Can Marroig

Can Marroig is a public estate located in the northwestern part of Formentera, covering an area of approximately 150 hectares. After belonging to a family from Mallorca from the late 19th century until the start of the Civil War, it is now owned by the Consell de Formentera.

History of the Can Marroig Estate

The first mention of this estate is found in a document from 1797, when the land was registered in the name of the Ibiza Seminary following a royal grant of the property. Agustí Fuster Cortés purchased the land following the Madoz confiscation of 1855, and later, in 1874, the estate was finally acquired by Antoni Marroig Boned (1837–1900), a Mallorcan politician and businessman. Since then, the land and the house built there have borne the name of the Marroig family.

In addition to the Can Marroig estate, Antoni Marroig also invested heavily in the saltworks business, operating the ponds in the eastern part of Estany des Peix. He was also, for example, the developer and builder of the Molí de Marroig, the salt-processing mill that still stands today and is located across from the Platjeta des Carregador, in the Illetas area (where the restaurant Es Molí de Sal is currently located).

Can Marroig as a vineyard and the construction of the manor house: late 19th century

Antoni Marroig was the one who built the manor house now known as Can Marroig, and he also invested in major irrigation systems that made the estate a pioneer in agricultural technology and resource management.

About 250 hectares of vineyards were planted on the estate. The aim of planting vineyards was to produce wine to offset the decline in production in France and the Iberian Peninsula following the phylloxera epidemic, which reduced production across Europe.

Can Marroig as a hotel: 1933–1940

Antoni Marroig’s grandson, Pere Marroig (who was the first member of the Marroig family to live in the estate’s manor house), established a farm and an agritourism hotel in the early 1930s: the IFA Hotel (England-France-Germany).

This property is considered the very first hotel to open its doors in Formentera.

The Marroig family’s businesses, including the hotel and the vineyards, were cut short by the outbreak of the Civil War and the poor performance of the Formentera salt flats, and the Marroigs eventually left the island and sold their properties to Josep Costa Torres in 1940.

Attempts to develop Can Marroig: the 1980s

In the 1960s, the estate and Estany des Peix passed from Josep Costa to the Matutes family (owners of many hotels in Ibiza, such as the Ushuaïa hotel-nightclub), and there were plans to build a resort town in the area and a small marina on the lagoon.

This urban development proposal, along with the plan to build a campground in Formentera in the Ca Marí area, was rejected by the people of Formentera through protests and complaints to the Ibiza Council and the Balearic Islands Parliament.

Can Marroig is purchased by the Formentera Council: 1998

Finally, in 1998, the estate was purchased by the Balearic Islands Government and transferred to the Formentera Council, thereby becoming publicly owned.