The 4 boat trip options at a glance
A shared Formentera cruise with swimming stops.
A private catamaran to Formentera.
A quieter sailing day trip.
A party cruise with confirmed time on Formentera.
A day in Formentera can be as simple as taking a ferry, finding a beach and returning to Ibiza in the evening. But if you want the journey to be part of the holiday, there are other ways to spend the day: a shared cruise with swimming stops, a private catamaran, a quieter sailing trip or a lively boat outing with time on the island.
The right choice depends on what you want to do once you leave Ibiza. Some trips spend most of the day on the water; others give you time to explore Formentera on foot. A party boat is a different experience again, and not every party cruise visits the island. Before booking, check the actual route, whether you can get ashore and how the return works.
These four options are different trip styles, rather than a ranking of individual operators. Departure points vary too: Ibiza Town’s port, its marinas, Figueretas and Playa d’en Bossa are separate meeting locations. If leaving Ibiza Town is essential, confirm the boarding point before choosing your ticket.
4 Formentera boat trips to consider
1. A shared Formentera cruise with swimming stops
A shared excursion suits travellers who want a day on the water without hiring an entire boat. You book places on a scheduled departure and follow the operator’s itinerary, which may include swimming stops, lunch on board or time to relax on deck. It can work well for couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy to share the outing with other guests.
Start with the route, not the drinks package. Does the boat dock in Formentera, or does it spend the day cruising and anchoring offshore? Both can be enjoyable, but they give you very different holidays. If a beach lunch or a village visit is part of your plan, choose an excursion that clearly includes disembarkation and enough free time to reach your destination.
A catamaran excursion to Formentera can appeal if you want room to relax between swimming stops. Check the actual boat, passenger arrangements and shaded seating, rather than choosing from photographs alone. For a long summer outing, somewhere comfortable to sit out of the sun may matter more than extra water equipment.
Read the inclusions before paying: food, drinks, snorkelling equipment and paddleboards are not standard on every departure. Ask how swimming stops are managed, whether there is a toilet on board and what happens if sea conditions require a different route. Families should also check the minimum age and available child-sized safety equipment.
2. A private catamaran to Formentera
A private catamaran gives your group its own boat and more say in the day’s plans. It can suit a family outing, a birthday or friends who want to spend time together without joining a larger excursion. Before requesting a quote, agree on the priorities: sailing, swimming, lunch on board, a restaurant stop or simply an unhurried afternoon at sea.
If you are planning a catamaran day between Ibiza and Formentera, make sure the offer is for the whole boat rather than individual places on a shared sailing. Look at the layout, shade, seating and maximum passenger capacity. Ask whether the boat is a sailing catamaran or a motor vessel, and whether sailing under sail is a realistic part of the proposed outing.
Discuss shore access before making restaurant plans. A private boat day in Formentera does not automatically include a berth at La Savina or an easy transfer to the beach. Ask how passengers would get ashore, who arranges any transfer and how much time a land stop leaves for the return journey. The skipper’s judgement, weather and local restrictions still determine what is possible.
Agree on the full cost of your Ibiza-to-Formentera charter before collecting money from the group. Request a written quote covering the skipper, fuel, cleaning, taxes and any port charges, then check food and drinks separately. Confirm the deposit and cancellation conditions, and divide the complete cost between the guests who have committed to coming.
3. A quieter sailing day trip
Choose a sailing trip if the journey itself is what you are looking forward to: time on deck, a slower pace and the chance to enjoy the coastline between stops. It can be a lovely choice for a couple or a small group that would rather talk, swim and have lunch than spend the day with loud music.
Ask how much of the outing is normally spent sailing and what kind of boat the operator uses. A sailing yacht and a catamaran can offer quite different spaces on board. Check where you will sit, how much shade is available and how you get into and out of the water. If anyone in your group has limited mobility or is nervous about swimming from a boat, discuss that before booking.
A quieter sailing trip is not necessarily engine-free, and an “eco” label alone does not explain the operator’s practices. Boats may use their engines when manoeuvring or when the wind is unsuitable. If environmental considerations influence your choice, ask specific questions about sailing time, waste handling and responsible anchoring rather than assuming a particular vessel has no impact.
Keep the itinerary flexible. Wind and sea conditions may change the route, the anchorage or whether a swim is possible. If visiting Formentera on land is essential, confirm that the trip includes a suitable stop ashore; otherwise, treat it as a sailing day in the waters around the island rather than a substitute for an independent beach day.
