Formentera in autumn is much more than beaches: the island displays a range of activities not only to attract tourists fleeing crowded environments – even though the small Pitiusas remains a peaceful destination even in August – but also because its people do not They retreat when the leaves of the trees begin to turn golden. Having passed September and leaving behind its famous Guitarres de Formentera festival, the Sa Flower party and the Formentera Tango World, there is still a lot of life in October. Let's check it out.
Autumn is the ideal season to practice scuba diving, as the waters, still warm, become calmer as they become free of boats. In La Savina, just 200 meters from the port where the ferries from Ibiza dock, Formentera Divers offers snorkeling excursions, dives and first-time diving trips. When was the last time you did something for the first time? is the motto of a group of expert divers who can be trusted blindly to dive in Punta Gavina, the Mariana platform, the Canyons, the Arch, es Vedra and Punta Prima, among other places, and discover sunken ships, explore underwater caves and enjoy the beautiful Posidonia meadows, which extend along the coastline about two meters under water.
“It is the posidonia that produces the spectacular visibility of these waters, which is why it is so protected. In addition, it is an essential part of the ecosystem, it emits a lot of oxygen and stops the onslaught of water against the beach dunes. Without it, everything would be different,” explains Javi Parejo, from Formentera Divers, a diving professional who knows the depths of Costa Rica, Argentina, Egypt, South Africa and the Maldives, to name very diverse latitudes.
And this brings us to the main event of the fall: the SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia, a festival with a secret lineup that is now in its seventh edition.
It takes just 15 minutes for the 350 tickets to be sold out for an event about which the buyer hardly knows anything, starting with the poster. How they read it. It is a traditional characteristic of Sinsal, the curating agency of Posidonia and the veteran San Simó de Pontevedra, which year after year has been achieving a magic reminiscent of Apple: people trust that they will like what they have prepared. For three days, this festival forms an experience in which music, beer culture and haute cuisine – led by Galician chef Pepe Solla, with a Michelin star and three Repsol Suns – come together under the motto of offering sustainable fun with practically zero ecological impact.
In fact, the festival was born with the leitmotiv of helping to preserve the magnificent Posidonia oceanica meadows that inhabit the coast of the island, a plant declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1999. It is an event that Jorge Drexler, María Arnal i Marcel Bagés, Lori Meyers, Depedro, Israel Fernández. Crystal Murray, La Dame Blanche and Carolina Durante, among many others.
The festival goer can integrate into the nature of the island through various excursions. For example, from Mitjorn beach a bus takes the traveler to Can Marroig, in the extreme northwest of Formentera, where we will appreciate the contrast between the arid rocky area of Sa Pedrera and the profusion of marine life beneath it. In the interpretation center of the Ses Salines natural park you can see an exhibition that includes the Posidonia meadows, two salt mines and several world heritage sites, while we can travel to the past by looking at the nearby Pi des Català tower, a of the four defensive towers on the island and built in the mid-18th century.
On the second day of the festival, we visit Pilar de la Mola, at the other end of the island, where a surprise musical performance invites you to relax in a wonderful pine forest before reaching the lighthouse. This year it was Ixeya from Zaragoza.
On Ses Illetes beach, one of the most beautiful in the world, you can still buy artisan textile products and taste Km 0 fruit mojitos and a piña colada prepared right there, on the sand (be careful, trust whoever displays the product on their sarong). that you are going to consume), in Cala Saona, let yourself be carried away by a memorable set by DJ Clint Zero or get lost in the last full moon party on the island of Espalmador. On the internet you can find several Ayurveda retreats and practically all the branches of yoga that reach their peak in autumn. Not only in hotels, private villas and the wild sand of the beach but even by sailboat and catamaran.
Until the end of September, the La Savina market and the Sant Ferran artisan market operate daily, but in October they continue with the Es Pujols market (don't miss the seasonal fig) and the Sant Francesc market, where we find the second-hand version open all day long. anus. As far as art is concerned, the Center Sant Antoni Tur Gabrielet (Sant Francesc) offers the Tardor d'art exhibition until October 15.
On October 22, the XXIX BTT La Mola cycle tour. And at the Mola lighthouse, which can be visited all year round, we can see the Gilbert Herreyns exhibition. Finally, tourists staying in hotels and establishments participating in the October campaign receive a voucher with discounts at shipping companies and active tourism companies and activities that participate in it.
