Formentera
Guide to Formentera Island fouth largest of the Balearic Islands.
The Balearic Islands - Formentera
Formentera - The 4th largest of the Balearic Islands is the tiny island of Formentera, just 85 square kilometres in area, it is dwarfed by its neighbouring island of Ibiza, which is just 4 kilometres to the north. Size is not the only difference between the two as Formentera is a quiet and peaceful place while Ibiza is the renowned clubbers capital of Europe.
Originally called Snake Island by the Greeks, it was later named Frumenteria (Wheat Island) by the Romans who used the island primarily for growing cereals. Settled by the Moors, along with the other Balearic Islands, it was never highly populated, though several defensive watch towers were built along the coast to warn of pirate raids which were frequent in the Balearics.
The modern invasion of tourism has not yet had a massive impact on Formentera though it is becoming more popular for those seeking a laid back holiday, away from the crowds, high-rise hotels and apartment blocks are absent from the island and hopefully will remain so.
The beaches of Formentera are amongst the finest in the Balearic Islands, boasting fine, white sand and crystal clear turquoise waters, they are also considerably quieter than those of the neighbouring islands, and some attract barely a handful of visitors even during the summer season.
Nightlife is mostly calm and unhurried, this is not the place to visit if you are seeking this type of entertainment, though there is still fun to be had, with what there is mostly concentrated in the more popular resorts such as Es Pujols.
Reaching Formentera is also a little more complicated as there is no airport on the island, it does however have decent ferry links with Ibiza, with the main service between La Savina and Ibiza Town, taking anything between 30 minutes and an hour. Perhaps the lack of an airport is what has saved Formentera from the ravages of mass tourism, and it would be a shame if this situation changed.
Formentera Links: Formentera Map - Formentera Weather
Formentera Places: Sant Francesc - Es Pujols
Related: Balearic Islands - Mallorca - Menorca - Ibiza - Builders
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