4. A party cruise with confirmed time on Formentera
A lively boat outing can suit friends who want music and a sociable atmosphere as part of their holiday. If you also want to visit Formentera, look for a ticket whose itinerary explicitly includes the island and time ashore. Do not assume that a cruise marketed as a boat party offers a Formentera stop or a drop-off.
When comparing Ibiza boat parties, check the route and meeting point before the entertainment. A departure from Playa d’en Bossa or San Antonio is not a departure from Ibiza Town, even if you are staying nearby. Transfers, when offered, need their own confirmed meeting location and time.
Read the return arrangements especially carefully. Does the same boat bring you back, is a separate ferry included, or do you need to book the return yourself? A drop-off without a suitable return ticket can leave you with extra costs and less flexibility than expected. Also check the length of the island stop, age restrictions, music arrangements and what the advertised drinks package actually includes.
This option is most useful when everyone in the group wants the same atmosphere. If some people want a quiet beach afternoon and others want to party, separate plans may work better than asking one ticket to do both. Avoid making a restaurant reservation until you know the arrival point and the amount of free time available.
When a direct ferry is the better choice
If your main aim is to spend time on Formentera itself, a direct ferry is often the simplest alternative to these four boat trips. You arrive at La Savina and organise the rest yourself, whether that means heading to a beach, renting a bicycle or settling in for lunch. It also lets you plan an overnight visit, provided you book suitable outward and return tickets.
A Trasmapi crossing or an Aquabus ferry journey may fit an independent day on Formentera, depending on the services available for your dates. Choose the route by its boarding point, journey time and return options. Ibiza Town’s port and nearby beach departures are different places, so confirm where you need to go before arranging transport from your hotel.
If you choose a Baleària Formentera Express sailing, use the timetable for your date to plan the crossing, then add time for reaching the terminal, checking in and boarding. The advertised journey time is only part of the day. Other operators and routes may have different timings and ticket conditions.
Choose your return sailing from Formentera to Ibiza before deciding how late to stay at the beach or restaurant. Work backwards from boarding to allow for the journey to La Savina and any rental returns. Use the operator’s current timetable and your ticket conditions, rather than assuming you can take any departure or use an excursion ticket on another ferry.
Where do Formentera boat trips leave from?
Ibiza Town port and the marinas
An Ibiza Town departure can mean a passenger-ferry terminal or a particular marina berth. Those are not the same place. A general map pin for the port is not enough if your confirmation names a specific terminal, operator desk, pontoon or boat.
Before leaving your accommodation, open the meeting-point instructions and check the complete address or map location. If you are taking a taxi, show the driver that information rather than asking only for the harbour. If you are walking, plan the route to the actual boarding area, not just to the waterfront.
Check-in time and departure time also need to be kept separate. Arriving when the boat is scheduled to leave may mean you have already missed boarding. Use the advance-arrival instructions on your booking and allow additional time if you need to find parking, collect tickets or locate an unfamiliar berth.
Figueretas and Playa d’en Bossa
Some excursions promoted to visitors staying in Ibiza Town leave from Figueretas or Playa d’en Bossa instead of the town’s main port. They can still be practical choices, but you need to account for the journey to their meeting point.
Do not assume an Ibiza Town transfer is included unless it is stated in the booking. If the departure is from a beachside pier, check the exact access point and where the operator asks passengers to assemble. Your return location matters too, particularly if you have arranged a lift or left a car elsewhere.
Choose the departure that works for your accommodation and itinerary, rather than treating every boat on the southeast coast as an Ibiza Town sailing.
What to check before booking
The route and time ashore
Decide whether you want a day at sea, a day on land or a mixture of both. Then look for a trip whose description matches that choice. A swim stop near Ses Illetes is not the same as visiting the beach, and anchoring off Formentera is not the same as docking at La Savina.
For any land stop, confirm the arrival point, approximate free time, reboarding location and return arrangements. If access is by tender rather than a dock, ask how boarding works and whether it suits everyone in your group. Avoid making a restaurant reservation until you know that the trip can get you ashore with enough time to reach it.
Food and drinks
Check whether meals are included, available to buy or something you need to arrange yourself. Ticket tiers on the same excursion may offer different food and drinks, so compare the package you are actually buying rather than the most generous version shown on the page.
Ask about dietary requirements before booking. If lunch is served on board, confirm whether an alternative can be provided. If the excursion leaves you to eat independently, include both the cost and the time needed for that meal in your plan.
An open bar is not a guarantee that every drink is included or available throughout the day. Read the listed selection, ask about drinking-water availability and check any restrictions on bringing your own food or drinks.
