East of the island of Ibiza in the Mediterranean Sea lies a sweet tiny gem of an island called Formentera. It's the smallest of the Balearic islands. Accessible only by boat, it is a beautiful place that I thought would compliment our trip to Ibiza. And because island hopping is fun.
We arrived late morning by ferry from Ibiza. Once there, we rented a little fiat to get us around. Scooters and bicycles are also an option if you've got a concentrated area that you would like to see. Formentera is small, but not small enough to get around on foot. We had done a bit of research and had devised a plan of which beaches we would check out.
Playa Pujoles
A sweet little beach. It’s pretty small and situated by rocky cliffs. Not nearly as busy as the other two beaches and somewhere I could imagine myself packing a picnic and staying for a few hours.
Playa Illetes
The most popular beach on Formentera and as soon as you arrive, you get a pretty clear understanding of why. The sand was soft and white and the water the deepest and prettiest shades of Balearic blue and full of boats and yachts that moored for the day. We didn’t spend too much time at this beach because there was very little room to move around. There were people everywhere. There were boats everywhere, the restaurant was packed and there was no shade. And it was hot. So we hung out a bit and then left.
Cala Soana
My favourite of the beaches – the swimming was great and while the beach was packed with sunbathers and moored boats, it felt a lot less packed than Playa de Illetes. We found ourselves a patch of sand, hung out and swam in the warm, salty sea for a few hours.
Sant Francesc Xavier
We drove through Formentera's capital town on our way to Cala Soana and we decided that after the beach, we would come back, have a look around and grab a bite to eat. The town was very pretty, full of lush green foliage and flowers and similar to Ibiza island, there were little shops, restaruants and little alleys to wander. The town was very quiet (maybe because it seemed like everyone was on the beach.) It felt like a Sunday after everything was closed. It was a nice change from the jam-packed hot beaches and we had a nice time walking around, looking in shops and finding our way back to our little fiat after getting lost in labrynth like streets and paths.
Driving around the island was perfect for us since we had our daughter, towels, a change of clothes and backpacks in tow and wanted to cover a lot of ground. It was an amazing time and all three of us were happy that we visited and were half asleep on the ferry back to Ibiza after our amazing day on Formentera.
Get it:
When you can't rely on you family to wake up early to help with pictures before the attractions get too crowded, get the best travel tripod. This fits easily into your carry-on suitcase and can be used with a traditional camera or your iPhone.
This little book is handy to have when you visit Spain and is great for easy reference. Bueno.
Do not forget this when you're going to Europe (not the same as the adaptor used in the UK, by the way). I didn't realize this the first time I went to Spain and it was an expensive, annoying gong show to get something similar to charge my devices. Get a few now and put them in your suitcases and travel bags so that you're ready whenever you arrive in Europe.