How to Get Around Formentera After You Disembark
If you're visiting Formentera by private boat, you have a luxury that ferry passengers don't: flexibility. You can anchor at different points around the island throughout the day and explore each area on foot without needing any wheels at all. Most of our clients spend the entire day on the boat and in the water, stepping onto land only briefly for lunch or a walk along the sand.
Option 1: Stay on the Boat
The best way to see Formentera is from the water. The island is only 19 kilometres long, and your boat can reach every beach on the coastline in minutes. You can anchor at Ses Illetes for a morning swim, cruise to Cala Saona for lunch, and circle around to Es Caló for an afternoon snorkel — all without touching land. If your goal is beaches, coves, swimming, and relaxation, you genuinely don't need to get off the boat.
Option 2: Walk
Formentera's most beautiful areas are compact enough to explore on foot once you anchor nearby. From Ses Illetes, you can walk the entire peninsula in 20 minutes. From Es Caló, the walk to the Mirador de Sa Talaiassa viewpoint takes about 45 minutes through pine forest and rewards you with a panoramic view of both Ibiza and the entire island.
Option 3: Rent a Scooter
If you anchor in La Savina or near a road-accessible beach, renting a scooter is the fastest and most fun way to see the island. Rentals are available at La Savina port and in Es Pujols, from €25–€45/day for a 125cc. You need a valid driving licence (car licence covers 125cc in most European countries), and helmets are mandatory.
💡 Best use case: Anchor at La Savina late morning, rent a scooter for 3–4 hours, ride to Cap de Barbaria lighthouse, visit Sant Francesc village, and return before heading back to the boat. Watch out for sand on the roads near Ses Illetes — it can make the surface slippery.
Option 4: Rent a Bicycle
Formentera is famously flat (highest point: 192 metres), making it one of the best cycling islands in the Mediterranean. Standard bikes cost €10–€15/day; electric bikes €25–€35/day. The total road distance from La Savina to El Pilar de la Mola is about 20 km — very doable on an e-bike in an afternoon. The only real climb is the route from Es Caló up to La Mola, which an e-bike handles effortlessly.
Option 5: Taxi
Formentera has a small but functional taxi service. La Savina to Ses Illetes costs around €10–€12; La Savina to Es Pujols about €8–€10. In high season, taxis can be hard to find — demand exceeds supply. There's no Uber or rideshare service on the island.
Option 6: Water Taxi
Some beach areas on the north coast are connected by small seasonal water taxi services — informal, inexpensive hops between beaches that save you going back to your main boat. Great for getting from Ses Illetes to Es Pujols quickly, and the kids will love it.
Our Recommendation for Boat Visitors
For most of our clients — families, couples, groups of friends — we recommend a simple plan: stay on the boat for swimming and beach-hopping, step onto land for lunch at a beachfront restaurant, and explore on foot within walking distance of where you anchor.
If you want to see the island's interior, anchor at La Savina, rent a scooter or e-bike for 3 hours, and do a quick loop: Sant Francesc → Cala Saona → Cap de Barbaria → back. The beauty of arriving by private boat is that you're not constrained by ferry schedules. You anchor where you want, explore at your own pace, and when you're ready, your boat is right there waiting.