Travel

If you go just north of Formentera, by a few hundred meters, then you will come to the island of Espalmador. This small island has captured the imagination of many a day tripper from Formentera and Ibiza and is well worth a visit.

When you decide to make your way to Espalmador from Formentera it is not advisable to cross the water separating the two islands. You will see some people making the passage when the water is shallow, but actually it is very dangerous as there is a strong current and more than one tourist has seem adventure turn into misadventure. You are much better off taking the ferry from La Savina, or even the boat that stops by the Es Trucadors beach at Illetes.

Ferries run from La Savina to Espalmador from 10:15 in the morning to 13:15, and then head back in the afternoon from 16:15 to 17:30. For many people it just isn’t enough time, and they take the trip on multiple days. For day tripper from Ibiza they just hang out on yachts just off the coast of Espalmador, and swim to shore if they are in need of some time on the beach.

There are mud baths on Espalmador in the middle of this beautiful island. It is a naturally occuring mud bath at the northern end of s’Alga beach down a track that takes you through typical Mediterranean scrubland until you reach a massive mud bath that is packed with young tourists during the summer months who have all come for one of nature’s beauty treatments.

This is something that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike and it is definitely worth heading up there.

Sometimes some naughty tourists throw the mud and don’t treat the area with respect. Please remember that this is an area of natural beauty and needs to preserved as one.

Espalmador is quite different from the formentera migjorn beach as it has more white sand. But Platja de Migjorn is a good place too and you can read about it here: http://www.squidoo.com/formentera-migjorn

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In this article we are going to take a look at Formentera Island’s port of La Savina. There is plenty of hustle and bustle here during the summer months with people arriving from all over Europe. Since there is no airport on the island this is where everyone arrives and leaves from. There is the Hotel Savina Formentera if you want to stay near by the marina, and this is especially handy if you will be doing a lot of sailing.

Some people like La Savina not only for its marina, but also its proximity to two saltwater lagoons. Hostal La Savina is a popular choice amongst such visitors, and it is known for its warm atmosphere. The accommodation is pretty basic, but new sunshades and blinds have recently been installed, and satellite TV, hairdryer, air-conditioning, and fridge come as standard with the rooms, and they all have balconies. The most convenient thing is that you can walk here from the ferry terminal.

There are two inland salt lakes just next to La Savina: Estany Pudent and Estany des Peix. Estany Pudent is also called stinky pond as a result of its stench. The smell is caused by sulphur bubbling up. But with irrigation in place it really isn’t that bad, and you can still cycle around its wetlands. Indeed walking around both of these lagoons is mandatory if you are interested in wildlife. You even get to see flamingos if you are lucky.

When you arrive at La Savina you will see that there is a tourist information office right there at the ferry terminal. The staff inside are very friendly and will be able to answer all your questions. Most tourists just want to know how to hire a bike and get to Es Trucadors, and the Tourist Office will be able to set you up. In fact it only takes 20 minutes of cycling along the coastline of Es Cavall d’en Borras in order to reach the best beaches on the island.

Finally, you should make sure that you visit the old concentration camp which held hundreds of prisoners of war during the Spanish Civil War. This is known as Es Campament, and to this day it has a strange atmosphere.

La Savina Formentera is the island’s port and you can see more about it if you go to this site. It’s pretty good http://hubpages.com/hub/Savina-Formentera

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Formentera is the smallest of the four main Balearic Islands of Mallorca (Majorca), Menorca (Minorca), Eivissa (Ibiza), and Formentera. The two smallest islands of Eivissa and Formentera are collectively known at the Pine Islands, as a result of an abundance of pine trees. The archipelago sits in the Western Mediterranean Sea, just off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Together these islands are an autonomous community and province of Spain. Palma is the capital and the official languages are Spanish and Catalan. Formentera is ten miles south of Eivissa and is accessible only by boat, as it has no airport. But if you make the effort you won’t regret it.

Formentera is a small island that is just thirty two square miles in area. Despite its size there are a number of different accommodation options available. One of these is heading to the resort of Es Pujols, which is the only real resort on the island. It has a wide range of hotels, hostels, and apartments, all of which are just a minute away from the pristine white beaches and turquoise waters. There is nothing that is really five star here, but the real beauty of Formentera is outside of your accommodation, not inside.

