an organised excursion or on your own, visiting Formentera from Ibiza is a treat for the senses. Just a word of warning: once you swim in its waters, you'll want to come back.