Transparent waters and turquoise sea. We are not in the Caribbean or on an island in the Indian Ocean, but on the smallest island of the Balearic archipelago. The beaches of Formentera are among the most famous in Europe and even the world.
The secret of the beauty of the beaches and the coast of this small island is based on a very little altered environment and a marine ecosystem in an excellent state of conservation.
Below you will find all the beaches of Formentera separated by areas, so you can have a complete guide to the beaches of Formentera and links to all the individual tabs of each of them.
Beaches in the area of Illetas, Formentera
The Illetas area is pure beauty but it is a very fragile area of coastline, dunes, marshes and lagoons, with unique fauna and flora. Illetas is an extremely beautiful, unique and fragile coastal area.
The uniqueness of the environment where the Illetas Beaches are located led the area of Illetas to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.
- Es Trucadors (Illetas Norte). All along the isthmus of Illetas there are several bathing areas that can only be accessed on foot. The nearest parking lot is the one in front of Es Ministre Restaurant.
- Ses Xalanes beach. Platja de Ses Xalanes is where most of the photographs are taken and then labeled as Illetas, Formentera. The waters at Ses Xalanes are among the calmest in the area.
- Illetas beach. Platja de Illetes is divided in two. This is located north of Platja de Ses Xalanes. It is more open to the sea than its neighbor and therefore wind and waves are more common.
- Levante or Llevant beach. Platja de Llevant or Platja de Levante is located on the “Levante” side of the isthmus of Illetas. It is long and east facing, so waves and wind are more common in it.
- Platjeta d’Es Carregador. It is a small beach located just below the restaurant Es Molí de Sal. It can be accessed by boat or on foot. It is located near the road and is not recommended.
- Cavall d’en Borràs. Cavall d’en Borràs is the southernmost beach of all. This beach is quite busy because it is a few minutes walk from La Savina, port of entry to the island.
- Punta des Borronar. The beach of Punta des Borronar is located at the end of Es Trucadors. You will have to walk at least 30 minutes to get there.
Information about the Illetas area
The underwater meadow of Posidonia Oceanica of Formentera (the Mediterranean aquatic plant par excellence) existing between Ibiza and Formentera is responsible for providing the beaches of Illetas with spectacular waters in terms of transparency and oxygenation. This Posidonia Oceanica meadow is one of the largest living organisms in the world (it has an underwater extension of more than 8 kilometers) as well as one of the longest known organisms still alive, with an estimated age of 100,000 years. To protect this fragile environment, the whole area of Illetas is included in the Natural Park of Ses Salines de Ibiza and Formentera.
The spectacular nature of Illetas makes it one of the most famous beaches in the Mediterranean and the world. For example Illetes in 2018 was chosen the second best beach in Spain and the ninth best beach in all of Europe in Tripadvisor’s “Traveler’s Choice” voting.
Illetas achieved 5th place in the world in the same polls in 2015, and is currently (year 2020) ranked 14th worldwide.
How to get to Illetas by car
Since Illetas is located within the Natural Park of Ses Salines, access to the beaches is free, but the entrance with motor vehicles is controlled and is charged.
If you intend to access by motorcycle or car you will have to pay for parking. It is also strictly forbidden to step on the dunes, walk outside the access walkways and access outside the delimited areas.
Entry permitted:
- Subject to availability
- Showing the corresponding ticket
- Respecting the rigorous queuing order
- No reservations or preferences
Access to the parking areas of the Illetas Beaches is regulated from May to October approximately.
The table below summarizes the cost of access per vehicle and the capacity of the parking areas:
| Cost of access by car | 4€/day |
| Motorcycle access cost | 4€/day |
| Parking spaces (car) | 384 |
| Parking spaces (motorcycle) | 1.132 |
| Access Control | May to October |
Beaches in Migjorn
Migjorn is often referred to as a single beach, although Migjorn is actually the entire south coast of Formentera, which joins the rocky highlands of La Mola and Barbaria.
Information about Migjorn
The entire south coast of Formentera has a length of about 7.5 kilometers, although it is not an uninterrupted beach. The coast of Migjorn alternates sandy areas with others of rock, therefore not all the coast of Migjorn is beach or bathing area.
On the coast of Migjorn we can also find areas where, due to winter storms, posidonia has accumulated on the beach in abundance, forming a thick and fluffy mantle that covers the sand. When it accumulates in large quantities, its decomposition produces a not unpleasant but very characteristic odor.
