Often seen as the wild, authentic little sister of Ibiza, Formentera, the smallest of the Balearics, is full of unique experiences.
If you want to explore the island differently, here are some unusual, original activities that will make your stay on Formentera memorable!
In short: no more crowded beaches and classic tourist trails! Formentera hides some unusual activities and experiences. From horse riding by the salt flats to nights in old windmills, each activity in Formentera reveals a different side of this extraordinary island of just 80 square kilometres (19 km long).
Ready to discover 11 unmissable activities and unusual experiences in Formentera to turn your stay into a real adventure? Let’s go with my Formentera guide!
Exploring Formentera on horseback, between sea and nature
With its mild climate and wild landscapes, Formentera is ideal for horse rides all year round. The island has a variety of trails through pine and juniper woods, moon-like rocky areas such as Can Marroig and picturesque lagoons such as the Estany des Peix, with endless colours. When you are driving, keep your eyes open on the road after the port towards Sant Ferran de ses Roques: you will often pass them!
So whether you are a beginner or experienced rider, there are rides and outings for every level, letting you immerse yourself in Formentera’s unspoilt nature and discover its most authentic corners.
Why it is great
- Access to areas cars cannot reach
- Direct contact with unspoilt nature
- Suitable for every level
- Passionate local guide
Finally, for those who want to learn or improve, private lessons are also available, making this riding experience an unforgettable adventure on Formentera.
Land Rover Defender 4×4 tour in Formentera
This 3.5-hour 4×4 tour offers an authentic look at Formentera, far from the classic tourist routes. On board a Land Rover Defender, you will discover some of the island’s most beautiful beaches, with snorkelling included, and remarkable viewpoints. The experience reaches areas that are hard to access in an ordinary vehicle, revealing little-known sides of the island that only locals really know.
3.5 hours of pure adventure in the island’s secret corners that only locals really know.
The route crosses several typical Formentera landscapes: the fishing village of Es Caló de Sant Agustí, with its little sheds, the famous La Mola lighthouse and an incredible panoramic viewpoint.
The tour is designed for small groups with an experienced local guide. The sturdy Land Rover Defender can take dirt tracks and rocky trails that ordinary tourist vehicles cannot.
What awaits you:
- Access to secret little coves
- Authentic fishing villages
- Spectacular viewpoints
- Snorkelling in crystal-clear water
Sleeping in a historic windmill: unusual accommodation
Forget classic hotels!
Fancy sleeping in a real windmill with a unique view over Formentera?
Molí Los Cuatro Soles is the perfect spot for an out-of-the-ordinary escape.
It is a historic windmill turned into a house. There are only a few on the island.
This Formentera experience immerses you in the island’s history with modern comfort.
Two bedrooms, a spiral staircase and minimalist decor for total immersion in Formentera’s authenticity. The house has a separate, fully equipped kitchen, ideal for preparing meals in a dream setting, with every modern comfort. An exceptional setting, a stay between nature and history.
Switch-off mode ON
The best discoveries are often hidden far from the traditional resorts, in the secret corners of Formentera.
Paddleboarding at sunset
Set off on a paddleboard to discover secret coves and caves only reachable by sea. Formentera is an excellent paddleboarding spot, with its crystal-clear water and heavenly coves.
My favourite spots:
1. Paddleboarding at Cala Saona
Paddleboarding at Cala Saona means gliding over calm water surrounded by red cliffs, in one of Formentera’s most beautiful settings. It is ideal for beginners thanks to its shallow, wind-sheltered water. The perfect place for a session open to everyone, surrounded by red cliffs.
2. Paddleboarding at Es Pujols
Accessible and lively, Es Pujols beach is ideal for paddleboarding at every level. I recommend it at the end of the day, perfect for watching the sunset from the sea.
Another water activity in Es Pujols is SUP yoga: a 90-minute session combining paddleboarding and yoga for a unique relaxing experience on the crystal-clear Mediterranean.
Open to all levels, it helps you build balance and your connection with nature.
3. Paddleboarding at Punta Rasa & Cova Rosa
Away from the tourist beaches, Punta Rasa and Cova Rosa offer a unique paddleboarding trip between sculpted cliffs, secret coves and crystal-clear water. Punta Rasa, in the west of the island, is wild, with small bays only reachable by sea.
Further on, Cova Rosa reveals a hidden cave with pink reflections and translucent water, a true natural gem. A sporty outing to discover Formentera differently.
Note: you will need to hire a boat with a paddleboard to get there.
Bonus: paddleboarding at heavenly Illetes beach
Paddleboarding at Illetes is like paddling in a postcard: crystal-clear water, white sand and zero waves for perfect gliding.
It is also the island’s best-known beach, where you sometimes see celebrities stepping off their yachts to enjoy the heavenly setting. An unmissable experience to see Formentera at its best.
Choose your dream outing, during the day or at sunset!
The island’s seabed is home to unique biodiversity, listed as a Unesco World Heritage site
Watching the sunset from La Mola lighthouse
La Mola lighthouse offers some of Formentera’s most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
A tip if you are staying a few days: settle in facing the vast sea and enjoy this unique moment in peace. If the lighthouse is closed, the area around it is wide and perfect for contemplation, with a café nearby to enjoy the moment even more comfortably.
La Mola lighthouse is at the eastern tip of Formentera, perched 120 m above the sea. An unmissable spot for a breathtaking panorama, it even inspired Jules Verne.
The exhibition space at La Mola lighthouse is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 2pm, with extra opening on Wednesday and Sunday from 5pm to 9pm. Closed on Mondays, and every day from 1 December to 11 February.
