Ibiza to Formentera Return Ferry Ticket

Ibiza Town harbour and Dalt Vila

The ferries to Formentera leave from the terminal in Ibiza Town, on the waterfront below Dalt Vila, the walled old town listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its Renaissance walls, built in the 16th century to defend the island, climb the hill to the cathedral, and from the ferry deck you get one of the best views of the whole fortress rising above the harbour.

The terminal is a short walk from the harbour district of La Marina, with its whitewashed lanes and shops, and well connected by bus and taxi to Playa d'en Bossa, San Antonio and the rest of the island. Arrive about 20 minutes before your chosen departure to find the right boarding gate. The Ibiza to Formentera ferry is the easiest way to combine two islands in one day.

The crossing through Es Freus

The fast ferry takes about 30 minutes to cross the stretch of sea between the two islands. On the way you sail through Es Freus, a chain of small islets and reefs between the southern tip of Ibiza and the northern tip of Formentera, part of the Ses Salines Natural Park. Lighthouses, sandbanks and the long white beach of Espalmador appear on either side.

Choose a seat by the window or step outside where allowed to enjoy the colours of the water, which turn from deep blue to bright turquoise as you approach Formentera. Morning crossings are usually the calmest. If you are wondering how to get to Formentera, there is no airport on the island, so the ferry is the main way to arrive.

La Savina, the harbour of Formentera

All ferries from Ibiza arrive at La Savina, a small harbour on the north coast of Formentera with cafés, rental agencies and a bus stop right by the quay. From here you can walk along the shore to quiet beaches, or catch a local bus or taxi to the rest of the island, which is only about 20 kilometres from end to end.

Just behind the harbour lie two salt lagoons, Estany Pudent and Estany des Peix, where flamingos and herons are often seen. The small capital of the island, with its fortified 18th-century church and market square, is a few minutes away by road. Keep an eye on the time, and remember that your open return means you can come back on any departure that day.

Formentera's beaches

Formentera is famous for some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean, thanks to the meadows of posidonia seagrass that cover its seabed and form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most famous beach is Ses Illetes, a narrow strip of white sand at the northern tip of the island with turquoise water on both sides, about 15 minutes by bus or taxi from La Savina.

Next to it, Llevant beach is wilder and quieter, while the long south coast of Migjorn offers kilometres of sand backed by dunes and small wooden fishermen's huts. Is Formentera worth visiting on a day trip? With an open return, you can spend the whole day on one beach or visit several, then return to Ibiza when it suits you.

Lighthouses, cliffs and villages

Beyond the beaches, Formentera has a quiet, rural side. The Cap de Barbaria lighthouse stands at the end of a road across a stony plateau in the south, with sweeping views over the open sea, and the high plateau of La Mola in the east ends in cliffs crowned by another lighthouse. Es Pujols, the island's main resort, has a seafront promenade and a small beach facing tiny islets.

The best time to visit Formentera is from May to October, when the water is warm, though spring and autumn are calmer and greener. In high summer, take an early ferry to enjoy the beaches before they fill up. Formentera ferry tickets with an open return let you stay for the sunset and take an evening sailing back.