Formentera, Spain

The day we spent sailing to beautiful Formentera in the Spanish Balearic Islands was probably my favourite day of our entire trip to Ibiza. Formentera is actually the smallest of the Balearics, but the island has a beautiful position in the Mediterranean Sea. Formentera is accessible by boat from its better known island neighbour, Ibiza. It’s a popular day trip destination in the summertime. This is primarily thanks to its clear turquoise waters and long stretches of white sandy beach.

Sailing to Formentera

Jo and I planned to go to David Guetta’s legendary F*** Me I’m Famous residency at Pacha long before we saw him at Ushuaia the night before. Unfortunately, all tickets had sold out well over a month before our trip. Alas, we found a way. You just have to book your tickets along with a trip on the Pacha 67 Sailboat.

The Pacha boat party is unique because it’s a proper sailboat – a Turkish Schooner in fact. With your ticket, you take a six hour cruise to see beautiful Formentera and get some of the best views of Ibiza at the same time. This is complete with a DJ playing summer house tunes for a relaxed vibe in the beautiful sunshine. Included in your ticket price, you then get to head to a Pacha afterparty. You can choose either Maceo Plex’s Mosaic, Martin Solveig’s My House, or David Guetta’s F*** Me I’m Famous. The cherry on the cake!

Having woken up feeling particularly hungover, we weren’t too keen on the idea of spending half of our day aboard a boat. But oh my goodness, I’m glad we went. Catching a taxi from our hotel to beautiful Ibiza Town with very little time to spare, we found our boat. All the sunbeds onboard were already bagged, but we perched on the sides of the boat. You’ll see the most glorious views of Ibiza as you leave the harbour.

Still feeling a little delicate, we soon had to head into the boat to lie down. Neither of us really fancied spending the rest of the journey with our heads overboard. Sadly, this meant we missed out on diving into the turquoise waters below, but after a little nap, we soon felt better.

Playa de Ses Illetes

We pulled inshore towards the beautiful island of Formentera. Here, we were transferred to a smaller dinghy boat to take us across to the beach by the most ridiculously good-looking captain. It’s pretty breathtaking reaching the island as it looks so exotic and tropical with stunning water.

The ocean is an incredible colour palette of turquoise, blue, and green. No photos could ever do it justice, it’s definitely something you need to appreciate in the flesh. If you’re in Ibiza, add Formentera high to your bucket list. The beach we sailed onto is Playa de Ses Illetes. Voted number 1 of Europe’s top 10 beaches, it’s often compared to the Caribbean. This is thanks to the fine white sand, and pale, turquoise waters that make it so beautiful. Although it was pretty busy with sunbathers and families, it wasn’t as crazy as I expected for a late July day. In true European style, all of the beaches are clothing optional.

Formentera, Spain

Aside from swimming and sunbathing on the beautiful beach, you can hire equipment and go snorkelling or sailing. There are also boat charters available for the more adventurous. If you’re looking to go off piste on the island of Formentera itself, you can cycle, hike, or borrow a scooter. There are a tonne of trails around beaches and lagoons to explore. If we had more time, I’d have climbed up to La Mola, a peak on the eastern end of the island. Here, you climb up the Cami Roma to a cliff, where you get beautiful views across the whole of Formentera.

After a little sunbathing, we tiptoed across the hot sand to the nearby restaurant, Juan y Andrea. It was full to the brim of locals gossiping and enjoying the fresh fish caught that day. Grabbing a nearby table, we soaked up the sun with a icy drink and listened to the Spanish chatter. Do note, the prices are pretty high on Formentera. It’s pretty glamorous and a luxurious place to hang out. It’s so worth it thanks to the stunning views. After we cooled off, we went to explore more of the tiny island. Locals zoomed past on mopeds, and families splashed in the warm waters.

It really is the most breathtaking island, and one I’ll remember forever. We spent the hours we had left sunbathing, floating in the sea, and laughing about the things we’d seen whilst travelling the thousands of miles we have together over the past few years. A perfect afternoon.

Sailing Back to Ibiza

It was soon time to head back to the Pacha 67 Sailboat to go back to Ibiza. We boarded the dinghy that cut through the beautiful water to take us back to the sailboat and Ibiza Town.

There’s nothing more relaxing than feeling the hot rays upon your skin, and listening to the chilled house being played from the on-deck DJ. As we sliced through the waves of the Mediterranean sea, I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d done to deserve such an amazing day.

Of course, the DJ just had to blast out this Vengaboys song as we sailed back to Ibiza, much to everyone’s enjoyment. We quite literally had a party in the Mediterranean Sea.

As we sailed slowly but surely back to the Ibiza Town harbour, the sun twinkled. We had a look around the pretty little town, before sipping sangria and nibbling tapas at a harbour side restaurant. We then set off for the Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza for another crazy night. Make sure you add Formentera to your travel bucket list – it’s a beautiful place you’ll be glad you know about.

Have you been to beautiful Formentera? Which other islands do I need to visit?