Entry €4.50, reduced rate €2.50 for pensioners and students, free for under-18s, residents and the unemployed (official Formentera website).
Trying diving in Formentera’s crystal-clear water
Diving in Formentera is immersion in an unspoilt world! It is a perfect spot for unforgettable first dives: translucent water, exceptional biodiversity and spectacular sites.
Among them, El Arco, between Punta Rasa and Punta Gavina, reveals two impressive underwater arches, the biggest at 12 metres deep. It is a dive for every level that can be done with Open Water certification.
Underwater, you will discover a unique ecosystem, with shoals of colourful fish, octopus and Unesco-listed Posidonia meadows, essential to the purity of Mediterranean water. With a guide, let yourself be surprised by this underwater richness for an extraordinary experience.
Departures are always from La Savina port.
I highly recommend these 2 activities, which I have personally tried and approved three times already:
Exploring Formentera by bike on old shepherds’ paths
Hire a bike and set off on Formentera’s secret roads, between wild beaches, pine woods and authentic rural landscapes.
With more than 100 km of marked trails, the island is perfect for gentle, eco-friendly exploring.
The island’s 32 green routes, the Camí de sa Pujada and the access rules for Cap de Barbaria are detailed in our guide Formentera nature: green routes on foot and by bike.
People usually hire bikes near the port to get to Formentera’s most heavenly beaches.
But the island is so majestic and is about so much more than its beaches that I recommend this activity. Away from the crowds, pedal along rural lanes lined with dry-stone walls and olive fields. Let yourself be surprised by Formentera’s unspoilt beauty!
Swimming in a hidden natural pool
Formentera hides unsuspected natural treasures. Among them, the natural pools of Can Marroig, on the island’s west coast, offer a unique swimming experience. It is a more intimate atmosphere, with a cove of turquoise water.
These pools, formed by the erosion of limestone rocks, fill with crystal-clear water, creating peaceful havens ideal for swimming and snorkelling. The site, a nature reserve, is surrounded by wild scenery mixing steep cliffs and Mediterranean vegetation. Snorkellers will see rich, varied marine life.
To reach these natural pools, simply cross the Can Marroig estate, a walk through the local flora. Once there, the view of Es Vedrà and the spectacular sunsets complete this idyllic picture, making Can Marroig a must for nature lovers and authentic swims.
There is also the tiny beach of Caló des Mort, where you should go very early, south of Migjorn beach! Nobody would think such a dark name could belong to a postcard-perfect cove. Hard to find, no doubt, but it rewards every effort with its beauty, making it one of the island’s gems. Its small size means arriving early to enjoy this little corner of paradise.
With its escars, the typical wooden sheds where fishermen keep their boats, the cove seems frozen in time. Its intimate setting, sheltered by cliffs, invites you to switch off completely; naturism is part of the scenery here. For lunch, head to the Bartolo chiringuito, a beach shack on the sand where people happily wait for a burger facing the sea. And before you leave, look for the seashell tree, a poetic little touch to capture as a souvenir.
Taking part in the Marnaton eDreams: a swim across a heavenly setting
Calling all sporty types. The Marnaton eDreams Formentera is a unique event combining a love of the sea and a sporting challenge. Participants dive into the island’s crystal-clear water for an open-water swim, an unforgettable experience.
Whether you are an amateur or seasoned swimmer, this competition lets you live an exceptional adventure at the heart of the island.
Would you be up for it?
Find out more about the Marnaton
Tasting local wine in Formentera
Formentera is not just about heavenly beaches: the island also has small, discreet vineyards where tradition and know-how meet. Among them, Bodega Terramoll (Carretera de la Mola km 15.2, La Mola, 07872 Formentera) offers visits and tastings to discover unique wines shaped by the Mediterranean climate.
A legacy of the Phoenicians, the island’s winemaking today produces reds, whites and rosés with real character. Between walks among the vines and meetings with passionate producers, this wine escape promises an authentic immersion in the soul of Formentera.
This Formentera experience reveals the Phoenician heritage of local winemaking.
Catching an acoustic concert on the beach
Some beach bars hold intimate concerts where you can listen to live music with your feet in the sand. At iconic bars such as the Blue Bar or Pirata Bus, let yourself be carried away by intimate acoustic sessions, from folk, jazz and flamenco to more danceable music.
A cocktail in hand, facing the sea, the moment is truly magical.
My top pick:
The Blue Bar, my favourite place! Keep an eye on its events calendar!
A must to feel the island’s rhythm and enjoy Formentera’s boho-chic atmosphere.
For the island’s other activities, with availability checked every week, see the Formentera activities guide.
Why choose the unusual in Formentera?
Preserved authenticity: far from the mass tourism of other big islands (such as Mallorca)
Variety of experiences: from sporty adventure to cultural relaxation
Accessibility: activities for every level
Sustainability: respect for the environment and the natural park
Formentera is a destination where every moment can become a unique experience, between nature, wellbeing and unusual adventures. Far from mass tourism and its more popular neighbours, plenty of original activities and experiences let you discover the island from a different, more authentic angle.
If you are only there for a day, see my dedicated article with an itinerary for a day in Formentera.
Formentera offers a surprising variety of experiences:
- Water sports in an idyllic setting
- Heavenly beaches with crystal-clear water
- Hiking trails with panoramic views
- Preserved historic sites
- Authentic local food
Ready to explore and enjoy Formentera differently?
For more ideas, feel free to follow me
