Wooden slipways above the water.

A harbour built by hand.

Es Caló de Sant Agustí is a small village on the east coast of Formentera, where the road begins to climb towards El Pilar de la Mola. At the northern end of its cove, low wooden cabins stand on the rock, each with a slipway running down into the water. They are working boat houses, built for the island's small fishing fleet, and they give the place its character: timber, dark doorways, rope, and the smell of salt and old paint.

The boats are small and mostly open, pulled up the ramps or moored a few metres out. Fishing here has always been inshore and seasonal, worked at night with lights or by line over rocky ground. The cabins hold nets, engines, floats and everything that cannot be left out in the weather. Some are in daily use; others stay shut for long stretches. Together they form the plainest working harbour on the island.

Getting to Es Caló.

The village sits on the main road that runs from Sant Ferran de ses Roques up to El Pilar de la Mola, so it is easy to reach from anywhere on Formentera. From La Savina and Sant Francesc Xavier the drive is short; from Es Pujols it is shorter still. Buses follow this road, with more services in summer and fewer in winter. Check the island bus operator for current times before setting out.

Cyclists and walkers arrive on the signposted green routes, which cross the island on quiet tracks and link the village with the interior and the north coast. The Consell de Formentera publishes the network, and the local map is worth carrying. Parking is at the edge of the village and fills quickly in high summer. The road through Es Caló is narrow, and the seafront is not a place to leave a car.

The best hour to come.

The boat houses face east, so the first light comes straight into the cove. Early morning is the best time: doors open while crews sort gear, the water is flat, and the rock is still cool underfoot. In July and August that means soon after sunrise, before the beach fills and before the sun clears the ridge behind the village. The light stays good for an hour or so, then flattens.

The village works all year, though the businesses around it close roughly from November to April. Out of season the harbour is quieter and more itself: fewer people, more boats out of the water, the cabins shut and weathered. Winter light is low and long, and the east-facing slipways catch it well in the morning. Bring a layer, because the wind off the water is cool even on a bright day.

• Early lightThe first hour after sunrise is when the slipways and the water below them look their best.
• High summerArrive before the beach fills and leave the front to the crews by mid-morning.
• Out of seasonFrom November to April the village is quiet, some places close, and the harbour is at its plainest.

How to spend the time.

Walk the front slowly. Start at the small beach at the southern end of the cove, follow the path along the rocks to the boat houses, and stop where the slipways run down. Look at how they are built: timber frames set on the stone, ramps angled to whatever the rock allowed. Each slipway is a slightly different answer to the same problem: how to get a boat out of the water.

Swimming is easy from the rocks and from the small beach, and the water is clear over sand and seagrass. Snorkelling along the edge of the cove shows fish, rock, and further out the dark patches of posidonia. Do not walk on a slipway while a boat is being moved, and do not use the cabins for shade or for changing. They are workshops, not scenery.

Each slipway is a slightly different answer to the same problem: how to get a boat out of the water.

Rules and keeping it light.

The boat houses are private working buildings. Keep off the ramps and out of the doorways, and ask before photographing anyone at work. Gear left on the rock is not litter; leave it where it lies. Offshore, the posidonia meadows are protected. Anchoring over them is regulated by a Balearic decree, and mooring buoys are installed in some bays in summer.

Take everything away with you, including fruit peel and cigarette ends. Waste collection on the island is small-scale and seasonal, and the village manages it in a small space. Keep voices low near the cabins in the early morning, when crews are working. If you come by car, use the marked parking and walk the last stretch rather than stopping on the road.

What to bring.

Shoes that grip wet rock matter more here than anything else. The slipways and the stones around them are slippery, and the rock is sharp in places. Add water, sun cream for the middle of the day, a hat and something to swim in. There is shade in the village but very little on the front itself, and the reflection off the water makes the sun stronger than it feels.

For the walk, a light bag is enough: a towel, a mask if you snorkel, a camera for the morning light. Cash is useful in the village out of season, when some places run reduced hours; check before relying on anything being open. If you are cycling, bring a lock and lights, and plan the ride back before the afternoon heat builds.

• GripShoes with a good sole for wet stone and sharp rock.
• WaterA bottle each, since shade on the front is scarce in the middle of the day.
• SunA hat and cream, because the reflection off the water adds to the exposure.
• MaskA snorkel mask makes the rocky edge of the cove worth a second look.

What is nearby.

Es Caló itself has a small beach, a handful of streets and a seafront that faces the morning sun, which makes the village a natural base for this stretch of coast. North of it, the road climbs to El Pilar de la Mola, where the lighthouse stands on the cliff top and the plateau runs out to the eastern edge of the island. The small market by the church draws people from across Formentera; check current days with the Consell de Formentera.

South along the coast, the green routes lead towards Es Pujols and the long sands of Platja de Migjorn. Further west lie the lagoons of Estany Pudent and Estany des Peix and the shallow water at Ses Illetes, all inside Ses Salines Natural Park. The megalithic tomb of Ca na Costa, about 4,000 years old, is close to Es Pujols. Each is a short drive or an easy ride away.

• La MolaThe lighthouse and the plateau are a short climb up the road from Es Caló.
• Es PujolsA village with a long beach to the south, with the tomb of Ca na Costa nearby.
• Ses IlletesThe sandbar and shallow northern water, reached by green route or by bus.

Practical notes.

Formentera has no airport. Fly to Ibiza (IBZ), then take a ferry from Ibiza Town port to La Savina: fast ferries take about 30-35 minutes, conventional ferries about an hour. Sailings are frequent in season and fewer in winter, so check the operators. From La Savina, Es Caló is a short drive east across the island, and the road signs use the Catalan names.

Summer vehicle limits are set by the Consell de Formentera, which caps the number of visitor vehicles in high season. Check before bringing or hiring a car. The sustainable tourism tax is charged per person per night by your accommodation, at rates that depend on the type of stay and the season; check the Govern de les Illes Balears. Many businesses close roughly November to April.

Sea temperature is typically about 22-23 °C in June and 25-26 °C in August, and cooler in spring, which shortens a swim. The rock around the slipways is uneven and there is no lifeguard post on the front itself. Keep an eye on children near the ramps and the water's edge. In an emergency, call 112.