La Hacienda

About La Hacienda

La Hacienda sits at Sant Ferran de ses Roques, the crossroads village in the middle of Formentera, and suits travellers who want a quiet base with a pool rather than a beachfront address. Couples, small groups and families all fit here. The hotel is four stars, with a garden, an outdoor pool and parking, which matters on an island where a car or bike opens up the south coast and the lagoons. Es Pujols is 2.5 km away and Platja de Migjorn 2.6 km, so the sea is a short ride rather than a walk.

Four stars, a garden and an outdoor pool set the pace of a stay here: mornings out on the island, afternoons by the water, evenings in Sant Ferran or Es Pujols. Rooms are listed with air conditioning, a safe, a television and wifi, and family rooms and sofa beds make the hotel workable for three or four. This is not a beachfront address, and the sea at Platja de Migjorn is 2.6 km away. It is a comfortable, practical base for people who plan to be out most of the day.

Location: Sant Ferran de ses Roques

Sant Ferran de ses Roques is a crossroads village between the lagoon and the south coast, a small cluster of houses where the roads split towards Es Pujols, Migjorn and La Mola. La Hacienda stands on Carrer de Cala En Baster, 1.3 km from the village, close enough to reach on foot for a meal and far enough for quiet nights. Sant Francesc Xavier, the island capital with its fortified 18th-century church, market and shops, is 4 km away.

The village itself is walkable. Everything else needs wheels: Es Pujols and its beach 2.5 km away, Platja de Migjorn 2.6 km, La Savina port 6.1 km. Bikes and the signposted green routes suit the flat terrain, scooters and taxis cover longer hops, and buses run between the villages with fewer services outside summer. In July and August the island fills up and the Consell de Formentera caps visitor vehicles, so arrange a car or bike early. May, June, September and October bring quieter roads and easier swims.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms at La Hacienda are listed with air conditioning, a safe, a television, wifi and a hairdryer, plus a bath, a bidet and toiletries, so the basics are covered. Family rooms and sofa beds give a workable arrangement for three or four, and non-smoking rooms are available. Older fittings such as a CD player, a radio and an iPod dock appear in the room lists. Couples wanting quiet, and late arrivals coming off a delayed ferry, should ask about the practical details before booking.

Several room types come with a kitchen or kitchenette, a fridge, a microwave and coffee making equipment, which suits families and anyone who prefers to eat in. Outside, the hotel has a garden, a patio and an outdoor pool, and a jacuzzi appears among the listed facilities. Free wifi, free car parking and a laundry service are also listed, and yoga features among the facilities. Confirm with La Hacienda which room type includes the kitchen, whether the pool is heated, and how parking works in August.

Getting there

Formentera has no airport, so the route runs through Ibiza. Fly to Ibiza Airport (IBZ), about 7 km south-west of Ibiza Town, then transfer to the port in Ibiza Town and take a ferry to La Savina. Fast ferries cross in about 30-35 minutes and conventional ferries in about an hour; sailings are frequent in season and fewer in winter, so check the operators against your flight time. From La Savina, La Hacienda is 6.1 km away by road across the middle of the island.

Getting around from the hotel is straightforward on a small, flat island about 19 km long. Bikes and the signposted green routes (circuits verds) cover the lanes between Sant Ferran, Es Pujols and the south coast, scooters and taxis handle longer trips, and buses link the villages, with thinner timetables outside the summer months. The Consell de Formentera caps the number of visitor vehicles in high season, so check the rules before bringing a car or hiring one at La Savina. La Hacienda has free car parking.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Platja de Migjorn, the long south-coast beach backed by dunes and juniper, is 2.6 km from La Hacienda, and Es Pujols, the liveliest village with its beach, boat houses and evening bars, is 2.5 km. Ca na Costa, the megalithic tomb near Es Pujols and about 4,000 years old, lies 3.8 km away and is the oldest known monument on the Pitiusas. Sant Francesc Xavier is 4 km off, and the lagoons where birds gather are 4.6 km from the hotel.

Food on Formentera is simple and sea-led: peix sec (dried fish), island salads and fresh fish appear on most menus, and the villages around La Hacienda cover lunch and dinner without long drives. Cala Saona, the island's one real cove with red cliffs and a west-facing sunset, and the Ses Illetes sand spit in the north, are day trips rather than strolls from the hotel. Es Caló de Sant Agustí, a tiny fishing harbour of boat houses below La Mola, makes a good stop on the way to the lighthouse.

A day from La Hacienda

Start early from La Hacienda and ride the 2.6 km to Platja de Migjorn before the sun hardens, swimming and walking the dune-backed sand. Carry on to Ca na Costa, 3.8 km from the hotel, to see the megalithic tomb, then loop into Es Pujols 2.5 km away for a late coffee and a look at the boat houses. The distances are short, so a bike covers this comfortably and a car is only needed if the plan reaches the far north.

After lunch, head for Sant Francesc Xavier, 4 km from La Hacienda, for the fortified 18th-century church, the market and the shops, then continue 4.6 km out to the lagoons to watch birds over the salt pans and shallow water in the late afternoon. Return to the hotel for the pool and a shower, and finish in Es Pujols for an evening meal. A taxi back covers the 2.5 km if walking in the dark does not appeal.

Practical tips

Formentera is a summer island. Many hotels, beach bars, boat trips and restaurants close roughly from November to April, the main villages stay open, and flights and ferries thin out, so check La Hacienda's own opening dates before booking outside the season. July and August are the peak. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax is charged per person per night by the accommodation, at rates that depend on the type of stay and the season and are lower in low season; children under 16 are exempt, and the Govern de les Illes Balears sets the rates.

Questions about La Hacienda