Kicking around Formentera

Published on 28 March 2025 at 23:13

We left Barcelona to spend a couple of days on Formentera. It is the smallest of the Balearic Islands, and one of the prettiest places I have ever been. Tony's cousin, Griff, has lived in France, Barcelona, and primarily Formentera for the last 15 years. He was gracious enough to host us and show us a little around the island.

We flew from Barcelona to Ibiza and then ferried over to Formentera where we rented a car. Heidi was the driver, thank goodness--the rutted dirt roads and narrow one-lane stretches made for challenging driving.

After the busy-ness of Paris and Barcelona, it has been nice to be on island time for a few days. Shops close up in the afternoon and dinner spots open up around 7:30 or 8. Griff has a little place on a huge property with friendly dogs, cats, lizards, and horses. Our first order of business was food and libation, followed by a hike.

The sea is wild--truly a turquoise blue, calm, and clear. After a snack we hiked down to a shore with boat shacks. Along the way a big friendly bird dog wandered down his driveway to join us and keep us company.

Griff teaches English in after-school classes and does private tutoring, so we needed to kill some time before meeting him to go have dinner. We found a beach trail that led to a hotel with a patio bar and a perfect sunset viewing spot. Heidi and I got a table while Steve and Tony hiked back to get the car. We stayed updated via group text--they took the scenic route back while we kept the table secured!

Oh my! The sunset was a feast for the eyes!

We went out for dinner at an Italian restaurant (there are several) with delicious pizza. Lots of Italian people visit and live on the island. I forgot to take any pictures of our food, but I did get one of a nearby table—I love the way they love their dogs here!

Island time is laid back. We had quiet coffee our second day at Griff's before the crew set out for a morning walk while I took the chance to get a run. I ran on dirt roads and along the coastline. The weather was clear and warm, and it is so peaceful—good for the soul! A few wrong turns got me a longer run, as usual...

Then more coffee, pastries, wandering and sightseeing. Formentera has six of its seven large windmills still standing. They were used to produce flour in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Steve and Heidi tried the paella at lunch. They report ours was better! The goat cheese salad, with locally made cheese was beautiful and delicious.

Griff headed to teach and we went to explore the Cap de Barbaria area which faces the African coast. It is totally flat with less vegetation than the rest of the island, and it is a great study it history with megalithic ruins, a 16th century defense tower, and a 20th century super cool lighthouse. The area dates back four thousand years to the pre-Talayotic period. Archaeologists have recently identified 21 sites though only 3 have been excavated so far.

The Torre des Garroveret is an 18th-century defense tower with served as a watch tower to alert military and residents of common day pirate raids. Similar towers are still standing on Ibiza and neighboring islands.

The Cap de Barbaria lighthouse was constructed in 1968 and faces the African coast. The cliff is extreme, and there are a number of natural caves, including one that can be entered from a hole in the land. There are no signs or lines, just a roped-off area with a ladder. After watching a family come up out of it, we googled to see it's on the official Formentera website as a point of interest. So of course we climbed down in and wandered through. The natural world is just amazing.