I've never heard of Formentera, one of the Balearic Island in Spain until I saw someone posted it on Instagram stories. Next thing I know I'm reading up about this beautiful small island, how it has the best beaches in Europe and only 1 hr ferry ride away from Ibiza - too good to be true! It's a slice of paradise on the Mediterranean and as I read it has a good mix of environmental protection along with tourism. It's not built up and as it's 20 km of beaches, it's easy to explore too :)
I've been thinking about a mini break on my own without my son for a while, I've had a busy Summer with work filming wedding videos and being a full time mum, a getaway was definitely needed! I decided Ibiza would be the perfect getaway, it's only 2.5 hrs flight from London, the weather would still be hot in October and I could do a day trip to Formentera. I was happy to travel alone but asked my sister and she was happy to join me - it's turned out to be a super fun girls trip. Last time we were in Ibiza was for my hen holiday 4 years ago :) I would definitely recommend visiting this island, even if it's only for the day. Here's what we got up to, if you're planning a day trip from Ibzia, I hope you find it useful!
HOW TO GET THERE
There's no airport on the island, so you can only travel there by boat. We booked tickets via Aquabus on Direct Ferries and for this time of year it was £20 per person. We travelled from Playa d'en Bossa port in Ibiza, which was where we were staying, you can also get the ferry from Ibiza Old Town. We got the 11.30am ferry there and the 6pm ferry back, the sailing time is around 55 minutes. In the off peak season, they run less frequently so check before you travel and in the Summer, pre book as I'm sure it's super busy.
On the morning of our trip, it was particular grey and overcast and when walking up to the harbour we could see how choppy the waters were. We didn't think too much of this but once we settled onto the boat and it was sailing through the high waves, my stomach was literally doing somersaults! The boat was rocking left and right and my sister and I were holding on for dear life. We just had breakfast, which didn't help and everyone on the boat was clutching onto sick bags and looking a little green. I felt so nauseous and exhausted, I wanted to sleep but couldn't rid of the sick feeling and I knew we had a long journey ahead. It reminded me of the horrible boat journey in Bali, which was 2 hours of high speeds and waves! After I threw up 3 times, we finally arrived and I definitely needed to be on flat land! If it's a choppy day, pack some travel sickness tablets and a have a light meal.
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EXPLORE
We
finally arrived in Formentera and the weather was perfect, blue skies
and sunshine. We
didn't have too much of an itinerary except have lunch, visited the
beaches and hire bikes. I've been to a few islands around Asia and Europe but
Formentera felt different, it was tranquil and peaceful, clean
and litter free. We walked through the harbour and along the beach front, the views were beautiful as we walked down the
sandy paths, with the boats sailing on the water. We ambled along and took in the natural beauty of the island.
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LUNCH
I wanted to eat at Beso Beach but was told it was closed - con of travelling off season. Islands I've visited in the past are full of beach front restaurants but it's more quieter here. We walked a long time before we found somewhere to eat (around 30 minutes walk!) There are more restaurant near the harbour but we wanted somewhere by the beach and was happy when we came across Restaurant Tiburon. It was quite busy and there were a lot of reserved signs but luckily we got a table. The menu is a mix of seafood, salads and meat dishes, it was tasty but expensive (€27 euros for pasta!) You're also paying for the location and vibes. We didn't want too eat to late and have a full stomach for the ferry ride back, so bear this in mind if you get sea sick :)
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BEACHES
Once we walked out from the main road and though the clearing, our jaws dropped. The view of the beach was just breath taking! I know it sounds cliche but seriously the water was sparkling in the sunshine, it was such a gorgeous turquoise colour - so clean and clear. I've never seen anything like it. The sand wasn't white but the water made up for it and we had fun splashing around, it wasn't crowded with people or sun loungers, which made it a nice chilled and relaxing experience.
We also explored the cliffs and coves further down the beach, it was amazing to walk down and have a little patch of sand to yourself - I said to my sister it felt like we were in Italy, very Talented Mr Ripley vibes! I wish we had more time to explore different beaches on the Island but we enjoyed the ones we saw.
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BIKES
There are lots of ways to travel around the island - car, motorbike, quad bikes or push bikes. My sister and I couldn't resist the mint green bikes with the basket, I mean how cute do they look! There are lots of hire shops by the harbour, I would recommend hiring them at the start of your trip to make the must of exploring the island. We only had them for an hr but it was still fun riding them and the paths are wide and clear. It cost us €10 each for the bikes and a fun easy way to get around.
The 5 hours we were there flew by and we could of stayed there longer but it's hard to know how long we needed on a small island. You can stay over and really enjoy the island but a day trip from Ibiza is definitely doable too. I'm so glad I got to experience this beautiful island with my sister. The ferry ride back was thankfully much calmer and we made it back to Ibiza to enjoy Ibiza Old Town in the evening :)
It was great to have a baby free holiday and I missed my little man loads but from what I heard he had lots of fun with Hang and his cousins :) When I came home, he was more interested in the toy I got him than seeing me haha. Have you been to Formentera? I would love to know about your experience!
Feel free to Pin these images on Pinterest for future reference :)
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Where's your favourite beach/Island?
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