While I am constantly on the go, and pretty much travel non-stop, rarely do I ever consider myself to be on "holidays." The combination of working full time, albeit remotely, and the constant pressure I put on myself to see everything and go everywhere while traveling, and the added time it takes for me to run this blog, edit photos for social media and put together my YouTube vlogs means I often have very full days, starting early and ending late.
I love all of these things but I can get worn down from it all and the go-go-go of it all, so this Easter, in desperate need of a proper holiday with no plans on the cards at all other than to relax, I booked a cheap Ryanair flight down to the island of Ibiza, a half hour trip from where I'm currently based in Valencia, Spain.
I genuinely - a rare occasion on my travels - had planned almost nothing for this trip, aside from wanting to do a day trip down to Formentera, a short ferry ride away from Ibiza. So, on the hot and sunny Saturday of Easter, I made my way down to Eivissa Harbour where up to thirty-five crossings happen per day between Ibiza and Formentera. I didn't even arrange the tickets in advance; which was just fine, since you could buy them on board (€48 return at the time of writing), and then settled in on the upper sun deck, wind whipping in my hair and the sun on my face as we departed Ibiza and approached Formentera.
Formentera is so small, there is no airport, so arriving by boat is the only way you can access this pretty little island. It reminded me in many ways of Rottnest Island in Western Australia (although no quokkas to be found). Formentera is much larger though and does have roads, enabling you to bring your own car or scooter, or rent one from the many providers at La Savina, the harbour town.
Given though that I don't have a driver's license, I had initially planned to just walk out to the main beach on the island, about an hour's walk from the ferry terminal and spend the day there before walking back. However, as I wandered through town, I spotted a bike rental shop and a few minutes and €10 later, without them even asking for my name, I had a bike! So, trusting I'd bring it back before they closed for the day, I had seven hours ahead of me to explore the island.
This was ultimately the best way to explore the island - I explored four different beaches and meandered my way through little farming villages and back country lanes all banked with wildflowers on display in their bright yellows and purples. Although the sun was hot, and the sky was a cloudless blue, I found the biking to be easy and refreshing as the island is quite flat. The main roads are well maintained, but the paths to some of the beaches are filled with potholes which can make for a bumpy ride!
I visited four beaches during my day on Formentera - you can check out my route on Strava:
Platja de Ses Illetes
Considered the most famous and popular beach on Formentera, you'll get a beautiful white sandy beach but you'll also get throngs of tourists. It was pretty, but was my least favourite of the four simply due to busyness.
Cala en Baster
There was no white sand at this beach; instead the incredible azure blue waters of this cove surrounded by cliffs gave an incredible view from above.
Playa des Trucadors
I spent most of my day here, at this quiet stretch of beach further south than the busy Platja de Ses Illetes. Barely anyone else was around (save for a few clothing-free other beachgoers) as I dozed in the sun, ambled along the pretty boardwalks and read my book on the pure white sand listening to the waves lap the shore.
Platja de Llevant
The last spot of the day, I found this beach to be pretty much identical to the first one except minus all the people, so would recommend this one to anyone looking for that beautiful typical idyllic white beach setting but with a bit of peace and quiet to boot!
Then, as the sun made its way back towards the horizon and the temperatures began to drop, I pedalled my way back to the harbour where I dropped off my bike, walked onto the evening ferry crossing and watched the sunset behind the hills of Ibiza, wrapped in my scarf and sweater to beat the wind on the upper deck.
CHECK OUT MY VLOG OF IBIZA & FORMENTERA HERE!
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
