The island most VIP of the Balearics, the most paparazzi ever from June to September, stormed by crowds of young people looking for the good life, is, without a doubt, the most beautiful island in the Western Mediterranean: Formentera.
Certainly not for all this, but for its still uncontaminated nature that is offered to tourists in all its splendor from spring to autumn, it is one of the destinations to be included in the list of "to dos".
How to visit it while respecting its natural beauties? By boat of course, but it is not really for everyone. A valid alternative from the mainland, which allows full contact with nature without affecting it in any way is the bicycle.
Formentera is quite flat, has cycle paths (even if poorly lit in the evening) and you don't need to be consummate athletes to ride it far and wide, as it is just a couple of km wide and 19 km long.
If the approach is slow and eco-touristic then you will absolutely have to stay in the middle of the island, in the area Ca 'Marì between Km 8 and Km 9 of the only road that crosses the island dividing it in half in a longitudinal direction, so as to minimize the distances from the starting point to the various points of daily visit. In this area, moreover, you would be very close to Platja Migjorn: the longest in all of Formentera and the one still far from the nightlife which characterizes Es Pujols and the west area in general. Here you can breathe the seventies, which have remained unchanged in the people who frequent it and in the spirit of the chiringuito on the beach.
From here to Ses Illetes there are about ten kilometers between green hills, olive trees, dry stone walls, salt pans and direct and free access, reserved for pedestrians and cyclists, to the most white and famous beaches of the island. On the way back you will pass through San Ferrand and stop for a low cost and really good paella at the Fonda Pepe Restaurant and then back to base again with the wind behind me and the descent to ease the pedaling.
Another short stretch separates Km 8-9 from Es Pujols and, after sliding ups and downs between the hills, you arrive at the clearest and most breathtaking waters of the island. The beach is one of the most crowded in the central summer months, so it's best to go there in June or September, when the water is warm enough to swim in and the beach still allows you to find a place to spread out the towel ... 'Illa des Fonoll Marì in all solitude!
A crossing in the sea with no one around, a sea that looks like a swimming pool as it is clear, a few strokes and here we land on the islet in front of the beach. What a feeling to get out of the water and be the only "masters" of the island! It is really very small and you can cross it in a few minutes on foot, there is only one tree and some drifting trunk: nature, toda beleza.
For those who have a bit more trained legs and are not afraid to push themselves on medium climbs and dirt sections, the paths that lead to Cala Saona, west side of the island. A lonely beach reachable from a cliff overlooking the sea which can be reached directly by bike, after passing through woods, pine forests and skirting remote villas hidden in the Mediterranean scrub.
On the other hand, a real cyclist training is needed to reach the two lighthouses of the island. They are the polar opposite of each other and both guarantee breathtaking views, great amazement, contact with nature and satisfaction for having made it; it's about Cap de Barbaria and El Pilar (La Mola), the first to the southwest, the other on a promontory to the east.
The latter is separated from the tourist Formentera by a long and tiring climb, fraught with cutting off the legs and opting for surrender. After having crossed the small village of La Mola and the fields on the top of the hill, the lighthouse stands out in front of us. For the less trained, the rental of a scooter is allowed.
From here, on foot, bumpy paths that are lost in the burnt grass of the small plots next to the lighthouse (which is private property) and, in a few steps, you are literally overlooking the sea. Looking east.
Seagulls rising from the water, approach the rocks, sing and come back down. Nature here is truly enchanting. The wind in your hair, the sound of the waves breaking on the rocks, the closest sun and, once again, no one around. Stopping and relaxing is imperative. Harmony and reflection are natural. Emotion.
Touring Formentera by bike leaves an incredible feeling of true fusion with the island of nature, beauty, calm. Characters still intact despite being partially affected, over the years, by the frenzy of parties on the beach and in the disco, always little loved by the locals and by those who really love this island, for its identity in all respects different from that of nearby Ibiza.
More information on cycling routes in the Balearics, including maps, can be found on the Illesbalears.es website