However, this posidonia protects the beach from erosion and provides organic matter to the land and the sea. Bathers who are not squeamish use it as a fluffy and comfortable blanket on which to spread the towel (if you have not tried it yet, we recommend it). Posidonia accumulates in almost all areas of Formentera, although it is removed from the busiest beaches.
If you want to see a beach of Formentera 100% unaltered and with the posidonia mixed with the sand, you can go to several areas of migjorn.
The coast of Migjorn has some of the most beautiful beaches of the whole island, although it is much less known (and crowded) than other beach areas of Formentera such as Illetas. The best known beach of Migjorn is undoubtedly Es Caló des Mort.
In addition to the beauty of its beaches and spectacular waters, the coast of Migjorn offers many small corners where you can relax.The area is almost completely free of wind and waves, with a medium or low occupancy depending on the area where we go and a totally natural environment and virtually undeveloped.
These are the 5 most outstanding bathing areas in the Migjorn area. There are small nooks and crannies where you can access the sea but we will not list them here. We leave it up to you to discover them when you visit the island 😉
- Caló des Mort. It is undoubtedly the best known of the beaches of the coast of Migjorn. A small cove hidden in a cliff that attracts as many bathers as the curious.
- Es Arenals. It is the largest beach of Migjorn together with Racó Fondo. It has all the services of any beach and is quite frequented by families.
- It is Ca Marí. Ca Marí is a beach area near the urbanization of the same name. It is one of the quietest areas of Formentera, close to several hotels and beach bars.
- It is Mal Pas. The westernmost part of Migjorn is almost always deserted and is perfect if you are looking for total tranquility. Posidonia accumulates here abundantly all year round.
- It is Copinyar. Es Copinyar is the easternmost sandy beach on the coast of Migjorn. The presence of several hotels and services makes it quite crowded.
- Es Còdol Foradat (or Es Valencians). It is a beach area located in front of the restaurants Vogamarí and Es Còdol Foradat. The influx of people is moderate and it is a quiet beach.
- Racó Fondo (Bluebar). It is a very wide beach area, although with fewer services than the area of es Arenals. The well-known Blue Bar is here, and there are generally no crowds.
Beaches in Es Pujols
Es Pujols is the most modern urban center of Formentera. It developed during the 70’s together with the tourist boom that Formentera and the great part of Spain that had sea and beach at its disposal saw. Before that in the area of Es Pujols there was nothing but farmland and the small bays in the area were used to shelter the boats from bad weather. The urban center of Es Pujols is the nerve center par excellence of the Italian community visiting the island.
- Ses Canyes beach. Typical dune beach, wide, ample and with medium occupancy. Normally it is sheltered from the wind if it blows in an easterly direction. Several reefs protect it from the intense swell.
- Sa Roqueta beach. Sa Roqueta is a small bay of only about 40 meters long that opens in a rocky area. It is located halfway between Es Pujols and Levante Beach.
- Es Pujols Bay. Right in the urban center of Es Pujols we find two small bays that with the urban development have become semi-urban without losing their charm.
Beaches in Espalmador
The island of Espalmador is a protected area (as it is a natural park) only accessible by boat. In this Mediterranean paradise we find two beaches where you can enjoy crystal clear waters very calm, and fine sand in the purest style of the Caribbean or Maldives.
The two main beaches on the island of Espalmador are:
- S’Alga beach. The beach of s’Alga is a sandy area of 800 meters very visited by boats of all kinds. The waters are calm and crystal clear.
- Sa Torreta beach. Sa Torreta beach is a somewhat hidden beach in the northwestern part of Espalmador. There is rarely anyone on this beach.
Cala Saona
Cala Saona is one of the most beloved beaches by tourists and visitors of Formentera. It offers plenty of space and is never as crowded as other beaches on the island, for example, those in the area of Illetas. You have beach bars, services and easy access.
Did you say beach? We say: beach bar!
In Formentera you can enjoy a wide range of beach bars of different styles:
- with VIP atmosphere
- more hippie
- perfect for families with children
- …
The beach bars are part of the atmosphere of all the beaches of Formentera and you will probably end up in one during your holidays on the island of Formentera.
Here is the complete list of beach bars in Formentera:
Do you run away from crowds? Take a look at the coves in Formentera
If you want to enjoy Formentera away from the “Instagramers” and the crowds, you might want to check out the list of the best coves in Formentera.
Some of them are very uncrowded and are sure to be the corner of peace and sea you’re looking for.
You can see the complete list of coves in Formentera in the following link:
Best beaches in Formentera for nudists
