Ibiza to Formentera boat trip: which one to choose?

You already have the ferry to get to Formentera and back in the evening. This is something else: spending the day on the water, anchoring over white sand, diving straight off the boat into the blue of Ses Illetes, and heading back to Ibiza as the sun sets over Es Vedrà. The boat trip is not a way of getting there, it is the outing itself. And it is probably the most beautiful way to see the archipelago.

If your aim is just to cross, step ashore at La Savina and explore the island on your own, read our complete guide to the Ibiza-Formentera ferry instead: timetables, companies, tickets, taking a car on board. To plan the rest of your stay on the island, everything is in our Formentera guide. Here, we stay on the water from morning to evening. And for trips around Ibiza itself (Es Vedrà, the west coast, sunset), see our guide to boat trips in Ibiza.

Day cruise, catamaran or private boat: three very different options

Everyone calls it “a boat trip”, but behind the phrase are three experiences with neither the same price nor the same atmosphere.

The organised day cruise (the most common)

You buy a seat on a boat that leaves with 20 to 60 people. Departure around 10-11am from Ibiza, about an hour’s sailing south, anchoring in a Formentera cove, lunch on board, free time, back in the late afternoon. Allow €75 to €90 per adult for a full day with a meal and open bar (GetYourGuide prices checked in late September 2026). Shorter trips start at around €40 to €55. This is the option to choose if you want to enjoy yourself without organising anything.

The small-group sailing catamaran

This is what many people search for on Google without finding a real answer: a sailing catamaran, not a big crowded motorboat. The idea: 10 to 20 passengers maximum, the engines are sometimes switched off to sail, and there are nets at the front to lie on above the water. A 7 to 8-hour small-group trip costs €120 to €140 per person (September 2026), with drinks or snacks included depending on the package. The difference from the big boat is the quiet and the space: you are not squeezed in with 50 strangers.

The private boat, with or without a skipper

You charter the whole boat for your group, with or without a skipper. To reach Formentera and anchor properly, a skipper is strongly recommended if you do not know the area. A private sailing boat with a captain for the day starts at around €620 to €650 on GetYourGuide (September 2026), fuel included. Shared between 6 or 7 people, that comes to about €100 a head, with a tailor-made programme: you choose the coves and the timing, and nobody rushes you.

Which port should you leave from?

The departure port changes the sailing time and the feel of your day. There are four main departure points:

• Ibiza Town (Marina Botafoch, the port and Figueretas): the most common. You sail past the fortified old town on the way out, a lovely sight, and Formentera is about an hour away.
• Playa d’en Bossa: very handy if you are staying in the south-east, with direct departures to Espalmador and Ses Illetes.
• Santa Eulària des Riu: on the east side, a bit more sailing but a calmer departure, with fewer people on the jetty.
• San Antonio: in the west, this is the port for sunset cruises focused on atmosphere and music rather than Formentera day trips. The crossing to Formentera is longer from here.

If you are unsure how to organise getting around during your stay, our article on getting around Ibiza and Formentera will help you fit the rest around this day at sea.

What you actually see during the day

Espalmador, the wild islet between the two islands

Espalmador is the small uninhabited island just north of Formentera, separated from it by a channel barely 150 to 200 metres wide. It is the highlight of most trips. The water is an unreal turquoise and shallow, and it is one of the few places where you can anchor in real peace. Note: Espalmador is part of the Ses Salines natural park. Anchoring on posidonia seagrass is no longer allowed, to protect the plant that keeps the water clear. Boats moor to eco-friendly buoys. If a skipper offers to drop anchor in the posidonia, change operator.

The Ses Illetes lagoon

Ses Illetes, on the northern tip of Formentera, is the beach that always appears in rankings of Europe’s most beautiful, and for once it is deserved. Seen from the boat, it is a tongue of white sand with translucent water on both sides. Boat trips often anchor about a hundred metres from the shore, and you reach the beach by swimming or paddleboarding. If you want to know everything about the place, we have devoted a whole article to it: Ses Illetes, Formentera’s dream beach. And yes, these waters are officially among the bluest in Spain.

Cala Saona and the sunset coves

Many trips stop at Cala Saona, on Formentera’s west coast, a cove framed by ochre rocks. This is often where boats anchor for lunch and, on sunset trips, it is also a good vantage point: the west coast faces the sunset and the silhouette of Es Vedrà in the distance.

What is included (and what is not)

On a good organised trip, the price usually includes:

• lunch on board, most often a paella cooked on the boat or a barbecue, sometimes served facing the beach;
• an open bar: unlimited beer, sangria, water and soft drinks during the day;
• water-sports gear: paddleboards, kayaks and snorkelling masks to explore during the stops.

What is almost never included: transfers from your hotel to the port and, if you rent a scooter or car on the island, the paid entry to the Ses Salines natural park in season. Also check how much free time you really get: between “8-hour trip” and “3 hours on site” come the sailing and the meals. For enthusiasts, the seabed is great for snorkelling; we cover it in our guide to water sports in Formentera.

Ferry or private boat: how to choose

The real question is not “which is better”, it is “what do you want to do with your day”.

If you want to rent a bike, cross the island to the lighthouse and have lunch at a chiringuito, the ferry is unbeatable. Our itinerary for a day in Formentera is made for that. If you want time in the water, anchorages the ferry does not reach and a meal almost at the water’s edge, the boat trip wins. Many visitors do both on a week-long stay: a ferry day for the land, a boat day for the sea.

The sunset cruise, the evening option

A shorter, later variant: departure in the late afternoon, gentle sailing, drinks on board, and back in port at nightfall. It is less a Formentera trip than a coastal cruise built around the sunset, often from Ibiza Town or San Antonio. Prices are usually between €40 and €95 depending on the package (drinks, tapas, cava). Ideal if you cannot spare a full day, or for an outing for two; we have included it in our ideas for romantic Ibiza.

Our Ibiza to Formentera boat trips to book

The trips from Ibiza we have selected, with availability checked every week: open trips appear first, and those out of season stay visible with their restart date.

Ibiza and Formentera · At sea Ibiza: Experience the magic of Ibiza and Formentera with unforgettable boat tours From €2200 Closed, reopens 15 May 2027 Ibiza and Formentera · At sea From Ibiza: Sailing Tour to Formentera with Beach Stops From €120 5,0/5 Closed, reopens 1 May 2027 Ibiza and Formentera · At sea Private Day Charter to Formentera – water toys included From €889 5,0/5 Closed, reopens 19 April 2027 Ibiza and Formentera · At sea From Ibiza: Private 43-Foot Sailboat Day Trip to Formentera From €660 4,9/5 Closed, reopens 1 July 2027 Ibiza and Formentera · At sea Ibiza: Formentera full-day trip all-inclusive with 3 stops From €110 4,7/5

When to book and when to go

The boat trip season runs from May to October. July and August have the warmest water but also the busiest jetties and the highest prices. June and September are the right compromise: pleasant sea, superb light, fewer people at the anchorages. To fine-tune your dates, see our page on when to go to Ibiza and Formentera. In high season, book several days ahead: the small sailing catamarans take few people and sell out fast. Also bear in mind that these trips weigh on the budget for a trip to Formentera.

FAQ: boat trips from Ibiza to Formentera