La Masía de Formentera

About La Masía de Formentera

La Masía de Formentera suits travellers who want the island's small capital within easy reach rather than a resort strip. The building sits on the road towards La Mola, about 1.2 km from Sant Francesc Xavier, so shops, the market and the fortified church are a short ride away. Couples touring by bike, walkers following the green routes and families who prefer a base with parking all fit here.

It is a four-star hotel, and the guest score stands at 4.8 out of 5 from 112 reviews. Expect a garden setting with an outdoor pool and a pool bar rather than a building on the sand, so days tend to start slowly at the hotel and move outwards later. Breakfast in the room, massage and yoga all appear in the listed facilities, and the garden gives a shaded alternative to the poolside.

Location: Sant Francesc Xavier

The address is on the road to La Mola, in the countryside outside Sant Francesc Xavier, the island's small capital, with its fortified 18th-century church, its market and the main shops. Measured in a straight line, that centre is 1.2 km away. Sant Ferran de ses Roques, the crossroads village, sits 1.5 km off, and Es Pujols with its beach and evening bars is 2.2 km away.

Bikes and scooters make the most sense here: the roads between the hotel, Sant Francesc Xavier and Sant Ferran de ses Roques are short and flat, and the signposted green routes run nearby. A car helps for the far beaches and the lighthouses, and free parking is listed at the hotel. In July and August the lanes fill with traffic and the Consell de Formentera caps visitor vehicles; in May, June, September and October the same roads feel open.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms are listed with air conditioning, a fan, a desk, a safe and a TV, plus a balcony or terrace in some cases, and the kitchen or kitchenette with microwave and coffee making suits families who want to eat in now and then. Bathrobes, slippers, a hairdryer and toiletries are listed, so packing light is realistic. Non-smoking rooms, housekeeping and iron and board cover the practical side of a longer stay.

Late arrivals should confirm reception arrangements with La Masía de Formentera before travelling, since ferry times from Ibiza Town can shift with the weather and the season. Ask which rooms have the balcony or terrace, whether the kitchenette is in every room, and how the pool, jacuzzi and pool bar run outside high season. Wifi and internet access are listed, along with the garden and access to a lake and the sea; the exact arrangement is worth confirming directly.

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 reach the port in the town and board a ferry to La Savina. The fastest crossings cover the passage in roughly 30 to 35 minutes, while conventional boats need about an hour. Sailings are frequent in season and thinner in winter, so check the operators.

From La Savina the drive follows the road towards La Mola; the straight-line distance is 3.7 km, and Sant Francesc Xavier sits 1.2 km from the door. Taxis wait at the port, buses run to the villages, and a hire car or scooter collected on arrival makes the rest of the stay simple; free parking is listed at La Masía de Formentera. Remember the Consell de Formentera caps visitor vehicles in high season, so check before booking a car.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Es Pujols, 2.2 km away, has the nearest village beach, boat houses and evening bars, and the long south-coast beach at Platja de Migjorn and the red cliffs of Cala Saona are within day-trip range. Sant Francesc and its fortified church are 1.3 km off, the lagoons where birds gather are 2.2 km away, and the Ca na Costa megalithic tomb, about 4,000 years old, lies 2.9 km from the hotel.

Eating on Formentera is simple and fish-led: peix sec, the island's dried fish, turns up in salads and stews, and island salads and fresh fish fill most menus in Sant Francesc Xavier and Es Pujols. Markets supply picnics for the green routes, and the kitchen or kitchenette in the rooms at La Masía de Formentera covers the evenings when nobody wants to drive. In winter many kitchens close, so the main towns are the safer bet.

A day from La Masía de Formentera

Start with breakfast on the balcony or terrace, then cycle or drive the 1.2 km into Sant Francesc Xavier for the market and a look at the fortified church, built in the 18th century as a refuge. From there the green routes open up the middle of the island. A morning swim at Es Pujols, 2.2 km from La Masía de Formentera, is easy before the beach fills.

After lunch, head for the lagoons 2.2 km away to watch birds, or cross to the Ca na Costa tomb, 2.9 km off, for the oldest known monument on the Pitiusas. Late afternoon suits the pool and jacuzzi back at La Masía de Formentera. In the evening, Sant Ferran de ses Roques is 1.5 km away and Es Pujols 2.2 km, both within a short ride for dinner, with a torch or bike light for the lanes home.

Practical tips

Much of Formentera's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so confirm the opening dates of La Masía de Formentera before booking, and expect fewer ferries and flights in winter. July and August are the peak, when the island's lanes, beaches and car parks are busiest and the Consell de Formentera limits visitor vehicles. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is charged per person per night by the accommodation; rates vary with category and season and children under 16 are exempt, so check the Govern de les Illes Balears.

Questions about La Masía de Formentera