HERE’S THE PLAN...

top tip

■ Essential Info

When to go: Year-round, though between July and August are best avoided if you want to explore the trails; Formentera might be the coolest of the Balaeric isles but temperatures top 30°C at this time and there’s little shade. Be aware that a lot of the island closes down during the off-season (Nov–apr). Getting there & around: British Airways (ba.com) fly direct to Ibiza year-round from London’s Gatwick, Heathrow, City and Stansted airports from £90 return; budget airlines fly from UK airports between March and October from £34 return. From Ibiza Airport, take a taxi to the port (15 mins) where Balaeria, Trasmapi and Aquabus ferries connect to La Savina on Formentera (30 mins; from €20/£17.50). Taxis on the island are pricey; it’s cheaper to rent a bicycle (from €12.60) or moped (€36.70) for three days, but you’ll need a good mountain bike for the trails. Further info: www.formentera.es and www.illesbalears.travel Where to stay: The white sands of Migjorn beach are quiet and chic, and play host to the stylish Gecko Hotel (geckobeachclub.com; Apr– Oct), well-placed for sunset strolls on the boardwalk; doubles from €221/ £195pn including breakfast. Back in the capital of Sant Francesc, Hotel Es Marès (hotelesmares.com; Feb– Sep) is a charming small-town base complete with pool and spa; doubles from €150/£132pn. Where to eat: The best dining views on the island are found at the hilltop eatery Es Mirador (+34 971 327037) in La Mola, but make sure to book, especially at sunset. On the sands of Migjorn, Es Arenals (arenals.com) has good, fresh seafood, with a fine paella on the go. And for scenesters, Can Carlos (cancarlos.com) in Sant Francesc Xavier is the place to be seen – its twinkling terrace setting matched only by its Mediterranean fare and fine cocktails.

Day 1: SUBTERRANEAN LA MOLA BLUES

Rent a good mountain bike and track the main road east for the steep climb up La Mola, stopping to squint at the 3rd-century ruins of a Roman fort. The Cami Roma ( pictured; Roman Road) sees you spill through pine forests before winding the clifftop walking trail to Es Ram (Ruta 26/28). At its northern tip, either sidetrack to La Mola El Pilar’s ‘hippy market’ (Ruta 25) or bump along Ruta 32, past Bob Dylan’s windmill, to the lighthouse that Jules Verne dubbed ‘the end of the world’. Freewheel downhill to Migjorn beach for lunch. Es Arenals does a fine beachside paella, while a post-prandial pedal (or coastal stroll) west takes you to the Pi des Català tower – now renovated and re-opened. Climb up and gaze out.

Es Mirador in La Mola has the best views on the island and fine seafood. It’s also a meeting point for Walking Formentera’s (walkingformentera.es) evening Seven Caves tour (€20/£18), so grab yourself a scenic early meal.

From there, guide Dani ferries you to La Mola’s northern cliffs, where you can don a helmet and clamber 4000-year-old burial caves and geological formations for 3.5 hours as the sun dips over the Balaeric Sea.

Day 2: BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND

Start in languid capital Sant Francesc Xavier – all whitewashed fronts and open-air cafés. Grab breakfast at Café Matinal, across from the 18th-century church ( pictured) that once doubled as a fort, though its pirate-shooing canons have long been removed.

From there, walk north to Estany Pudent (‘Stinking Pond’), the island’s largest brackish lake. The salt industry once sustained Formentera, and the old harvesting machinery they used can still be seen in the capital’s Ethnological Museum (free entry).

A trail (Ruta 2) tracks the water’s fringe, offering front-row seats to spy flamingo (Aug–oct), egret, plover and heron. Then circle to the far shore to see the crumbled ruins of an ancient megalithic sepulchre.

Grab lunch in town then pedal up to Pujols beach. Offshore lies the oldest posidonia on the island – grab a snorkel and get up close. It’s also the base for Wet4fun (wet4fun.com), who run kayak tours of the coves and catamaran trips (€67/£59 for 4 hrs).

Powered by wind, breeze your way up to S’espalmador, off Formentera’s northern tip. Wander to its tower and swim crystal waters in near-isolation. Finish back in town on the terrace of chic Can Carlos, with a gin cocktail in hand and fine Mediterranean fare.

Day 3: ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER

Pedal up past Estany des Peix, the smaller of the two salt lagoons, and watch for wall lizards playing chicken with your tyres. It used to be a fishing town and boats still go from the inlet.

Breakfast in the port of La Savina, then continue north (Ruta 1), cycling dusty roads to the island’s tip. The sands ( Illetes & Llevant) are beautiful but busy! En route you’ll see Moli des Carregador, a pumphouse that used to funnel seawater to the salt pans but is now a café with particularly fine views.

Loop down to Can Marroig on the east coast (Rutas 4 & 5). This public farm sits amid cicada-rattling pines, secret shores and wild wetlands, so bring a picnic. It’s a fine birding spot and its 17th-century farmhouse has a rich past, having doubled as a hotel/ secret synagogue in the fascist 1940s.

Nearby Cala Saona (Ruta 3) is a rather beautiful cove and beach. The old Formentera still exists here in its slipways and escars (boat huts), and there’s plenty of caves to kayak.

Finally, pedal the treeless stretch south to Cap de Barbaria lighthouse (Ruta 9; pictured) – Africa lies 110km away hence the pirate tower. Look for Peregrine falcons on the cliffs, while a nearby ladder leads down to a sea cave with fine views. Finish back in town at Es Marès restauarant.

You’ll need a mountain bike for the cycling trails, but a lot of the electric bikes here have a wide tread (useful for sandier sections) and can remove the strain of pedalling in the midday sun.