Purple Travel
[November 18 2016]
A trip to Formentera, Spain
Considered Ibiza’s little sister, Formentera is a long way from the foam parties and sunburned brits of the Balearics. In fact, most people say Formentera is everything Ibiza is not.
Only a 30-minute ferry ride from the centre of Ibiza, the 32 sq mile island has rejected pressure to accept major development, consciously protecting itself from the fate of it’s neighbours.
Home to only 12,000 people for most of the year, July and August see the population go up to 45,000. Most of them shirtless young Italians on mopeds.
Having spent the summers there as a kid, I returned to the island this year just as the season was coming to an end. It’s the last week of september, the bars are running out of ice cream and the restaurants are preparing to close their doors. Doing it this way you save money and avoid the crowds, enjoy the crystal clear waters in company of the locals and the odd friendly old nudist couple.
Although the days are shorter, they are spent driving around dirt tracks with an umbrella under your arm, and walking out onto Mars-like cliffs to see the sunset. Then read, swim and get fed by anxovies, bread with allioli and ice cream.
Photo and text Irene Baque
