Formentera,experience the Mediterranean

Camí de Sa Pujada

4 Formentera,the colours of paradise

7 Stunning sand and water

10 Island of treasure and adventure

12 Fig trees like cathedrals

16 An island for discovering from the sea

18 Geographical map of Formenteraand tourist information

Formentera,experience theMediterranean

4

Paradise is a state of mind. It is based on aharmonious landscape, full of beauty and atthe same time, welcoming. On a sense of timethat is slow, encircling, profound. And aboveall on the feeling of being in a closed world,removed from problems and conflicts, far awayfrom everything. An approachable, human-sizeworld. A treasure island. And these areprecisely the characteristics of Formentera.

Formentera is the southernmost island of theBalearics. And ever since hippy times it hasserved as a symbol of paradise, the perfect land,the place where you can be happy. The fact thatit can only be reached by sea lends it a romanticcharacter. You have to embark on a sea crossing,experience arrival minute by minute.

Illetes beach

Formentera,the colours of paradise

diving

Watching Ibiza fall away behind you, seeingthe islets one after another, and how the boatsuddenly heads for a flat land, withpromontories at the tips.

An island that looks like something out of astorybook, because you can see from afar howthe light sparkles, the reflections. As thoughwe were entering a different dimension.

And in a way, we are. As an island withinother islands, Formentera is a land withits own rules. The first one is, there’s norush. Since the landscape is so flat, thesky looks very big. And you can see howthe clouds float by very slowly. The dusksare never-ending.

And human relationships benefit from thattranquillity, too. There are no large towns onFormentera. Sant Francesc de Formentera,the centre of the municipality, and SantFerran de ses Roques are open, placid,pleasant towns. Pilar de la Mola is still adispersed hamlet, and Es Pujols is a smalltourist resort.

For many years now Formentera hassymbolized the antidote to the rushing andevils of the modern world. Sensations arecomplete here. You touch a stone, youcontemplate the turquoise sea, and youwant to become an artist. Because themagic, the secret of Formentera, speaksdirectly to your soul.

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Diving Posidonia Sea bed

Cala Saona

sun and beach

What dazzles visitors most is the water ofFormentera. A sea that ranges from a verypale and intense blue - almost whitish - tothe deep green of the underwater sand.The most spectacular zone is in the north,close to the port of La Savina. This is wherethe Ses Salines region lies, which forms partof the Ses Salines d'Eivissa i FormenteraNatural Park.

These salt marshes stretch along a sandy area,dominated in the south by the mirror formedby the pool of Estany Pudent. And to thenorth, a path leads you amidst pine groves anddunes, to the beginning of Ses Illetes. Thissandy promontory extends northwards, asthough it were trying to reach nearby Ibiza.

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Stunning sandand water

Ses Salines Migjorn beach

a freshwater pool in the interior. Difficult tofind anywhere where one could feel furtherfrom civilisation.

The coast of Es Pujols, the island’s smalltourist resort, has a delightful beach. With theadvantage of extremely easy access and theproximity of all kinds of services. It is one ofthe island’s most family-friendly beaches.

And for anyone looking for quite the oppositethere are places like Punta de sa Pedrera. Toreach it one walks along the shore of Estanydes Peix, a mirror-like pool of water that isalways calm, resplendent. Many boats sleephere. At Punta de sa Pedrera the shapes of anold quarry look like theatrical settings. They

contrast with the sea and the nearbysilhouette of Ibiza. They are highlyphotogenic and offer numerous secret nooksand crannies for bathing or sunbathing.

The island’s other large stretch of sand is thebeach of Migjorn, the southern arch of theisland. After the dunes, where some now-mythical beach kiosks are operational, the seasweeps along the whole of the horizon. It is alimitless sense of freedom. From here one cansee the Cap de Barbaria headland, jutting outlike a rocky promontory, with the lighthousethat was made famous by Julio Medém’s film,“Sex and Lucia”.

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Barbaria lighthouse

It is a unique place. A tongue of sand allowsone to enjoy two seas, one of which may becalm and the other choppy. One dark blue andthe other silver. The light sand contrasts starklywith the sky and the sea. And nothing else.This is absolute purity of landscape.

The stretch of sand gradually narrows asyou approach the northern tip. Until it endsat the channel of Es Trucadors. A littlesound that separates the island from thenearby islet of S'Espalmador. A RobinsonCrusoe-like image.

