Formentera, Spain, Tips & advice

How to get around Formentera island by car, scooter, bus or bike

RiA
28 May, 2019
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At only 20 kilometres long, you can easily get around the island of Formentera. If you’re about to visit or you’re looking for the best method of transport while there, here’s my advice and tips on how to get around Formentera island by car, scooter, bus or bike!

Hiring a car, scooter or ATV

The easiest way to get around the island is to hire a car or a scooter. Both will give you greater flexibility to explore more of the island. If you’re short on time, you can fit more things into your day too. I had originally planned to hire an ATV (quad bike) as I’d done before – read my tips for hiring an ATV. Instead, I decided to hire a car for one day. It made getting to the beaches and other landmark places that were a little further away from where I was staying, easier and quicker.

There are quite a few hire companies to choose from and to be honest most of the prices are either quite similar with only a few Euros difference. Of course the more days you book the more discount you’re likely to get. If you don’t drive or are not confident to do so in another country, don’t worry! There are local as well as tourist buses you can use. If you don’t fancy that, you can always rent a bicycle.

Local buses

A great way to get around some of Meteora – while taking in the great views from different vantage points – is to go on a hiking tour. There are a handful of travel companies that offer hiking tours including Meteora Thrones and Visit Meteora.

The main local buses you’re likely to use during your stay on Formentera are the L1, L2 and L7. If you’re staying in Es Puljols, near the port (La Savina) or in the town of San Francesc, then you’ll probably use the L1 which goes between all of these places. L2 is good if you want to visit San Francesc, Sant Ferran, Es Calo and Es Pilar. See the buses and their stops below:

L1 – La Savina–Sant Francesc–Sant Ferran–Es Pujols–La Savina
L2 – La Savina–Sant Francesc–Sant Ferran–Platja de Migjorn–Far de Sa Mola
L7 – La Savina–Platja Illetes–Es Pujols–Sant Ferran–Platja de Migjorn–Far de Sa Mola.

Depending on where you’re travelling to, the minimum bus fare you’ll pay is about €1.80 (time of visiting – April 2019).

The L3 tourist circuit bus

There’s also the tourist circuit bus. There are three different routes you can take:

Yellow – this goes from the port (La Savina) to the Ses Illetes beach.
Blue – covering La Savina, Ses Illetes beach and also Es Pujols.
Green – the longest of the routes takes you to all of the above as well as the lighthouse at Faro and the Mirador.

You can find out more on the L3 Tourist Bus and timetable at the Mediterraneapitiusa website.

See the island by bike

You can hire a bicycle (and even an electric one) to get you round the island. It’s a popular method of transport on the island.

There are bicycle lanes along the main roads and green routes around the coast to cycle on. When you near any beaches, you’ll find signs that show you the distance and time to get to each by bike or walking.

Tips

There are just two petrol stations on the island so bear this in mind if you’re going to be driving up and down all day.
If you’re looking to hire a car, scooter or ATV, I recommend booking online in advance a few days before you need it. You’re more likely to get better rates online than if you hire on the day
Cycling is not permitted on the wooded decked pathways that you’ll see running alongside the beach. Picture above.
If you’re staying in a hotel check if they offer discounts for guest. They may partner with a local hire company.

Hope that helps with deciding what method of transport to use while in Formentera. If you’re still in the planning stages, read my post on How to get to Formentera island from Ibiza Town.