Sant Francesc, the island's small capital.

The island's small capital

Sant Francesc Xavier sits near the middle of Formentera, about 3.4 km in a straight line from La Savina, the port where ferries from Ibiza arrive. It is the island's capital and its administrative centre, and the Consell de Formentera has its offices here. The town is built low and white, and you can walk from one side to the other in a few minutes. There are no tower blocks and no resort strip: the streets end quickly in fields, fig trees and dry stone walls.

Because it is the capital, Sant Francesc keeps working when the coast empties. Much of the island's seasonal business closes roughly from November to April: the beach bars, the boat trips, many restaurants and some hotels. The centre stays open, with shops, offices and the services a resident population needs. That makes it the most useful base if you are travelling outside July and August. Ferries from Ibiza are fewer then, so check timetables before fixing dates.

Sant Francesc is small enough to cross on foot and old enough to have been a refuge.

A church built as a refuge

The church of Sant Francesc Xavier gives the town its shape. It was raised in the 18th century as a fortified refuge, at a time when this coast was exposed to attack from the sea, and islanders could take shelter inside its thick walls. It is still the centre of the capital: the square in front is where people meet, and the lanes wrap around it. It remains a working parish church, so visits fit around services.

Around the church, the centre is a small grid of lanes with shops, bakeries and places to eat. In season a market sets up in the town, with stalls of clothes, leather sandals and food; the day changes and the stalls are seasonal, so check with the Consell de Formentera before planning a morning around it. The same streets hold the island's everyday shops, which is part of why Sant Francesc works as a base.

• The churchAn 18th-century fortified building, raised as a refuge and still the heart of the town.
• The squareSit in the shade in front of the church and watch the island's ordinary business pass.
• The marketSeasonal stalls in the centre; days change, so check with the Consell de Formentera.
• The shopsEveryday and seasonal shops in the surrounding lanes, busiest in July and August.

Beaches within reach

The nearest sand is on the south coast. Platja de Migjorn runs for several kilometres along the island's southern shore, a few kilometres from Sant Francesc, and it is not one beach but a long line of them: sand in places, flat rock in others, with little built along the top. Access is by the lanes that leave the main road, and each entry has its own character. Facilities are few along much of it, so carry water and shade.

West of the capital, Cala Saona is a small cove framed by low cliffs, known for the sunset and busier than its size suggests in August. North, past the lagoons, Es Pujols has the island's most built-up seafront and the simplest access for anyone without a car. Beyond La Savina, Ses Illetes and the Espalmador islet sit inside Ses Salines Natural Park, with pale, fine sand and water that shelves slowly.

• Platja de MigjornA long, low-built south coast of sand and rock, a few kilometres from the capital.
• Cala SaonaA small cove on the west coast, known for the sunset and busy in August.
• Es PujolsThe most built-up seafront on the island, with the simplest access without a car.
• Ses IlletesPale sand inside Ses Salines Natural Park, reached through La Savina.

Who Sant Francesc suits

It suits anyone who wants a base rather than a beachfront. Cyclists and walkers use it because the signposted green routes pass through or near the town, and because the shops, the square and the places to eat sit within a few minutes of each other. Families tend to like it for the same reasons: short distances, somewhere to sit in the shade, and beaches a short ride away rather than at the door.

It suits less well if your idea of a holiday is stepping out of a room onto sand. Nobody bases themselves in Sant Francesc for a sea view: the water is a few kilometres off, and in August the traffic through the centre can be slow. There is little nightlife here, which is either the point or a reason to look at Es Pujols instead. Most accommodation is small in scale and much of it is seasonal, so check what is open before you book.

Evenings, food and the square

Eating in Sant Francesc is a quiet affair compared with the coast. There is no strip here and no scene. The centre has a cluster of small places around the church and in the surrounding lanes, plus bakeries and food shops for anyone self-catering. Menus lean on what the island produces: fish, shellfish, vegetables, and the dried fish the island is known for. In summer the tables spill outdoors and the square stays busy until late.

Reservations matter in July and August, when the island fills and the small rooms fill with it. Outside those months the choice narrows sharply: many places close roughly from November to April, and the ones that stay open keep shorter hours. It is worth asking where you are staying what is open in the week you arrive rather than assuming, and worth remembering that a late lunch is the main meal for many people here.

For a picnic, the shops in the centre cover the basics, and the lanes out of town lead quickly to the coast. For a proper evening, the choice is between the capital's calm and the busier seafront at Es Pujols, a short ride north. Neither is far. Outside the peak weeks, finding a table on the night is part of the pleasure, and nobody hurries you along.

Getting there from Ibiza

Formentera has no airport. The route is a flight to Ibiza Airport (IBZ), a transfer of about 7 km to Ibiza Town port, and then a ferry across to La Savina. Fast ferries take about 30-35 minutes; conventional ferries take about an hour. Sailings are frequent in season and fewer in winter, and more than one operator runs the crossing, so compare timetables rather than assuming a departure will exist.

From La Savina, Sant Francesc is about 3.4 km in a straight line, on flat ground. Local buses run between the port, the capital and the beaches, with more services in summer and fewer outside it, so check the island bus operator for current times. Taxis wait at the port when ferries arrive. Bicycles can be hired at the port and in the capital, and the ride is short enough for most people to manage with luggage on a warm day, if slowly.

Bringing a vehicle takes planning. In high season the Consell de Formentera caps the number of visitor vehicles on the island, so a car or van arriving on the ferry may need authorisation in advance. Hire cars and scooters are available on the island but are also limited in peak weeks. Check the Consell's rules before booking the crossing and again before travelling, because the numbers and the dates change.

Getting around, and out of season

Distances are short. Sant Francesc is central enough that the south coast, the lagoons, the port and the green routes are all within a short ride. Cycling is the obvious way to move: the island is flat, the lanes are quiet outside August, and a bike turns 3.4 km into nothing at all. Walking between villages is possible, but the middle of the day is hot and shade is thin, so go early or late.

Outside summer, services thin out. Buses run less often, many seasonal businesses close roughly from November to April, and the island becomes very quiet. Sant Francesc stays inhabited and open, which is why it makes sense as a base in spring, autumn or winter. The sea is another matter: typical temperatures are about 14-15 °C in February and March, 18-19 °C in May and 23-25 °C in September, so swimmers should choose their months.

• On footThe centre is small and flat; walking covers the church, the shops and the square easily.
• By bikeThe island is flat and the green routes are signposted; hire at the port or in the capital.
• By busServices link the port, the capital and the beaches, with more in summer; check the operator.
• By carUseful for the remoter coves; visitor vehicle numbers are capped in high season.

How to visit lightly

The sea between Ibiza and Formentera holds meadows of Posidonia oceanica, a seagrass found only in the Mediterranean and part of the UNESCO listing these islands received in 1999. The meadows are what keep the water clear. Anchoring over them is regulated by a Balearic decree, and mooring buoys are installed in some bays in summer. From the shore, the practical version is simple: swim from the sand, do not walk across the shallow meadows, and leave shells and stones where they lie.

On land the same idea applies at a smaller scale. Dunes and juniper hold the coast together, dry stone walls mark fields still in use, and the Pitiusan wall lizard lives only here, on Ibiza and on their islets. Stick to paths and green routes, avoid single-use plastic where you can, and take the bus or a bike when the roads are busy. Formentera is small, and the effects of a busy summer show quickly.