Es Pujols Holidays

Less than 10 minutes’ drive from the ferry port, Es Pujols sits on Formentera’s eastern shoulder, with a large, saltwater lagoon at its rear. It’s the only purpose-built resort on the island, but it still manages to keep things intimate. There’s a sandy beach and, behind it, a paved walkway with shoulder-to-shoulder bars and restaurants. Deeper into the town, the slim streets thrum with souvenir shops and more terraced places to eat and drink.

The beach at Es Pujols is made up of two white-sand crescents and turquoise waters so shallow they reach tropical temperatures in summer. Facilities are simple, but there’s everything you might need – watersports, a few beach bars, plus loungers and palapas. Elsewhere, the Trucador peninsula stretches northwards from the town. It’s anything but dolled to the nines. What you get is a long finger of clutter-free sands, divided into a chain of natural white beaches.

The island’s World Heritage listing, coupled with a ban on beachside construction, means the coastline is really unspoilt. Plus, it’s mostly flat, so it’s easy to explore on foot or by mountain bike. There are 20 designated road and off-road tracks, known as Circuits Verds, which thread through farmland and nature parks, linking up tiny hamlets and beaches. The highway that runs from the port to Es Pujols is sided by bikes lanes, and makes a great central starting point.

Formentera has done a great job of preserving its heritage. If you head to Cap de Barbaria, 10 minutes’ drive from Es Pujols, you’ll see the megalithic remains from the first settlers on the island. And going back half a century, El Pilar de la Mola, 14 kilometres away, holds a special place in the island’s history. It’s where veteran hippies, who settled here in the Sixties, still gather for a twice-weekly market. You can pick up jewellery, ceramics and clothing from the artisans who make and sell their wares in the village workshops.