Although Es Pujols is the only resort on the island, there are a number of medium sized hotels in other locations. Cala Saona has one of the largest and ugliest hotels on the island, but its views over Punta Prima are some of the best. There are also a number of hotels on Platja de Mitjorn in the area known as Es Arenals. For many people though the most authentic way to experience the island is to stay in one of its farmhouses. These are located outside the main villages, and are often accessible only on very narrow and bumpy roads.

Once you have decided on your type of accommodation, the next thing to settle on will be the location. if you want to be at the heart of the party action then Es Pujols would be the best choice. If you are looking for the ultimate rural experience then the farmland around Far de la Mola or Far de Barbaria would be a good choice. I would avoid staying in the villages of Sant Francecs and San Ferran, but on the outskirts of either of these locations there are some very pretty areas.

Formentera has a wide range of options for places to stay, but whichever one you choose it is bound to be a special holiday.

When it comes to looking for Formentera resorts there is really only one selection, and that is Es Pujols. For views on other places to stay look at the article http://hubpages.com/hub/Formentera-Resorts.

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If you are traveling to Formentera from mainland Spain then you have a few different options. You can take a ferry from the ports of Alicante, Barcelona or Denia, or you can take a plane to Ibiza, and then take a connecting ferry from there. Whichever route you take you will end up at Formentera’s port of La Savina. From Ibiza Town it is a thirty minute crossing through the Es Freus channel. It is usually a very calm crossing, although it can be a bit rocky if the winds are up.

The length of time that you decide to stay on Formentera will dictate where you decide to go. For example, most day trippers just head up to the stunning white beaches of the northern peninsula known as Es Trucadors. If you need some help planning your trip then you can pop into the Tourist Information Office, which is just opposite the ferry. There is also another one that is in the village of Sant Francesc.

The Es Trucadors peninsula’s white beaches reach right up to the neighboring island of Espalmador. Although Espalmador is a private island you are free to go there and experience its sulphur mud baths. If you are offended by naked bodies then the northern peninsula is not for you as it has a long tradition of naturism. As well as naked bodies you get some pretty good views of Es Vedra.

Book early! There are so few houses on Formentera, and a limited number of hotels, that you need to plan your vacation carefully. From the desolate farmhouses of El Pilar de la Mola to the frenetic resort hotels of Es Pujols, this small island has a lot to offer the visitor. Your choice should be dictated by the type of vacation you want, but do bear in mind that the island is just 82 kilometers in circumference so wherever you end up is in striking distance of the other attractions.

One option is the capital of Sant Francesc Xavier. It is a good central location and it has everything you need in terms of shopping and so on. One thing to note is that although this is the capital it is a very sleepy little village, and there is not a lot of action. For that you would be better of selecting the resort of Es Pujols.

For more details about Formentera tourism this site is fairly useful, so click http://hubpages.com/hub/formentera-tourism

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Prehistoric sites on Formentera indicate that there were people living on the island four thousand years ago. Throughout history people have been attracted to the island: the Phoenicians, were followed by the Carthaginians, who were then followed by the Romans. Even though there is no natural water on the island it has its attractions. The island was called Ophiusa by Strabo, a Greek geographer, a name designed to suit an island teeming with lizards.

It was the Romans that named the island Frumentaria, but even though this means island of wheat, they mainly exported fig via the Es Calo port. On a hill behind Es Calo are the remains of a Roman port that used to keep watch for pirates.

After the Romans the next significant settlers were the Catalans. (Although the Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans did also inhabit Formentera before the Catalan invasion of 1235.) When the Catalan-Aragonese arrived they killed all the local Muslims and set up an administration made up of four sections. But by the fourteenth century they gave up the settlement because of the endless pirate attacks.

Formentera was occupied again in 1697 under the instruction of Carlos II of Spain, who sent explorer Marc Ferrer to get things going again. With the building of defense towers Formentera was better able to protect itself and by 1889 it was an independent municipality.

Until the twentieth century Formentera was sustained by farming of dry fruit trees and the manufacture of salt, but these days it is the tourism sector that makes the biggest contribution to the island. That is thanks to the hippies that came in the 1960s, from whom the word spread. Thanks to the hippies we have a great tourist destination to enjoy – thanks Bob Dylan!

From when you arrive at Lasabina formentera port you are delighted by a great island. For further information visit: http://www.squidoo.com/Sabina-Formentera

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