Formentera is the smallest of the Balearic Islands, and its a real gem of the Mediterranean Sea. The best beaches of Formentera seem to be postcards from the Caribbean. The turquoise color water and white sand beaches really remind anyone of being in a Caribbean paradise. The Ses Illetes Beach in Formentera is one of the most famous ones in Europe, but there are many more amazing beaches there. Formentera is only accessible by boat, since there’s no airport on the island. Spending time on the best beaches, you can really feel yourself in a paradise. In addition, nudism is totally accepted on the island, so you don’t have to feel ashamed to do that. In this post we will show you the best beaches you can find in Formentera.
The 10 best beaches in Formentera
1. Ses Illetes
There’s no doubt that the most famous beach in Formentera is Ses Illetes, which was voted as the most beautiful beach in Spain several times. It’s a 1.5 km long beach, which is situated in the Trucadors Penninsula, and it forms part of an ecosystem of sand dunes. The color of the water seems to be a mixture of turquoise green and blue. The beach is very popular in summer, but since it’s very long, if you are patient enough to walk far enough from the parking, you can have a bath without too many people bothering you.
How to get there: Ses Illetes Beach in Formentera is inside a natural park and the access for vehicles is limited during the high season. You can get there on the road either from La Savina port or Els Pujols, where most of the touristic accommodations are found. It’s free to enter the beach area on foot, but you have to pay 2 euros to park your motorbike and 4 euros to enter by car. In addition, there are only 300 places in the car parking, so you have to come early in summer, if you want to park there. The local bus (L7) also stops very close to the beaches.
2. Llevant Beach
From the Illetes Beach in Formentera you just have to cross the sand dunes to get to the other side of this narrow peninsula. There you will find another long beach called Llevant (Levante). In this side of the peninsula there’s always more wind and therefore there are more waves. It means of course that this beach is much less busy even in high season than Illetes. Llevant is the favorite beach of surfers.
How to get there: Just as in the case of Illetes, you can get to Llevant either from La Savina or Els Pujols. There are several roads that connect the main road with this beach area.
3. Caló des Mort
Somewhat distant from the more urban beaches, this secluded cove is found in the South of Formentera, and it is part of the Migjorn Bay. This cove is very small, and there’s only a tiny beach there, but it’s considered as one of the most precious beaches in Formentera. As it’s quite small and fairly popular, it can get very crowded in summer, so get there early if you want space for your towel.
The best moment to enjoy the magic of this cove is early in the morning or just before sunset, when most people have already left. This small cove is also perfect for doing some snorkelling, since you will find a lot of colorful fish between the rocks underwater. There are no bars and restaurants here, hence you’d rather bring some food and water with yourself for the day.
How to get there: Coming from the Western part of the island, you will have to take the turn to the right just after crossing the village of Es Caló, where the road starts to go up. This road will take you to a beach called Es Copinyar, and from there you will have to walk around 10 minutes to get to this cove.
4. Es Pujols Beach
It’s not one of our favorite beaches in Formentera, but Es Pujols is a nice and comfortable option, if you like being close to a great variety of facilities or if you like beaches with a lot of people and even party there. In the whole island you will find lot of Italian people, but in this beach it’s even more exaggerated. The beach itself is really pretty with the same crystal clean water you find on the rest of the island.
How to get there: This beach can be accessed really easily. The residential area of Es Pujols with all the hotels is just next to the beach.
5. Ses Platgetes Beach
Quite close to the village Es Caló de Sant Agustí, you will find Ses Platgetes, a series of sand beaches with rocky areas in between them. It’s one of our favorite beach areas, because they are almost never crowded, the water is crystal clear to enjoy a great bath, and the sand is soft to lay down on it.
If you feel like doing some snorkelling, these beaches are also great for that. The small cove just next to Es Caló village is especially recommendable to practice this sport, since you will see a great variety of Mediterranean fish.
How to get there: By car the best option is to park in Es Caló village (there’s a parking there) and follow the wooden walkway till the beach you prefer in the area. If you come by bicycle, there are several narrow entrances, where you can stop and leave your bike there.
