Ses Botges

About Ses Botges

Ses Botges suits travellers who want the quiet eastern end of Formentera rather than the busier south coast. The three-star hotel sits outside Es Caló de Sant Agustí, a tiny fishing harbour of boat houses below the La Mola plateau, so mornings begin with a short walk to the water and evenings stay calm. Couples, walkers and families who prefer a garden and a terrace to a lobby bar tend to settle in well here.

The hotel is a straightforward three-star base with free wifi, air conditioning and free car parking, listed among its facilities, plus a garden and terrace. Rooms are the sort of thing you use as a landing pad between the beach and the plateau rather than a destination in themselves. Book directly with Ses Botges to confirm the details that matter to you, from cot availability to whether a kitchen or microwave comes with your room.

Location: Es Caló de Sant Agustí

Es Caló de Sant Agustí is 0.5 km from Ses Botges, a small harbour of boat houses tucked under the La Mola plateau. It is the eastern end of Formentera, where the island narrows and the pace drops. The village reads as a fishing harbour rather than a resort, and the plateau above it gives the surroundings a raised horizon that is unusual on such a flat island.

The boat houses at Es Caló are walkable from Ses Botges at 0.5 km, and the water below them is the closest place to swim. Sant Ferran de ses Roques is 6 km away and Platja de Migjorn 4.1 km, both better by bike, bus or taxi than on foot in the heat. A car helps for the far beaches and for La Savina, 10.8 km from the hotel. In high summer the harbour fills early and the lanes get busy; in May, June and September they feel close to empty.

Rooms and facilities

Ses Botges lists air conditioning and a fan, a balcony, a TV, a safe and a hairdryer, with a cot available for families travelling with a baby. Some rooms come with a kitchen, microwave and refrigerator, which suits anyone who prefers to eat in after a late arrival rather than head out again. Free wifi and internet access appear on the list, along with cleaning, a laundry service and non-smoking rooms.

Confirm with Ses Botges which room type includes the kitchen and whether the balcony faces the garden or the road, since those details change the stay. Ask about cot bedding if you need it, and reserve a parking space when you book, since free car parking is listed and summer fills up. Late check-in is worth arranging in advance, because arrivals depend on the ferry you take to La Savina.

Getting there

Formentera has no airport, so the route to Ses Botges starts with a flight into Ibiza Airport (IBZ), roughly 7 km south-west of Ibiza Town. From the airport, travel into Ibiza Town and go to the port for the ferry to La Savina, about 30-35 minutes on a fast crossing or around an hour on a conventional one. Sailings are frequent in season and fewer in winter, so check the operators before fixing your arrival time at the hotel.

La Savina is 10.8 km from Ses Botges in a straight line, a short transfer at the end of the crossing. Once settled, bikes and the signposted green routes cover much of the island, and scooters, buses and taxis fill the gaps. The Consell de Formentera caps visitor vehicles in high season, so check the rules before bringing or hiring a car, and remember that parking at the hotel is free for guests who do drive.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest swimming is the water off the boat houses at Es Caló, 0.5 km from Ses Botges. Platja de Migjorn, the long dune-backed south-coast beach, is 4.1 km away, and Sant Ferran de ses Roques, the crossroads village of the island, is 6 km. La Savina and the Estany des Peix lagoon lie 10.8 km off, useful on a calm day for a kayak or paddleboard. Cala Saona, the island's one real cove with red cliffs, sits at the western end and takes a drive.

The El Pilar de la Mola market is 3 km from Ses Botges, held on Wednesdays and Sundays in season, and the La Mola lighthouse stands 6.2 km away at the top of the plateau. Ca na Costa, the megalithic tomb near Es Pujols, is about 4,000 years old and the oldest known monument on the Pitiusas. Island food runs to peix sec, island salads and fresh fish, and the Pitiusan wall lizard turns up on dry stone walls.

A day from Ses Botges

Start with the 0.5 km walk from Ses Botges down to the boat houses at Es Caló for a swim before the harbour gets busy. Continue by bike or car to Platja de Migjorn, 4.1 km away, for the long south-coast sands and a few hours in the water. Lunch fits a plate of peix sec or fresh fish, then a slow afternoon back through Sant Ferran de ses Roques, 6 km from the hotel, for supplies.

Late afternoon suits the climb to La Mola: the market at El Pilar is 3 km from Ses Botges and the lighthouse 6.2 km, with the plateau top at about 190 m. Time the drive back for the light over the east coast, or push west instead if you want the sunset at Cala Saona. Evenings are quiet at this end of Formentera, with the harbour at Es Caló a short walk from the hotel and little traffic after dark.

Practical tips

Outside high season Formentera goes quiet, with most holiday businesses shut roughly from November to April, so ask Ses Botges which months it opens before booking a spring or autumn trip. July and August are the peak, when the island is at its fullest. Ses Botges collects the Balearic sustainable tourism tax per person per night, and the amount depends on the accommodation category and the season, drops in low season and for longer stays, and leaves out children under 16; check current rates with the Govern de les Illes Balears.

Questions about Ses Botges