15 Facts about Formentera

Floating over the Mediterranean Sea, we find Formentera, the smallest of the Balearic Islands. Due to its size, traversing it is very easy. In this article, we will tell you 15 facts about Formentera that you need to know before embarking on the adventure of discovering this island of turquoise beaches.

As soon as you step on its fine sand and bathe in its crystal clear waters, you will curse that you were not born in paradise.

Everything a self-respecting traveler should know:

1. The first of Formentera’s facts that we are going to refer to is that it is a small island, so most of its visitors and inhabitants use bicycles and motorcycles as the main means of transport.
2. So if you are thinking of visiting the island, we recommend you to rent one of these two vehicles, you will not need anything else to get to know it thoroughly.
2. The only way to enter the island is by boat, since it does not have its own airport. So if you are considering it as your next destination, keep in mind that you must first fly from Ibiza to Formentera, since it is the closest territory where you can get a boat that will take you to the island.
3. But don’t worry, the journey between islands takes just half an hour.
3. One of the signature dish of the area and the most typical, is the lobster with fried eggs, it is easy to find it, since most restaurants have it available on their menus. You can’t leave without taking that delicious delicacy to your mouth.
4. Of all the Formentera’s facts, perhaps, this is the one that you are going to photograph the most during your journey.
5. A mandatory stop is the Ses Illetes cove, where the most iconic beach in Formentera is located. Declared one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, in 2003 the TripAdvisor tourism portal awarded it with the Best Beach in Spain award.
6. The most significant thing about this beach is its shallow waters and the bewitching color of its tides.
5. If you decide to visit the island by car, let us tell you that it is not the best idea, because Formentera does not have any traffic lights. So much is the respect for the natural environment that the institutions prohibit traffic in many areas and reward the inhabitants who use the bicycle.
6. Of all the facts about Formentera, remember this one in particular, so as not to make the mistake of renting a car.
6. During your trip you may want to visit the Faro de la Mola, in which case, you have to know that next to the lighthouse there is a monolith in memory of the famous writer Julio Verne.
7. Although, the curious and interesting part of this fact, is that Julio Verne never travel to the island, he only set foot on its land through imagination, but the French playwright named the island in his work of fiction Héctor Servadac.

7. Formentera and Ibiza are known as the Pitusas Islands, a name derived from the Greek. They are named for the large number of pines that colonize the territory. Both islands have a rich past of mythological culture, so we advise you to pay attention to every corner.
8. Among its waters, we can find a biodiversity of incalculable value. One of its most valuable treasures is the oceanic Posidonia, which is nothing more and nothing less than the longest living organism in the world, with 100,000 years old.
9. Currently, it is in danger of extinction, so its conservation is very important for the biodiversity of the entire planet. Being in contact with an oceanic Posidonia is the closest thing to taking a look at the past.
9. Climate change affects ecosystems at many levels. It is the cause of the increasing rise in sea level, but what do these Formentera’s facts mean? Recent studies have discovered that if it continues to rise, the island could end up dividing in two.
10. If you like animals, and especially birds, you should visit the Estany Pudent lagoon. This place is located in the north of the island, and the most curious secret that it harbors is that a high population of flamingos is hoarded in its waters.
11. So if you are lucky, and you travel to Formentera at the right time of year, you will be able to enjoy a fauna worth remembering.
11. Travel to Espalmador, a virgin island located north of Formentera that is considered a World Heritage Site and a Protected Natural Park. As soon as you step foot on its white sand, you will feel that you have entered another world.
12. There are not a few professionals from the world of diving who decide to visit Formentera to practice this sport, this is mainly due to the diversity of its seabed. If this is your case, delve into the depths of this island that offers you endless underwater adventures.
13. The last piece of facts about Formentera that you should know, is that in ancient times it was totally deserted due, in part, to the plague that inhabited the West. All this changed with the appearance of the pirates who would use it as a refuge and one at a time they would begin to repopulate it.
14. Although currently the native population does not exceed ten thousand inhabitants, this numbers changes radically in summer with the arrival of tourists.

The hippie movement

14. In these facts about Formentera we want to ask you, are you a follower of the hippie movement? If so, you cannot miss the town of Sant Ferran. One of the most important hippie locations on the island. This movement was created during the Franco dictatorship.
15. Stop by its nightly craft market to take home a little piece of handmade history.
15. If we talk about the hippie movement and Formentera, the first thing that comes to our mind is the legendary band Pink Floyd. The British group spent several summers enjoying the island.
16. They fell in love with it so much that on the cover of their third album, called MORE, we can see the Es Molí Vell mill, one of the best preserved on the island.

We hope that these 15 facts about Formentera have helped you to choose this small Balearic island as your next destination for your holidays.

Tell us which of all Formentera’s facts has seemed most interesting to you.