Formentera's one real cove.

What the cove is like

Cala Saona is the only bay on Formentera that folds around its beach on three sides, with low red and ochre cliffs in place of the long dune-backed sands found elsewhere on the island. The water stays shallow for a good distance out and the seabed is sand, so it clears quickly after a windy day. The scale is small: one beach, a handful of buildings behind it, and the lane ending where the cliffs begin.

Behind the sand the land rises in low terraces of reddish rock held by juniper and pine, the same dry cover as the rest of the west coast. The lane in from the Sant Francesc side stops at the cove, so there is no passing traffic and no reason for anyone to be here except to swim, eat or watch the light. Walking shoes help: the rock is loose in places and the tracks above the bay are rough.

The dry stone walls that run up the slopes behind the cove are part of what makes the west of Formentera look the way it does: thin soil, figs and vines held back from the wind, and walls built without mortar. The dark lizards on the rocks are the Pitiusan wall lizard, found only on Ibiza, Formentera and their islets, and they move fast into the cracks. Look, but do not catch.

The west-facing sunset

The cove faces west, which is the whole point of the place in the evening. From late afternoon the cliffs on the northern side throw shade across part of the beach, so the sand nearest the southern rocks holds the sun longest. Bring something to sit on, because the rock shelves at either end are harder than they look and the strip of sand narrows as the tide comes in.

Sunset here is a quiet business rather than a performance. People drift down from the buildings behind the beach, swim once more and stay until the light goes. There is no promenade to walk and no bar strip to move along afterwards, so most evenings end with a meal close by or a drive back to Sant Francesc. A small torch is useful if you are walking back to your room after dark.

The cove faces west, so the sun drops into open water rather than behind a hill.

Beaches and sights nearby

The cove sits in the south-west corner of Formentera, with the Cap de Barbaria road running south from Sant Francesc a short drive away. The cape itself is flat, walled with dry stone and planted with fig and vine, and it ends at a lighthouse above low cliffs. On foot, tracks and quiet lanes connect the Cala Saona area with the land around the cape; ask locally about waymarking before setting out.

North of the cove, Sant Francesc Xavier is the island's capital and its year-round centre, with the fortified church built as a refuge in the eighteenth century. Beyond it lie the salt pans, the shallow lagoon of Estany des Peix, the port at La Savina and, past those, the long sandbar at Ses Illetes. All of it is within a short drive or a solid bike ride of Cala Saona.

• Cap de BarbariaThe southern cape ends at a lighthouse, with flat dry-stone country and low cliffs on the approach.
• Sant Francesc XavierThe whitewashed capital and its fortified church stay open through the year, unlike much of the coast.
• Estany des PeixA shallow lagoon beside La Savina, good for birds and for watching the water change colour through the day.
• La SavinaThe port where the ferries from Ibiza arrive, with the first shops, buses and bike hire of the island.
• Ses IlletesThe sandbar and shallow water at the northern tip, reached by a separate road or from the water.

Who Cala Saona suits

Cala Saona suits people who want the water at the end of the day rather than a town at the end of the road. It is small and self-contained, which makes it restful, and the shallow bay is easy for swimming and for children who are happy to stay near the shore. Walkers and cyclists use it as a western anchor between the cape and the salt pans.

It suits less well anyone who wants a choice of restaurants within walking distance every night, or who would rather not depend on a car, a bike or the bus. There is no village here in the usual sense, just the beach and the buildings behind it. Book ahead for July and August, when the beds nearest the cove go first and the lane fills with day visitors.

• CouplesA quiet bay, a west-facing sunset and dinner close by make an easy base for two.
• WalkersTracks and lanes run from the cove toward the cape and the inland paths of the west.
• FamiliesShallow water and a small beach keep young children within easy reach of the sand.
• Sunset watchersThe bay faces open water, so the light lasts until the sun is actually down.

Evenings and food

Eating near Cala Saona is a small-scale affair. A few places sit behind the beach and above the water, most of them open from spring to autumn and shut in winter, serving fish, rice dishes and the usual island staples. In July and August they fill early, so it is worth deciding before sunset rather than after. Check opening days when you arrive, because they change with the season.

For anything more than a beach meal, Sant Francesc Xavier is the nearest reliable alternative and the only place on the island with a year-round choice. The bakeries, grocers and cafés around the church square keep going through the winter, and a small market sells produce and local goods on set days; check the current day with the Consell de Formentera. La Savina has more in summer.

Getting there from Ibiza

Fly to Ibiza Airport (IBZ), which sits about 7 km south-west of Ibiza Town in the municipality of Sant Josep. From the airport, buses run into Ibiza Town and taxis cover the short road to the port. Ferries from Ibiza Town to La Savina take about 30 to 35 minutes on the fast boats and about an hour on the conventional ones. Sailings are frequent in season and fewer in winter.

From La Savina, Cala Saona is about 5.3 km away in a straight line, though the road curves inland through Sant Francesc and takes longer than the map suggests. Taxis wait at the port, bikes and scooters can be hired in the port towns, and the island bus network covers the main routes; timetables change with the season, so check with the island bus operator. Driving yourself is the simplest option.

Anyone coming just for the day should allow for the ferry back and should not leave the last swim too late. Staying near the cove is the better arrangement: the beach empties in the late afternoon, the sunset happens in front of you rather than from a queue for the boat, and the next morning begins where the water is. Two nights is enough to see the west without rushing.

Getting around the island

Distances on Formentera are short, and Cala Saona is within reach of most of the island by bike. Signposted green routes, the circuits verds, link the coast and the interior for walking and cycling, and the lanes inland toward Sant Francesc are quiet outside the high season. A bike turns the cove into a workable base: the salt pans, the lagoons and the cape are all a ride away.

Buses serve the main routes, with more in summer and fewer, or none, in winter on some lines; check the island bus operator for what is running while you are there. Taxis are limited in number, so booking a return is safer than hoping to find one at the beach late at night. If you drive, park where the lane ends and walk the last stretch, because space near the cove is tight in summer.

• Green routesThe signposted circuits verds cross the island for walking and cycling, away from the main road.
• BikesHiring a bike or scooter in La Savina or Sant Francesc makes the cove reachable without a car.
• BusesIsland buses cover the main routes with more services in summer; check the operator for current times.
• On footThe last stretch of lane and the tracks above the bay are easiest on foot in the busy months.

When to go and what closes

Late spring and early autumn are the best of it. In May the sea is around 18 to 19 °C and the island is still green in patches; June brings about 22 to 23 °C; September holds 23 to 25 °C with fewer people on the sand. August is the hottest and busiest month, with water around 25 to 26 °C and the cove busy by mid-morning. February and March are for walking, not swimming.

From roughly November to April much of the tourist business closes: the beach restaurants, the boat trips, many seasonal buses and plenty of accommodation. Sant Francesc Xavier and La Savina stay open, and the cove remains walkable and quiet, though there may be nowhere to eat beside it. Flights and ferries are fewer, so plan around the timetable. The sustainable tourism tax is charged by the accommodation, at rates that change with season and category; check the Govern de les Illes Balears.