Ibiza to Formentera: Sailboat Day Trip with Beach Stops

4.93

(136 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I thought I’d seen blue water before, but leaving Ibiza behind on that old white sailboat—well, it was different. The air smelled faintly salty and sweet, like sunscreen mixed with seaweed. Our skipper, Toni (he’s from Sant Antoni and talks with his hands), steered us out while someone fumbled with the speaker trying to get music going. I sat up front, toes grazing the deck, just watching the coast shrink until all you could hear was wind in the sails and a few gulls overhead. It’s quieter than I expected—except when someone laughs too loud or drops their sunglasses (which happened).

Our first stop was this beach you can’t even reach by road—Toni called it “Playa de los Muertos,” which sounds grim but is actually just empty and bright. We jumped in for a swim; the water’s colder than it looks but you get used to it fast. There were little fish everywhere if you put on the snorkel mask (I did, clumsily). Someone brought out paddle boards—I tried standing up, lasted maybe three seconds before falling in. Toni just grinned and handed me a soda as consolation. There’s something about drifting there with no one else around except our small group—makes you feel like you’ve slipped out of regular time.

Later we anchored near another stretch of white sand—longer this time, almost blinding under the sun. Some people went ashore in the dinghy for lunch at one of those famous Formentera restaurants (I stuck to snacks onboard; honestly wasn’t hungry after all that swimming). The breeze picked up on the way back to Ibiza and everyone got quiet for a bit—sun-tired or maybe just content. I still think about that view off the bow: endless turquoise fading into sky. Hard to explain why it sticks with you.