S'Espalmador, which can only be reached byboat, looks like an authentic desert island. Ithas just two houses, a sandy beach, cliffs and

all kind of blues

As well as these broad beaches, Formenteracontains a host of charming nooks andcrannies. The kind that enable you to enjoydifferent bathing, entering into a personaldialogue with the landscape. Between Es Calóde Sant Agustí and La Mola, there is a rockystretch of coast, with tiny little spots. Halfhidden amongst the rocks, you can find thetraditional boathouses where vessels are kept.And the stone forms platforms and narrowinlets for those who now how to find them.

La Mola rises up amidst the shadows of cliffs,leaving the area of Es racó de sa Pujada at itsfeet, with azure waters and a formersandstone quarry. The vision is truly magical.

Bathing in Formentera means enjoyingcomplete sensations. Submerging in thetransparent, luminous water, seeing the deepblue of the sky, feeling the hot sand underyour feet. It feels like a cleansing ritual, apurification. Something that not only fills thestimuli of the body with plenitude, but alsoprovides a near-spiritual calm. Fusion withthe scenery, the water and the sun. Fusionwith the universe.

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Camí de Sa Pujada Es Caló de Sant Agustí

Island oftreasure andadventureThe singularity of Formentera starts with itshistory. The megalithic sepulchre of Ca naCosta, 4,000 years old, is the most spectacularmonument of the first human occupation ofthe Balearics. This large dolmen wasconstructed using huge slabs of stone.

At Cap de Barbaria several prehistoricvillages have also been conserved, and indifferent caves at La Mola remains from thesame era have been found.

Later, Phoenicians and Carthaginians alsofrequented Formentera, which was thenknown by the Greek name of Ophiousa, orIsland of the Snakes. Which is ratherstrange, since there are none of this kind ofreptile on Formentera.

The evidence of the Roman presence is quiteclear. A vestige of that era is the nameFormentera, which some believe is derivedfrom Frumentaria (wheat) and others fromPromontoria (because of its two promontories).

The cliffs of La Mola are riddled with themouths of numerous caves. One of them, theCova del Fum, was the scene of an event thatwas reflected in the Nordic sagas.

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Church of La Mola

culture

11

In the 11th century, when the island was ruledby the Muslims, the Norwegian King Sigurdattacked a group of pirates who kept theirbooty in the cave in question. To get themout, he had a Viking ship go down over therocks, throwing burning torches into the caveand suffocating those inside.

This adventurous character was to continuecenturies later. In the 16th and 17th centuriesFormentera was on the front line of the warbetween Christianity and Islam.The island was abandoned and leftuninhabited because of the continuouspirate incursions. It filled up with densevegetation, and it is said that more than oneBerber pirate hid the fruit of his pillage here.Treasure island.

In the 18th century the island wasrepopulated. This explains the church ofSant Francesc de Formentera, as solid as afortress, since it also served as a defencelike the towers that still watch over theisland’s coasts.

One of Formentera’s riches was salt, whichwas extracted under extremely harshconditions. The pools where some of the seawater was first evaporated and the salt thencrystallized can still be seen today.

The island was discovered by hippies in the‘sixties. It became the symbol of “paradise,now”. Many things still remain from that era,from the crafts and woollen jerseys to themusic and the street markets.Formentera has not had an easy history. Itsinhabitants have had to fight against piratesfirst, then the problems arising from insularity,

a lack of resources that forced them toemigrate to America.As a consequence, they are tough people,accustomed to hardship. They are consideredgood sailors, and have faithfully preservedtheir traditions such as the “cant pagès”, veryMoorish in style and sung whilst covering theface with the hand.

The traditional attire is different to that ofIbiza. The most striking thing is thecombination of the broad-brimmed straw hatsworn by the women and the traditionalcostume, which is black or very dark. In SantFrancesc de Formentera, the EthnologicalMuseum allows one to contemplate objectsfrom the island’s past, such as the windmillsor the salt exploitation devices.

The gastronomy is peculiar, too.“Peix sec”, fish dried beside the sea, is used asa condiment in dishes like salad.The most popular confectionary is “orelletes”,as well as fritters and “flaó” (cheesecake withmint). Not to forget the wine made inFormentera, or the traditional “vi pagès”.

