Formentera tour

Small village of Es Calo

We had a good crossing over to Ibiza and dropped anchor in San Antonio in order to stock up with provisions before setting off in a southerly direction for the tiny island of Formentera. We'd discovered a lovely sandy anchorage on the north eastern tip of the island last year and with the winds blowing from the west it looked like being a perfectly sheltered spot to base ourselves for a few days and a welcome chance to get ashore to explore further afield.

Es Calo anchorage

Es Calo harbour and dinghy dock

For some reason the huge motor boats seem to gravitate to the other side of the island where the plethora of smart restaurants are situated leaving the small fishing village of Es Calo relatively unspoilt. The village comprises a couple of grocery stores, a wonderful bar with a superlative view, a restaurant and bicycle hire shop. Pretty much all we needed. After a couple of days chilling we took the dinghy into the lovely little natural harbour and set about hiring a couple of bikes.

Sant Ferran de ses Roques main square

Fonde Pepe bar

Our first stop was Sant Ferran de ses Roques, a village located in the heart of the island with a pretty main square and a church dating back to the 18th century.  It is also where the island's hippy movement began. Opposite the church is the well known 1960's haunt, the Fonda Pepe, a bar, restaurant and hostel which is still living off its reputation as a hippy hangout today. Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan were regulars here and apparently whiled away many an hour playing chess. The artisan market sadly doesn't come to life until the evening so with not much else to see we grabbed a quick coffee and continued on our way. It is a small island and we were soon circling Formentera's huge salt lagoon and the salt flats.

Formentera salt flats

Ca Na Costa

We made a small detour to Ca Na Costa, a small megalithic gravesite dating back to the Bronze age which was probably used between 2,000 and 1,600 BC. Apparently there were eight people buried here and various buttons and beads have been found. 

The large Estany Pudent lagoon

Anchorage off La Savina

Tim and our trusty steeds!

We continued circling the lake until we arrived at the town of La Savina, the location of the island's port and marina. From here we got a good view of the sea and the crowded anchorage on the north western side of the island. We'd already gone much further than originally planned and our legs were beginning to wilt. It was a good opportunity to stop for a rest, have a quick bite and study our trusted map before navigating our way back. We decided on the scenic route along the dusty cycle paths running along the western side of the large Estany Pudent (literal translation foul smelling pond). It is part of the Formentera natural park and the surrounding wetlands are rich in wildlife. It was getting hotter and hotter and the maze of paths became dustier and more confusing. We were exhausted, out of water and looking very bedraggled by the time we eventually found a tarmac road again. Somewhat relieved at finding civilisation again we stopped for some much needed refreshments.

Formentera salt flats

Bicycling down the dusty path

Estany Pudent

                                                              Playa Es Arenals 

Es Calo popular bar

Despite our tiring legs we decided to make a quick detour to Playa Es Arenals before heading home. We wanted to check out the west side of the island which was just a short hop across the land from Es Calo. The grass definitely wasn't greener on the other side. We found an extremely crowded  beach and decided not to stop for a drink and instead returned to Es Calo and our waterside bar where we could watch Ride of a Lifetime bobbing in the glorious turquoise waters.

View from the bar, Es Calo. Can you spot Ride of a Lifetime?

El Pilar de la Molar market

We had time for one more trip ashore before having to move due to the changing winds. Further east at the top of the Molar plateau lies the quiet town of El Pilar de la Molar, the location of a well known market. Various artists and craftspeople from all over the island set up stalls a couple of afternoons a week during the summer months. It was a short bus ride away and we enjoyed a mooch but came away empty handed.

We were lucky that the weather had allowed us to stay put for a few days but sadly it was time to vacate the lovely anchorage and head north back to Ibiza.

Firefox - an old Formentera hippy market stall holder