BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide
Boat Rental in Formentera: Ses Illetes, s'Espalmador and the Balearics' Last Quiet Island
La Savina, the turquoise water of Ses Illetes, the s'Espalmador lagoon: the guide to renting a boat in Formentera, between Ibiza and the clearest water in the Balearics.
Barely an hour by boat from Ibiza, Formentera remains the Balearics' last quiet island: no international airport on the island itself, a single real sea gateway, and water that rivals the Caribbean, protected by the Ses Salines natural park.
La Savina, the only way in
All of the island's boat traffic passes through La Savina harbour, in the north — most rentals start there, whether you are already on the island or crossing over from Ibiza through the Es Freus channel, some of the most photographed translucent water in the Mediterranean.
Ses Illetes and s'Espalmador, the must-sees
In the island's north, the Ses Illetes lagoon lines up turquoise water over white sand, fairly compared to the best tropical beaches — which makes it, in summer, one of the most in-demand anchorages in the Balearics: booking a mooring buoy ahead becomes necessary in July and August. Just north, the s'Espalmador islet and its shallow lagoon offer an equally spectacular, slightly less crowded anchorage, reachable by dinghy or on foot from a nearby mooring.
Sand, not seagrass
Formentera's waters stay largely open, but the vast posidonia seagrass meadows that keep them so clear mean anchoring only on sandy patches, recognisable by their lighter colour — our guide to anchoring and posidonia meadows explains how to spot them and why Spanish regulation protects them so strictly. A study has documented a marked regression of these meadows directly linked to recreational boat anchoring pressure (Pergent-Martini et al., Journal of Sea Research, 2022), which has led researchers to precisely map the nautical carrying capacity of anchoring areas in the Balearics in order to curb over-use (Gómez et al., Marine Policy, 2023).
When to sail
May to October, with a breeze that builds gradually with the sun (the Balearics' typical embat) and dies down in the evening — generally manageable conditions, even for a less experienced crew, as long as you avoid the busiest anchorages around midday at the height of summer.
Comparing boats in Formentera
Boat-Comparator queries Boataround, SamBoat, Click&Boat and GlobeSailor live to show boats available at La Savina on your dates, with real prices. Our guide to the Balearics, Ibiza and Formentera widens the comparison to Mallorca and Menorca.
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