6. Cala Saona Beach
The beach in Cala Saona is only 140 meters long, nevertheless, it’s considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Formentera. In fact, it’s the only relatively large cove on the island, whereas the others (Caló des Mort, Cala Es Ram o Cala Codolar) are really small. Despite there’s a hotel and various restaurants nearby, Cala Saona Beach is very calm. In addition to the great beach, the surrounding area is also precious with magnificent views. You will find nearby the cliffs of Punta Rasa, which is for us the best place to watch the wonderful sunset in Formentera.
How to get there: From the center of the island, you will have to follow the road that goes towards El Cap de Barbaria, and then at a certain moment take the right turn towards Cala Saona. You can also take the public bus (L3) to get there.
7. Migjorn Beach
The Playa Migjorn is the longest beach on the whole island, occupying most of the Southern coast of Formentera. It’s the favorite beach of many locals, since you can always find calm places with less people along this long beach. The beach is surrounded by giant sand dunes, pine trees and accommodations with sea view. Apart from taking a bath and enjoying relaxing moments on the beach, Migjorn Beach is also a great place to do sport on the long wooden walkway that was built there. There are also nice seaside restaurants and bars here, a perfect way to enjoy the breeze of the sea with a cocktail in your hand.
How to get there: As we told before, Migjorn Beach is very long (more than 4 kilometers), and therefore there are various access points to the beach. The most accessible area by car is Ca Marí (local buses L2 and L7 also stop here).
8. Es Racó de S’Alga Bach on Espalmador Island
Very similar to Ses Illetes in Formentera, the island called Espalmador, also has fantastic secluded beaches. In difference with the area of Ses Illetes, in this island there are no constructions apart from the Torre de Sa Guardiola, a tower that serves as vigilant of the area. The island is private property, but the access is free for everyone.
How to get there: Although the strait between Formentera and Espalmador Island is very narrow, it’s not very recommendable to try to swim to the island from Formentera, since the currents can be very strong. Therefore, we advise you to visit the island by boat. In several points of the island catamaran boat excursions are organized to visit the island.
9. Es Arenals Beach
Es Arenals is a beach that forms part of the Migjorn Bay, and it’s one of the last beaches in the Southern beach area coming from the center of the island. This beach is very popular amongst families, since there is a large variety of facilities around. The bottom of the sea is really smooth and soft, there are no rocks in the area, in which you can step on, so it’s a perfect place for a calm bath.
How to get there: Coming from Sant Francesc Xavier or other places on the more touristic areas of the island, you have to take the right turn at about 300 meters before arriving in Es Caló and then follow the indications to Es Arenals Hotel.
10. Cala Es Ram
Formentera is an island that doesn’t have too many hidden coves, but you can still find some of them. Cala Es Ram is a small and calm cove with transparent water. The beach is rocky, but the bottom of the sea is sand and it’s a perfect for a bath and snorkelling.
How to get there: One of the main reasons for the tranquillity of this beach is that it’s not so easily accessible. You can get there following the Camí des Ram, a dirt road, at the end of which you will find a parking. Another alternative is walking till the end of Migjorn Beach and continue towards Caló des Mort, and then till Es Ram.
How to get to Formentera
Formentera doesn’t have airport, so the only way to get there is by boat. The most typical way to get there is either taking a ferry from Ibiza – there are several companies such as Balearia, Trasmapi, etc. – or taking a boat excursion from Ibiza, if you plan to stay there. In high season you can also get a direct boat from Barcelona and other places on the mainland.
Where to stay in Formentera
Formentera has a large variety of accommodations, but because of the small size of the island, hotels can get booked quite early. Therefore, if you plan to visit Formentera, you should book your accommodation well in advance.
From the different areas on the island, Es Pujols is where you will find many restaurants or places to party, whereas Playa Migjorn is more popular amongst local families. The best prices you will find in the hotels in the interior of the island, which can be a good option for budget travelers, since in Formentera no beach can be far by motorbike. If you want, you can find the best hotel deals in Formentera here.
For us, these are the most essential beaches in Formentera. The truth is that any of these beaches are marvellous and they will transport you to the Caribbean.
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