In this way Formentera offers sensations ofadventure, of a return to the past. Like in theLa Mola lighthouse, facing the sea that leadsto Algeria. A romantic image, reminding oneof the mention Jules Verne made of the islandin his novel, Hector Servadac. And onewhich runs its eye of light over the extensionof La Mola every night.

Peasant woman

Typical house

One of the great advantages of Formentera isits size and terrain: 83 square kilometreswith no mountains or differences inaltitude. Making it the perfect place formoving around in by bike. Above all thanksto the green circuits that allow one topenetrate inland Formentera, the heart ofthe island, in the form of over twentysignposted itineraries.

The scenery of Formentera surpriseseveryone, especially thanks to its huge figtrees sustained by wood poles. Inside thetrees you can observe creative shadowpictures that in summer are combined withthe lights, whispers and shadows of theleaves. These fig trees are real nature

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Fig tree

Fig treeslike cathedrals

of Migjorn. The fine sand is criss-crossed bythe roots of trees that look like sculptures.

One singular area is that occupied by thetwo pools, which are like the island’s “eyes.The reflections that form in them at dawn ordusk attain truly incredible tonalities. Aplay of clouds, blues, greys, pink or reddishhues. At times you don’t know which is skyand which is pool. As though the island hadtwo skies.

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nature

cathedrals that one can easily divise withtheir long branches and unmistakablesilhouettes. It isn't odd the hippies used themas great “mansion”.

The stone walls running alongside the fieldsare low, and in general Formentera’s flatlandscape has a highly bucolic appearance –houses surrounded by fenced-in pieces ofland, sheep, goats, vineyards. All very muchin proportion, like those naïf drawings thatrepresent it so well. And always, in everysingle corner, the inevitable lizards, withtheir greens as intense as a precious stone.And Formentera also has pine groves, savinewoods and above all, the large area of dunesthat surrounds the salt marshes and the beach

Rural landscape

La Mola is another, different world. Being aplateau, it constitutes a kind of “secondFormentera”. Traditionally it was reached viathe so-called Camí de sa Pujada, a winding,stony path. From it one can gaze on thewhole island as though it were a model, aplace on a map of the world.

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Ses Salines

Cap de Barbaria offers a vision that reachesthe soul. When you cross the area called Pladel Rei, the feeling of solitude isoverwhelming. Just a straight road, leadingdirectly to the lighthouse. And on either sidean extension of land that is almost lunar, withliving rock. Slabs castigated by the sun andthe wind, that creak when you step on them.In the background, the cliffs full of seagulls.

Authentic precipices from where one canglimpse the waves breaking against the rocks.This is where the famous Cova Foradada is,with a cavity that leads you to the edge of theabyss. It receives so many visitors one canquite clearly see the path that has been wornout in the middle of the stony ground.

walks

Since it is a perfect plateau, one can alsomove around the edge of La Mola.This enables you to discover surprisingplaces, like Sa Cala, a small cove set at thefoot of the cliff, or Cala Codolar, where formany years provisions were unloaded for thelighthouse keepers. The steps that go up tothe top from the sea are quite giddy.

When you reach La Mola, you get a veryspecial feeling. You dominate the horizon,the sea. And all around you there stretches aminute geography of houses, fences, littlewoods, that almost seem to make it infinite.

La Mola is a universe in itself. Here one canfind the tiny church of Pilar de la Mola, nearto which the craft market is held onWednesdays and Sundays. Not to be missedwhen one is in Formentera.

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La Mola lighthouse Camí de sa Pujada

If there is one ideal place for nauticaltourism, that place is Formentera. Severalfactors make the island a navigational centre.First of all, the variety of its 69 kilometres ofcoastline, enabling one to discover and enjoyvery different kinds of scenery in a shortspace of time. The island’s nautical facilitiesare in the port of La Savina, where the ferriesand speedboats from Ibiza arrive. It is a goodplace to put in at, sheltered and with plentyof services.

The existence of rich sea beds explains thefact that diving is really the “star sport” ofFormentera. The transparency of its watersand its biological wealth mean thatimmersions regale one with unforgettablemoments.

Today, La Savina is a modern port, withhotels, restaurants, shops and an active rent-a-car and bicycle hire sector. In spite of theinnovations, it has preserved all itscharacter. From the port one can see thehorizon of Ibiza and the mass of the islet ofEs Vedrà in the background.

