Sa Roqueta
the wind blows in Formentera to anywhere. The colored arrows that indicate it on the weather maps seem to evolve randomly and differently in each geographical point of this small piece of Mediterranean land. Just take a look from the Sa Pujada path viewpoint : there the island can be seen practically in its entirety, almost like a visit from Google Maps. And if to the south the sea is choppy and carries tons of algae to the beaches, to the north the consecutive coves look like pools of emerald water as beautiful as it is addictive.
This overwhelming balcony to Formentera is located next to the small town of The Pillar of the Mola , at the opposite end from which the island is reached by ferry through the port of the Savina . And it serves to perfectly understand where you are: in a contained paradise, a place as beautiful as it is small in which to pause your life and where, for good, what you see is exactly what Formentera offers you: incredible beaches, a plain of farmland and beautiful pine forests. And, in the distance, behind the tower of Sa Punta Prima , a fine end of white sand that stretches towards Ibiza without being able to reach it, Ses Illetes , a unique beach in this country and in almost the entire planet. Three colors stand out in the Formentera palette: the turquoise of the sea, the reddish brown of the farmland and the green of the vegetation. The landscape includes, if it is a good day, the occasional yacht, sailboat or boat whose lucky sailors alone enjoy the transparent waters below the cliffs, inaccessible on foot. Even in paradise there are classes.
Sa Pujada Viewpoint
Sa Pujada it serves to paint the complete picture of the land that is stepped on. and understand that Formentera is a sincere island : Give what you have and don't promise anything you can't keep. Even in autumn, when the mild weather turns colder and the throngs of tourists have left the island virtually deserted ( in winter only about 10,000 people live there ) . The cicadas that hum in any corner are not aware of the change in the calendar, only aware that in a few weeks the heat will run out and it will be time to doze in winter, as the entire island does in winter. But until Formentera goes into hibernation, the autumn period gives options even to fall in love.
The first, unless the rain says otherwise, it is the sea . The sun is no longer as hot as in August, but it reserves many of its 3,000 hours per year on the island and recommends relaxing on those white sandbanks with turquoise water and navy blue veins. The choice is simple because it is impossible to go wrong: every millimeter of sand of the 20 kilometers of beaches is paradisiacal, whether they are the coves near Es Caló, the long shore of Migjorn or the area of es Mal Pas.
Migjorn Beach
If the wind blows, which it probably will, the area of Sa Roqueta and its consecutive coves up to Levante beach is the most sheltered. At this time of year the towel easily finds its place and the calm makes even the small multicolored lizards run around your feet. The breeze may retract the dip that the sun invites, but it is a good idea to pay attention to whoever is in charge up there: the water is warm and, once you get in, you don't want to get out. As in the whole island, naked women and naked men (who would say Total sinister ) live with those who are not without any trouble. A good time to enter a path from which there is no return. Enjoying the turquoise sea without clothes is synonymous with never wearing a swimsuit again. The beach of Formentera always marks . Be it to cool off, read or sit down to do nothing. Contemplating the overwhelming landscape is enough.
Motorcycles are the real protagonists of internal traffic on the island and the ideal means of transport to cover its barely 80 square kilometers. They seem to grow along beaches, in front of lighthouses, near restaurants, or wherever you least expect it. In Formentera you will always come across one of the 10,000 motorcycles that make up its mobile fleet (almost one per inhabitant). You'll probably drive some too, so be warned when the light starts to dim in the mid-afternoon. It means that the sun is saying goodbye to its working day and the temperature begins a rapid decrease. It's time to put on long sleeves and end the day with one of the walks that the island offers you at sunset. Be careful with the bites of those who love these hours: if any of the invaders likes you tiger mosquitoes , their bites can give you the afternoon, the day and even the week. It depends on how much you taste and your desire to impregnate yourself with repellent.
