Formentera

Beaches are the reason Formentera exists as a destination. The Ses Illetes peninsula in the north runs out towards Espalmador as a thin strip of white sand with shallow, startlingly clear turquoise water on both sides, kept clear by the Posidonia seagrass meadows offshore. Llevant on the other side of the same spit is wilder and quieter, and the long south-facing arc of Migjorn offers kilometres of sand and dune with room to spread out.

Cala Saona in the west is a small sandy cove with reddish cliffs and sunsets over the open sea, while Es Pujols has the most conventional resort beach. The sea is warm enough to swim from June to October, reaching about 26°C in August, and almost every day here is organised around which beach, which wind direction and which time of day.

Eating on Formentera is mostly about fish and the sea. Beach restaurants and chiringuitos above Migjorn and Ses Illetes serve grilled catch, rice dishes and lobster stew, and the island has its own traditions in peix sec, sun-dried fish worked into the ensalada payesa, along with bullit de peix and flaó, a cheese and mint tart. Long lunches overlooking the water are the main event.

Beyond that the scene is small. Sant Francesc and Es Pujols have a handful of decent restaurants and cafés, quality is uneven in the resort areas, and there is no market life, street food or wine culture to speak of. Many kitchens close outside the summer season.

Formentera has little to see in the conventional sense. The fortified church in Sant Francesc, built to shelter islanders from pirate raids, is the main monument, and the island's coast is marked by old watchtowers and two lighthouses, at Cap de Barbaria and on the cliffs of La Mola. Ca na Costa is a small Bronze Age megalithic tomb, and the outline of a Roman fort survives at Can Blai. A visitor can see all of it in a day around the beaches.

Formentera is the quiet island next to a famous party one. Evenings start with sunset drinks at beach bars on the west coast and towards Cap de Barbaria, and in summer the small seafront of Es Pujols has a cluster of bars that stay busy past midnight, with a modest club or two. Sant Francesc has a few relaxed terraces.

That is roughly the extent of it. Most visitors are in bed early to make the most of the beaches, and anyone who wants big clubs has to cross to Ibiza and plan around the ferry back.

The landscape is low, dry and bright: pine and juniper scrub, stone walls, salt pans and dunes, rising only at the La Mola plateau in the east, where cliffs drop to the sea. The Ses Salines natural park covers the north, with flamingos and wading birds on the Estany Pudent lagoon in season, and the protected seagrass meadows make the water excellent for snorkelling, diving, kayaking and paddleboarding.

The island is flat enough to cycle almost everywhere along a network of quiet green routes, and walking out to Cap de Barbaria or along the La Mola cliffs at sunset is memorable. Spring and autumn are the best months for walking and cycling, before and after the heat.

The one real day trip is Ibiza, about half an hour by fast ferry from La Savina. Its old town, Dalt Vila, is a walled hilltop citadel with a cathedral and fine views, and with a hired car the whitewashed villages, hippy markets and north coast are within reach for the day. The uninhabited islet of Espalmador, reached by boat from the north tip, makes a half-day outing. Beyond those there is nowhere else to go.

For a family whose idea of a vacation is the beach, Formentera works well. The water at Ses Illetes and in parts of Es Pujols and Migjorn is shallow and calm on the sheltered side, the island is small and safe, and older children enjoy cycling the flat green routes. Apartments and villas suit families better than hotels.

There is nothing made for children, though: no zoo, aquarium or theme park, and the many beaches have little shade. Midsummer sun is strong, and getting here means a flight to Ibiza and then a ferry, which adds a step with small children.

Formentera has no airport, so every arrival comes by ferry from Ibiza into the port of La Savina. Once there, distances are short: the island is about 20km end to end. A bus line connects the main villages and beaches, but most visitors hire a bicycle, e-bike, scooter or small car, and the flat terrain and quiet roads make two wheels a pleasure. Some beaches have limited parking in summer, and the climb up to La Mola is the only real hill.

Shopping here is small and suited to an island. Sant Francesc has a few boutiques selling white linen, loose beachwear, sandals and jewellery. The artisans' market at El Pilar de La Mola is the island's best-known place to shop, and it keeps the island's bohemian, hippy-craft spirit alive, with local makers selling handmade leather, ceramics, silver and textiles through the summer season. Es Pujols has an evening craft market along the seafront. Beyond that it is beach goods and souvenirs, and a visitor who wants proper shopping has to cross to Ibiza.

Formentera is an expensive place to spend a summer. Hotel and apartment supply is small and summer demand is high, so rooms cost far more than on the Spanish mainland, and beach restaurants charge resort prices. The ferry crossing and vehicle hire add to the bill. Self-catering and visiting in May, June or late September soften the cost, but there is no budget way to do the island in high season.

There is almost no performance life here. Musicians play at the La Mola artisans' market and some beach bars put on live sets at sunset in summer, and the island hosts the occasional small festival, but there is no theatre, concert hall or regular venue.

Formentera's restorative quality is in its pace rather than its spas. The island is quiet, low-rise and unhurried, with no high-rises or big resorts, and days drift between the sea, a long lunch and an early night. Some hotels have small spas, and yoga classes and massage are easy to find in summer.

There is no bathing tradition, thermal water or hammam culture, so anyone wanting serious spa treatment will find the offer modest. May, June and September are the calmest months.