Platja de Ses Illetes
Arrive before ten in summer and bring water and shade, because there is none. Car access is capped and paid; a bicycle avoids the queue.
The most photographed beach in Spain, and the one place on Formentera where the colour of the water is the entire attraction.
Ibiza · Menorca · Valldemossa · Formentera
At a Glance
Ses Illetes is a narrow strip of sand on the northern tip of Formentera, inside the Ses Salines natural park, with water shallow enough to wade between sandbars. A track and a fee-controlled access lead out along it, and the island of Espalmador sits a short swim across. There is one beach restaurant and almost no shade.
How it got here
The northern tip of Formentera shares the saline legacy of the Pityusic Islands. Phoenician and Roman settlers exploited the salt flats that stretch toward the coast for centuries, as the high evaporation rates of the Mediterranean provided a vital resource for fish preservation. This narrow spit of sand acts as a natural breakwater protecting the lagoons that supported the local economy until the decline of the industry in the twentieth century. Today the maritime park preserves the dunes and the aquatic meadows of Posidonia oceanica, which clear the water by filtering sediment and prevent the erosion of the coastline that once supplied the trade routes of the ancient world.
Where it sits
The beach forms a long, fragile tongue of sand extending into the Mediterranean toward the island of Espalmador. Dunes back the shoreline, which remains exposed to the sun with very little canopy to provide shade. Visitors reach the headland by following the road from La Savina that winds between the salt ponds of the natural park. During the summer, the light turns the shallow waters a translucent blue, though the wind shifts the sandbars with the tides. The landscape feels stark and low compared to the hilly interior of the island, catching every gust from the open sea.
What to eat and drink
Dining here relies on the catch from the surrounding waters. Peix sec, sun-dried salted fish traditionally cured on the island, appears in salads with toasted bread, olive oil, and tomatoes. For the main plate, bullit de peix is the standard, a rich fish stew cooked with potatoes and served with a base of rice simmered in the concentrated broth. Local kitchens also prepare sofrit pagès, a mixture of pork, chicken, and sobrasada, a spreadable cured sausage seasoned with pimentón. A glass of chilled white wine from the Balearic vineyards provides the necessary acidity to cut through the salt of the local harvest.
Balearic Islands: the whole region
Four islands doing four different jobs: Mallorca, big enough to hold mountains, a serious city and quiet corners; Menorca, the calmest, with the best coves; Ibiza, which is two places — the clubs and a rural north almost nobody…
Minimum 5 days · better 10 days · deep 2 weeks
In Balearic Islands
In Balearic Islands
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Experiences worth booking ahead
- Formentera Small-Group Day Trip by Sailboat from Ibiza4.9 (144)7 hrsFrom €140
- Sailing Catamaran Trip to Formentera from Ibiza4.9 (111)8 hrsFrom €100
- Formentera Full Day Boat Tour from Ibiza with Meals and Drinks4.9 (62)10 hrsFrom €119
- Ibiza Formentera Full Day Boat Trip All Inclusive Sunset Party4.8 (67)12 hrsFrom €139
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