The classic but beautiful route through the narrow road that reaches the barbarian lighthouse it looks different on autumn days. Famous from his starring role in lucia and sex , tourists eager to see the sun hide under the sea, crowd in summer arriving by car, motorcycle, bike, walking and even long board. With a bit of luck, you may be practically alone, which gives the place other sensations while the light takes on impossible hues. Even the small mounds of stones that visitors have been making along the cliffs gain mysticism while the plain darkens in another way in solitude. Peace only clouded by the whistling of the wind and the waves crashing against the rocks below as a menacing soundtrack.
If you believe in ghosts or mysterious forces (or not) another option for sunset is to stay halfway and detour to Saône Cove . There normalcy is restored. Like the one that gives to meet the old people of the place throwing a game of petanque with a lot of passion. The beach is usually full of algae -and surely jellyfish- but at the last minute it doesn't matter: the sand offers plenty of room to sit down, bundle up, uncork a wine and forget about everything. If there is time, a recommended option is to venture to Rasa tip , a few minutes' walk away, to see the intense orange light from a higher perspective. When the sun says goodbye, the petanque players already comment on the play with a beer in hand . It's time to go.
Saône Cove
At this time of the season the clouds appear frequently. Sometimes they play with the sun to give heat interspersed with refreshing shade. Others simply cover the sky in a homogeneous gray, sometimes dark and threatening with rain. Far from disturbing, they are a good company for the dozen existing routes to explore the island on foot or by bicycle. . The Sa Pujada path is one of them and one of the most beautiful. as it runs along an old Roman road between La Mola and Es Caló . But you can also put on your slippers to walk among huge fig trees with canes, carob trees and an architecture integrated with its surroundings along the old path of La Mola in the narrowest part of the island.
To the East, the route through Can Marroig to the Gavina tower it is magical and you can see pirate ships on the horizon, now converted into sailboats. And very close to there, the adventure enters the most rural area along the Es Cap path, which joins Punta Rasa and the torrent of s´Alga . To the north, from La Savina port , you can see the salt flats in just an hour's walk to Ses Illetes. At the other extreme, it is also worth the effort to walk along the cliffs and go around the plateau through vineyards, take pictures next to old mills and visit Sa Talaiassa , the highest point of the island, barely 192 meters above sea level. This circular route -whose axis is the Mola pillar- also runs through the La Mola lighthouse , in which one wants to believe, Jules Verne was inspired a century and a half ago for one of the scenes in Adventures and Travels in the Solar World. Whether or not it is true, what is true is that the place allows you to feel the smallness of the human being in front of the immense expanse of water that escapes dark blue towards infinity.
La Mola Lighthouse
Every Wednesday and Sunday afternoon and until the end of October, the pillar of la Mola hosts the most famous market on the island , a clear legacy of the hippy air that Formentera took on in the 60s and 70s. Some thirty artisan stalls offer an interesting variety focused on clothing and jewelry while live music plays and beer flows. The small and cozy town, full of beautiful fashion stores, is a good place to discover that on the island there are not only restaurants with scary prices, but there is also a mid-range where you can enjoy the local cuisine. [Yes we] Can Toni , managed by the model Eugenia Silva , is a good example of it: a simple, austere place , with wooden tables molded by the passage of time, fair lighting provided by 19 pretty light bulbs and where Kiko Veneno sounds the same, than Camarón or Los Chichos insisting that they want to be free. A place brimming with sense , good treatment and where you can enjoy tapas and taste a menu at more than reasonable prices with local dishes such as ray stew or fig salad, worthy of being accompanied by the rich wine produced in the two Formentera wineries. Also, a couple of times a week they have live musical performances and, when it gets cold, film screenings and cultural debates.
Can Toni offers an interesting sample of the local cuisine, featuring orchard fruit and vegetables, little meat and a lot of rock fish, as well as species such as the catshark , the tasty raor or a delicious seafood.