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An island fordiscoveringfrom the sea

s’Espalmador

nautical

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Another destination for many sailors is theislet of S'Espalmador, located to the north ofthe island. It has a good refuge in the bay ofs’Alga, strips of sand and scenery that hasnot changed in centuries. The waters in thisstretch between Ses Illetes and S'Espalmadoracquire chromatic varieties and a luminosityit would be difficult to find in other parts ofthe Mediterranean.

To the east of Formentera lies the projectionof Punta Prima, right beside the touristresort of Es Pujols. And from here one cantravel along the north coast of the island,which has little cliffs and rocky areas,without the sandy beaches of the south.This coast has its own peculiar charm,above all in the fishing port of Es Caló deSant Agustí. The origin of this tiny, oval-shaped wharf surrounded by numerousboathouses lies in the existence of amonastery at La Mola during the MiddleAges. It is one of the most picturesqueimages of the island. The traditional boatsor “llaüts” leave from here to fish beyond LaMola, and when they return they are pulledup the ramps to protect them from the sun.

After Es Caló de Sant Agustí the cliffs of LaMola begin, right in the corner known as EsRacó de sa Pujada. An inlet surrounded bycliffs, with turquoise waters and some seacaves. It looks like a scene from The Odyssey.

Travelling around La Mola by sea is a uniqueexperience. The cliffs rise up, solid andimpressive, like an enormous castle. At theirhighest point they stand nearly 200 metrestall. On the walls one can see hundreds ofhollows, caves and near-vertical rock faces. It

is a wild area, with no shelter, and only smallcoves like Sa Cala or Cala Codolar.

El faro de La Mola, situado a 118 metros dealtura, centra la zona oriental de La Mola.Tras pasar la Punta Roja, la ruta nos llevahacia otro varadero ya en la parte final:s'Estufador. En las alturas se contemplanbosques y torrentes. Se entra así en la extensaplaya de Migjorn, un amable arenal que trazauna especie de medio círculo y que acabaconduciendo al segundo promontorio deFormentera: el Cap de Barbaria.

Like La Mola, “es Cap” – as it is known on theisland – is an authentic spectacle from the sea.For the majesty of its cliffs and the abundanceof marine birds that inhabit it. It is thesouthernmost tip of the island, and afterpassing it one enters a rocky zone, thateventually leads to Punta de la Galera andPunta de sa Pedrera. The area of sea thatbegins here and reaches the islet of s'Espardell,located east, forms part of the Ses Salinesd'Eivissa i Formentera nature reserve, and hasbeen declared world heritage for the wealth ofits posidonia meadows.

Contemplating Formentera from the sea is likegoing back in time. Everything is nearby, thereis always shelter. And seeing the silhouette ofits cliffs from close quarters, as though youcould touch them, is an experience it isdifficult to forget.

Es Caló de Sant Agustí

Punta Prima

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HOSPITAL

INFORMATION

LIGHTHOUSE

CHAPEL AND SANCTUARY

DEFENCE TOWER

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

NATURAL AREA

MUSEUM

CYCLING

NAUTICAL ACTIVITIES

La Savina Tourist Information OfficeEdificio Estación MarítimaTeléfono: 971 322 057 - Fax: 971 322 825e-mail: turismo@formentera.es

Sant Francesc de Formentera Tourist Information OfficePlaza de la Constitución s/ne-mail: turismo@formentera.es

Es Pujols Tourist Information OfficeCalle Espalmador, esquina Avenida Miramare-mail: turismo@formentera.es

Ses Illetes

Published by: ATB, Agència de Turisme de les Illes Balears (Balearic Tourism Agency),Conselleria de Turisme i Treball (Regional Tourism and Labour Minister), Govern de lesIlles Balears (Government of the Balearic Islands)

Coordinated by:ATB publicity department

Contributors: Consell Insular de Formentera

Concept, design and layout: dcp3.es

Photos: © Mateu Bennàssar, Manu San Félix, Jaume Capellà, Manuela Muñoz,Manfred, Pedro Coll, ATB photo archive.

Cover photo: s’Espalmador

Texts:© Carlos Garrido

Printing:Gráficas Planisi

Legal deposit: PM - 0000 - 2010

Edition: September 2010

Printed on Creator Star paper.

Help us to improve our next edititon of this brochure by sending your recommendationsto: publi@ibatur.caib.es. Thank you.

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