Maybe getting up early is the last plan on the list for a trip to Ibiza.
Doing so to take any of the many ferries that link the largest of the Pitiusas Islands with the smallest first thing in the morning is, however, a great idea.
In Formentera the word paradise falls short.
Waters of an intense turquoise color, forests, a couple of lighthouses and a great gastronomy are plenty of arguments to discover the wild beauty of its 83 square kilometers.
9.00 From the ferry to the bike
Companies such as Baleària, Trasmapi or Mediterránea Pitiusa have countless connections from early in the morning. The journey from the port of Ibiza barely lasts between 30 minutes and an hour. If the Mediterranean is calm, the journey is sweet. If there is wind, it is like traveling in a fun fairground attraction that invites you to drink Biodramina.
Renting a vehicle is an essential requirement to tour the island in a single day.
The car may seem like the best option (the characteristic Citroën Mehari in Formentera are quite a whim), but the parking space is so scarce that a motorcycle or even an electric bicycle is preferable, with a lot of cycle lanes at your disposal.
The offer next to the
port of La Savina
is exuberant, and the prices, between 20 and 30 euros per day.
To recharge your batteries, have bread with things from the
Rafalet hostel
, in
Es Caló (1)
, with views of piers declared a place of cultural interest and fish drying in the sun.
It is now time to take off your watch.
enlarge photo Ses Illetes beach.
MARINE MOON getty images
10.30 Alternatives for a bath
Put on your helmet and give yourself the gas (or the pedals) to go to heaven.
You just have to take the signs to
Ses Illetes (2)
, where the most photographed beaches in Spain are displayed.
The extreme north of Formentera - included in the
Ses Salines natural park,
where you have to pay to access and park - is an idyllic sandy area with turquoise waters on both sides that can be finished off at the islet of
S'Espalmador (3)
.
From the town of
La Savina
there are little boats that save the walk.
Es Cavall d'en Borràs, Llevant beach, Ses Canyes or Sa Roqueta, already close to Es Pujols, are wonderful alternatives for a dip.
And free.
13.00 A small Romanesque chapel
The heart of the island beats in
Sant Francesc Xavier (4)
, a small town with just over 3,000 inhabitants.
In its pedestrian area, the eighteenth-century church of the same name and the small Romanesque chapel of Sa Tanca Vella, from the XIV, stand out.
The alleys discover souvenir shops, local products and a wide range of small bars for an aperitif.
enlarge photo Sant Francesc Xavier is the capital of Formentera.
Its epicenter and most relevant building is the parochial church, with an austere aspect since it was built as a defensive fortress.
Alamy
14.00 Lobster with potatoes and egg
There has never been an island so small with so many gastronomic possibilities. From prohibitive beach bars (especially in Ses Illetes) to traditional restaurants and a multitude of Italian food options. On
Migjorn beach (5)
, fig trees in the shape of a hat lead down a dirt road to
Sa Platgeta
(Camino de Can Simonet I)
(6)
. This family business is hidden in a pine forest next to the beach, near the Torre des Pi des Català, one of the four in Formentera. With
limited
prices, they prepare
bullit de peix,
exquisite rice dishes and lobster with potatoes and fried eggs that they serve with great panache. One step away,
Sun and Moon
(7)
It offers local classics such as the peasant salad of dried fish or the
octopus
frit
.
Further east, the picturesque
Kiosko Bartolo (8)
has hamburgers, omelets and salads next to the Es Copinyar beach.
Be careful, if you take the sandwich to the beach, it is also worth it.
16.00 Siesta and diving in Ses Platgetes
Right there there is fine sand and crystal clear waters to celebrate the siesta.
And to the west, walking, there are tiny coves to choose from if the south wind is not blowing.
If it does so, posidonia banquettes flood a shore that turns into chapapote.
The solution is a few minutes away on the north shore and is called
Ses Platgetes (9)
.
Access to the water is through a rocky area and bathers enter as if they were walking on ice.
It's time for the diving goggles.
18.00
Hippy market
El
Pilar de la Mola
is another tiny town that can be climbed by the few curves of the PM-820 road that crosses the island.
The old
Camí de Sa Pujada,
full of colorful
sargantanas
that run around under the shade of the pines, is an alternative way to get there on foot.
It is of Roman origin and offers incredible views of the Formentera skyline.
Can Toni
(avenida de la Mola, 1)
(10)
is ideal to recover from the effort —the aniseed
orelletes,
the mint
flaó
and the
greixonera
are the sweet spot—, and the
hippy
market
Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, the opportunity to take a souvenir.
The best will remain in the memory continuing to
the Mola lighthouse (11)
, at an altitude of 120 meters and with a cultural space inside.
The landscape is as rugged as it is delicious.
enlarge photo Cala Saona, on the island of Formentera.
Franz Marc Frei GETTY images
20.00 A movie theater
Time to travel the 25 kilometers that separate the plateau from La Mola with the
Cap de Barbaria lighthouse (12)
, iconic thanks to Julio Medem and
Lucía y el sexo
.
The road is so narrow that it is a joy to ride on two wheels.
Sunset claims the masses who want to succeed on Instagram.
It is irremediable because the excursion is sensational.
Also deviate six kilometers before to
Cala Saona (13)
.
In the homonymous beach bar you can toast to how the sea swallows the sun between pine trees, caves and cliffs.
21.30 Four options for dinner
Mussels in coconut sauce and curry is the surprising dinner offered, along with many other dishes, at the
Fonda Pepe
(calle Major, 51)
(14)
, in
Sant Ferran de ses Roques.
Legend has it that Bob Dylan played chess there, but never did.
Yes there were members of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or King Crimson.
Around it there is a lot of offer of Italian cuisine, such as that of the
Macondo pizzeria
.
Sa Panxa
and
La Mariterránea
are other healthy proposals.
Midnight, like Cinderella, will be the time to take the last ferry back to Ibiza.
Shall we repeat tomorrow?
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