Eugenia at the door of her restaurant, Can Toni
The variety of ingredients is small on the island, but imagination has led to a good handful of delicious dishes. From the caramel of slaughter (a type of grilled fish) , to the peasant fry or dried fish salads that seems to spring from the old junipers in which it is aired. To approach this gastronomy there is a good range of options. And not only in the tiny towns: remote (perhaps an excessive word for such a small island) of them, Formentera offers beach bars of all kinds and at more than varied prices. In Ses Illetes are the most expensive , aimed at those for whom an account of 300 euros does not bring them closer to a heart attack nor is it a novelty to post on Twitter. There are also more accessible ones like El Pelayo or the tiny Kiosko Bartolo. Or old rockers like the Pirate bus or the Bluebar of alien air. There is even a Michelin star, Can Dani, led by chef Ana Jiménez.
one of the best places to try all this without scares in the account It requires a bit of an exploratory spirit: you have to go south through a network of roads, stone walls and dirt roads with many potholes. The best way out of the maze is the one that leads to the sun and moon beach bar , near the Pi des Catalá tower, halfway to everything. With the echo of the waves of the sea as a soundtrack and the healthy salty breeze as a perfume, it is a very charming place, without luxuries in terms of appearances - its white and green checkered oilcloth tablecloths betray - but yes in the kitchen, which, after all, is where it really matters. A grilled squid is enough to prove it . And it is endorsed with a Formentera salad, made with potato, tomato, onion and dry bread along with the traditional dried fish (they use a small shark called musola). Jiennense oil – from the land of Joaquín, who runs the establishment - extols the flavor of a variety of local fish in a menu that is undoubtedly rounded off with a tasty shot of Ibizan herbs with up to 17 plants from the neighboring island and a whole load of flavors. Can Marti , a few steps from there, has different houses and apartments that are a good option to stay in the countryside (and walk back if you have repeated a shot) . Although resting in quiet places on the island is very easy given the number of existing apartments and tourist homes, especially along the beaches that face south.
alien formentera
Although many restaurants close from November, It's Pujols , in the north of the island, also tempts with rich and cheap gastronomy such as the Integral, with vegetarian cuisine or the Of course , where to give you a tribute with a good brunch if the sheets stick to you and enjoy tasty fruit smoothies. It is run by a team of Italians, like a good part of the island's businesses: in Formentera the most spoken language is Italian . And there is a high probability that the person who rents you the motorcycle, attends you at the pharmacy, sells you a postcard or whom you buy at the supermarket comes from the transalpine country.
Pecking the delights of Formentera
An even more marked fact in the restoration: it is easier to eat pizza, piadinas or pasta in Formentera than in the heart of Rome . It occurs, for example, in the heart of the island, in San Ferran de ses Roques , where the gastronomic offer is greater. There, a delicious pizza in Macondo is a great option, as well as – now leaving Italian cuisine – the classic Fonda Pepe, where legends about Bob Dylan's visits continue to be heard. A little further up the main street of the parish is Can Forn, one of the few restaurants with a wide variety of traditional cuisine, and La Mariterránea , opened in 2015 and with a narrow but tasty menu.
On the outskirts, next to the main road, Pantaleón Delicatessen was born to be able to snack on all kinds of delicacies without growing a hole in your pocket. Corn cobs and strings of dried chillies hang on its terrace among baskets of seasonal fruit and beautiful flowering plants. Inside , its shelves shine with preserves, oils, jams, sea salt from Ibiza, wines, Iberian products and even gummies. Try whatever you fancy, open a wine, order a vermouth or a peasant beer and let yourself go: time will not pass while you understand that in Formentera paradise is not only on the beach.
A small but powerful letter
The night can end with a drink under the lush ivy on the terrace of the Plate Fonda or the best ice cream on the island -Italian, of course- in The Mukkeria . Both businesses are located in San Francesc Xavier, the capital of the island and the most beautiful town to take a walk through clean streets that are perfect for sightseeing. There are the entertaining ethnological museum and the town hall . Also the tourist office, where they tell you in detail the direction the wind will take over the next few days. Information that is worth its weight in gold when planning a stay marked by tranquility. Don't take it literally: the weather at this latitude surprises and invites improvisation . Something always recommended in Formentera. even in autumn.
*** You may also be interested in...**
- Eugenia Silva's Formentera
- Formentera, the last paradise
- Formentera by bike
- The trendiest: beach bars in Ibiza and Formentera
- Balearic Islands Guide
- The best coves in the Balearic Islands: open from dawn