What the south feels like
The south is the Ibiza of first impressions: the airport, the ferry port, the long golden strand of Platja d’en Bossa and, above it all, the stone walls of Dalt Vila — the old town that has watched over the island for a thousand years. There is no campsite in the south, and the guidebooks are right to send campers east and west for their beds; but no Ibiza trip is complete without at least a day here, and if you arrive by ferry or plane, this is where the island begins.
Dalt Vila deserves real time, not a drive-by. Walk the Renaissance ramparts at golden hour, get lost in the whitewashed lanes, climb to the cathedral square, then eat in the fishermen’s quarter of La Marina below. It is one of the finest old towns in the Mediterranean, and it is free.
The beaches
Platja d’en Bossa is the longest beach on the island and the loudest — beach clubs, basslines, beautiful sand. The far southern end is considerably calmer. Ses Salines and Es Cavallet are the protected jewels: long, wild strands behind dunes and salt pans that have been worked for over two thousand years, inside the Ses Salines Natural Park. Stay on the marked paths, respect the dune fences — the posidonia seagrass here is why the water is so clear — and note that sections of Es Cavallet are clothing-optional. Talamanca is the city beach: shallow, sheltered, a twenty-minute seafront walk from the old town.
Practical notes
- Formentera day trip: ferries leave from the port every 30–60 minutes in summer (about 30 minutes). Bikes at the La Savina ferry terminal beat taxis — the island is flat and small.
- Buses: L10 airport–town, L14 d’en Bossa, L11 Salines, and the Cetis station connects to every corner of the island.
- Driving into the old town is not a thing: park in the big car parks below the walls and walk up.
- The south in August is the busiest place on the island. Come early or late in the day, and book ferries ahead.