Casa Marino

About Casa Marino

Casa Marino suits travellers who want a quiet base beside Formentera's small capital rather than a resort. The address sits in Sant Francesc Xavier, 0.8 km from the fortified church at the centre of the village, so the market, the shops and the everyday life of the island are within a short walk. Couples touring by bike, families with a car, and anyone arriving on an evening ferry will find the position practical: the port at La Savina is 3.7 km away and Cala Saona 3.1 km.

This is a one-star apartment or villa stay, the simplest category on the island, with self-contained space rather than hotel services. The setting is low-key and independent: a garden area and a terrace for warm evenings, parking for a hired car, and pets allowed if the dog travels too. Practical questions, from arrival times to the layout of the family rooms, are best put to Casa Marino when you book.

Location: Sant Francesc Xavier

Casa Marino sits in Sant Francesc Xavier, the small capital of Formentera, a village of whitewashed lanes gathered around a fortified 18th-century church that was built as a refuge. The market and the island's shops are here, which makes the address useful for anyone who prefers to walk for bread, groceries and an evening meal rather than drive. The village stays open through the year, unlike much of the seasonal trade along the coast.

Walking covers the village itself: the church square is 0.7 km from the door. Everything else needs wheels. La Savina port is 3.7 km away in a straight line, Cala Saona 3.1 km, and Sant Ferran de ses Roques, where the roads meet between the lagoon and the south coast, lies 3.4 km off. The lagoons where birds gather, the Estany des Peix and Estany Pudent, are 2.7 km from Casa Marino. Bikes, scooters, taxis and buses serve these runs; a car helps in high summer, when the island council caps visitor vehicles.

Rooms and facilities

Inside, the listed facilities point to a simple self-contained stay: air conditioning for summer nights, non-smoking rooms, wifi and internet access, and family rooms for those travelling with children. Outside there is a garden area and a terrace, and parking is listed, which matters on an island where the car often waits at the door. Pets are allowed at Casa Marino, a useful detail for anyone crossing from Ibiza Town with a dog.

Arrival times, key collection and any deposit arrangements are worth settling with Casa Marino before you sail, particularly on a late ferry from Ibiza Town, when the port at La Savina is quiet. Ask which rooms open onto the terrace and whether the family rooms have separate sleeping areas. First aid and security features are listed among the facilities at Casa Marino, but check what the garden area includes and whether the parking is under cover.

Getting there

Formentera has no airport, so the route runs through Ibiza. Fly into Ibiza Airport (IBZ), about 7 km south-west of Ibiza Town, then cross to the port and take a ferry to La Savina: fast ferries take about 30-35 minutes, conventional boats about an hour. Sailings are frequent in season and thinner in winter, so check the operators before booking. From La Savina, Casa Marino is 3.7 km away in a straight line.

At the port, taxis and buses cover the short run to Sant Francesc Xavier, and a hire car or scooter collected at La Savina gives freedom for the rest of the stay, with parking listed at Casa Marino. Bikes suit the flat island and the signposted green routes. In high season the Consell de Formentera limits the number of visitor vehicles, so check the rules before bringing a car over on the ferry.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest beach is Cala Saona, 3.1 km from Casa Marino, the island's one real cove, with red cliffs and a west-facing sunset. South of the village, Platja de Migjorn runs long and open behind dunes and juniper. North, the Ses Salines Natural Park holds the Ses Illetes sand spit and the Espalmador islet, reached by boat on calm days. Sant Ferran de ses Roques is 3.4 km from Casa Marino.

Eating on Formentera is built on the sea and the garden: peix sec, the dried fish that turns up in salads and stews, island salads, and fresh fish simply grilled. Sant Francesc Xavier has the shops and the market for picnic supplies, and the village is where the year-round trade concentrates, so a winter week still finds somewhere open. Names change and seasonal kitchens close, so ask at Casa Marino for what is currently trading nearby.

A day from Casa Marino

Start with the short walk into Sant Francesc Xavier, 0.7 km to the fortified church, and pick up bread and fruit at the market before the day heats up. Cycle the 2.7 km from Casa Marino to the Estany des Peix and paddle the calm lagoon, or carry on to the salt pans where birds feed in the shallow water. Back at the property, the terrace and garden area make an easy lunch stop out of the sun.

Late afternoon belongs to the west. Cala Saona is 3.1 km from Casa Marino, a swim and a sunset from the red cliffs, and the return through the lanes is short. For a longer evening, ride 3.4 km to Sant Ferran de ses Roques for its crossroads life, or take the 3.7 km run to La Savina and watch the ferries come in beside the lagoon. Bikes, a taxi or the bus cover all of it; the car can stay parked.

Practical tips

Casa Marino works as a base in the shoulder months as much as in summer. Much of Formentera's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, although Sant Francesc Xavier stays open, so check opening dates with the property before booking a winter crossing and expect thinner ferry timetables. The peak comes in July and August, with high demand and the vehicle caps. Accommodation in the Balearics carries the sustainable tourism tax, charged per person per night by the property; rates vary with season and category, children under 16 are exempt, and the Govern de les Illes Balears publishes the current rules.

Questions about Casa Marino