Sa Tanca Des Pla

About Sa Tanca Des Pla

Sa Tanca Des Pla suits travellers who want the quiet western side of Formentera rather than a resort strip. The hotel is a four-star property on the road to Cala Saona, about 2.1 km from the cove itself and about 2.9 km from Sant Francesc Xavier, so the capital's market, shops and fortified church are a short drive away. Couples and families who prefer space and a kitchen to a fixed board arrangement settle here.

Four stars, and a layout closer to a self-contained house than to a conventional hotel: the listed facilities include a kitchen, kitchenette, oven, microwave, refrigerator, toaster and washing machine, plus a fireplace, patio and terrace. That mix suits a stay built around slow mornings and long evenings outside, with the cooking done at home and the days spent on the coast. The garden and free parking make an unhurried base for a car-using holiday.

Location: Cala Saona

Sa Tanca Des Pla sits on the Cala Saona road, on the low western side of Formentera where the coast turns to red cliff and the sunsets face the sea. Cala Saona is the island's one real cove, about 2.1 km from the hotel, and the nearest town is Sant Francesc Xavier, the small capital, about 2.9 km away, with its fortified 18th-century church, market and shops. Sant Ferran de ses Roques, a crossroads village, is about 5.1 km off.

Walking is realistic for the cove and, at a push, for Sant Francesc Xavier; everything else is easier with wheels. Sa Tanca Des Pla lists free car parking, which matters because the island council caps visitor vehicles in high season, so check the Consell de Formentera rules before bringing or hiring a car. Bikes and the signposted green routes suit shorter trips, and buses and taxis cover the rest. In July and August the Cala Saona road fills in the late afternoon; in May, June, September and October it stays calm.

Rooms and facilities

The listed facilities at Sa Tanca Des Pla read like a self-catering house rather than a hotel corridor: air conditioning, TV, internet access and free wifi, with a hairdryer, iron and board and a bidet among the bathroom fittings. The kitchen side covers an oven, microwave, refrigerator and toaster, and a washing machine handles the laundry after a day at Cala Saona. Non-smoking rooms, a patio, a terrace and a fireplace round out the list, and the garden gives children room between meals.

Confirm the practical details before booking, since they shape a self-catering stay: check-in and check-out times, whether the kitchen equipment matches what a family needs for a week, and how parking is allocated on site. Ask about air conditioning in the rooms you will use and whether the fireplace is usable outside the cooler months. Late arrivals should confirm key collection and the drive from La Savina, which is about 5.5 km from Sa Tanca Des Pla in a straight line.

Getting there

Formentera has no airport, so the route is fixed: fly to Ibiza Airport (IBZ), about 7 km south-west of Ibiza Town, then reach Ibiza Town port and take a ferry to La Savina. Fast ferries cross in about 30-35 minutes and conventional ferries in about an hour, with frequent sailings in season and fewer in winter; check the operators before fixing flight times. From La Savina, Sa Tanca Des Pla is about 5.5 km away in a straight line, on the Cala Saona road.

On the island, bikes and the signposted green routes (circuits verds) cover short hops, scooters and taxis fill the gaps, and buses link the main settlements, with fewer services outside summer. The Consell de Formentera caps visitor vehicles in high season, so check the rules before booking a car onto the ferry or hiring one at La Savina. Sa Tanca Des Pla lists free car parking; without a car, the 2.1 km to Cala Saona and the 2.9 km to Sant Francesc Xavier are best covered by bike or taxi.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Cala Saona, the island's one real cove, is about 2.1 km from Sa Tanca Des Pla, and the sunset there faces west over the water. Sant Francesc and its fortified church are about 2.8 km away, Sant Francesc Xavier as a whole about 2.9 km, and Sant Ferran de ses Roques about 5.1 km. For a paddle, the Estany des Peix lagoon near La Savina is about 4.5 km off, with calm water inside the Ses Salines Natural Park.

Food on Formentera is plain and coastal: peix sec (dried fish), island salads and fresh fish, eaten simply. Self-catering helps, since Sa Tanca Des Pla has an oven, microwave and refrigerator for produce bought in Sant Francesc Xavier, about 2.9 km away. The capital's market and shops stock the kitchen, and the port at La Savina, about 5.5 km from the hotel, covers the rest. Cooking at Sa Tanca Des Pla keeps evenings flexible, which matters when the cove's sunset runs late.

A day from Sa Tanca Des Pla

Start early at Cala Saona, about 2.1 km from Sa Tanca Des Pla, with a swim before the cove fills and the day warms up. Then drive or cycle to Sant Francesc Xavier, about 2.9 km, for the market, the shops and the fortified 18th-century church, which stands about 2.8 km from the hotel. Lunch back at the hotel, cooked in the kitchen, keeps the afternoon open; nothing on this list takes more than a few minutes.

An afternoon on the water at the Estany des Peix, about 4.5 km away, suits anyone who wants calm water for a paddle, and the same trip can take in La Savina port, about 5.5 km from Sa Tanca Des Pla. Return for the sunset at Cala Saona, 2.1 km off, then eat late on the terrace or in the garden. Sant Ferran de ses Roques, about 5.1 km away, is the nearest crossroads village for an evening out.

Practical tips

Time the visit with the season in mind: much of Formentera's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so check Sa Tanca Des Pla's own opening dates with the hotel before booking flights, and note that July and August are the peak, with the Cala Saona road and the cove at their busiest. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax (the ecotasa) is charged per person per night by the accommodation, and Sa Tanca Des Pla collects it. What you pay there depends on when you travel and how long you stay, with lower amounts in low season and for longer bookings and an exemption for children under 16. The Govern de les Illes Balears publishes the current rules.

Questions about Sa Tanca Des Pla