Formentera rewards slow travel. The island is only about 20 kilometres long, with a flat interior and a handful of roads that invite cycling rather than driving. The essentials are simple: beach, bicycle, aperitivo, repeat. But beyond the beaches there is genuine character to explore — ancient watchtowers built to spot Barbary pirates, a lighthouse that inspired a Jules Verne novel, salt flats full of flamingos, and a northern spit covered in hundreds of cairns stacked by visitors over the decades.
The island divides naturally into a few distinct zones. The northern peninsula around Ses Illetes has the finest beaches. The plateau of La Mola at the eastern end is greener, cooler, and crowned by the lighthouse. The southern cape, Cap de Barbaria, is flat scrubland ending in dramatic cliffs. In between, the capital Sant Francesc Xavier (San Francesc) is small enough to walk across in ten minutes but worth at least a morning for its fortified church and craft market. If you come expecting organised entertainment, you will be disappointed. If you come expecting unhurried time in a beautiful place, you will not want to leave.