Equipment and facilities
Snorkelling equipment, paddleboards and other activities are only included when the selected listing says so. Availability can also depend on conditions and the crew’s instructions. Do not choose a trip solely for a particular water activity without checking how it is offered.
For a full day on board, shade, toilets, seating and boarding access may matter more than an extra item of equipment. Ask about anything essential to your group before paying, including step-free access, storage for a pushchair or suitable seating for someone who cannot stand comfortably for long periods.
Atmosphere and passenger suitability
A sociable cruise with music may be enjoyable for friends and less suitable for someone hoping for a quiet afternoon. Look for clear information about the type of experience, age restrictions and onboard entertainment. Do not assume that every Formentera excursion has a DJ, or that every boat with music is a party boat.
Choose a boat outing that suits children by its length and onboard arrangements, not just a family-friendly label. Confirm the age policy and ask about child-sized safety equipment, shade and toilets on the specific vessel. Younger children may be happier with a shorter trip than a full day that includes several hours offshore.
How long should you allow for the trip?
A full-day excursion involves more than its advertised sailing time. You need to get to the meeting point, check in, board and travel back to your accommodation afterwards. Leave room for all of that before making plans for the evening.
For a ferry day, the hours on Formentera depend on the outward and return departures you choose. For an organised excursion, they depend on the operator’s itinerary. A private charter has its own booked duration, which may limit how far you can travel and how much time you can spend ashore.
Avoid assuming that every trip returns at sunset. A late-afternoon arrival back in Ibiza is not necessarily a sunset cruise, and sunset times change through the season. If seeing the sunset from the water is important, choose a departure that explicitly offers that experience and check its timing for your date.
What to do during your time on Formentera
Spend the afternoon at one beach
If your trip includes a relatively short land stop, choose one beach and enjoy it rather than trying to see the whole island. Allow time to leave the port, reach the beach, have something to eat and return to the boarding point.
Ses Illetes is a popular choice after arriving at La Savina, but you still need to get there from the port. The walk from La Savina to Ses Illetes is listed by Formentera’s tourism board as 3.3 kilometres, taking about 50 minutes. Allow longer with children, beach bags or stops along the way, and decide whether walking leaves enough time for the beach visit you want.
Choose transport that fits the time available, and establish the return arrangements before settling onto the sand. Check beach conditions when you arrive and keep to marked access routes. If the transfer would leave very little time to relax, staying closer to the port may make for a better afternoon.
Make lunch the main event
A restaurant lunch can be enough of a plan on its own, particularly if the boat has already provided a swimming stop. Choose somewhere you can reach comfortably from your arrival point and tell the restaurant about any fixed reboarding time.
If you have a particular Formentera restaurant in mind, make that the focus of your time ashore rather than adding several other stops. Confirm its location, current menu and reservation directly, and leave enough time to return to the boat afterwards. The table and the journey there are separate arrangements unless your chosen package explicitly includes them.
If your excursion already includes a substantial lunch, keep the time ashore simpler. A walk, a coffee or a beach stop may be more appealing than paying for another full meal.
Add a village visit only if there is enough time
For a longer independent ferry day, you can combine a beach with a village stop, provided the transport works. With a shorter excursion stop, keep the itinerary close to the arrival point. Every additional destination adds another journey and another opportunity to lose track of the return time.
Build your day trip from Ibiza to Formentera around the part you most want to enjoy, whether that is the beach, lunch, cycling or a village visit. Choose one main destination first, then add a nearby stop only if the transport and return time leave room for it. An extra swim may be more enjoyable than another journey across the island.
For leisurely dinners and more than one beach day, consider splitting your holiday between Ibiza and Formentera rather than squeezing everything into an afternoon ashore. An overnight stay removes the same-day return deadline, but you still need accommodation and tickets that cover separate travel dates. Do not assume a day excursion can serve as a one-way transfer to your hotel.
A realistic plan for the day
For an organised excursion
Have breakfast and travel to the confirmed meeting point with the required check-in margin.
Follow the excursion’s sailing and swimming programme, keeping outdoor activities flexible if conditions change.
Eat on board if your ticket includes a meal, or use the planned land stop for lunch.
If there is free time ashore, choose one manageable activity and confirm where you need to rejoin the boat.
Return to Ibiza, allow time to reach your accommodation and leave dinner flexible.
This is a planning outline, not a timetable for a particular boat. Use the selected excursion’s instructions for actual departures, meals, stops and reboarding times.
For a ferry day
Choose an outward sailing that leaves enough time for the day you want. On arrival at La Savina, arrange your onward journey and head to your chosen beach or village. Keep lunch within that area rather than adding a long detour.
Set a time to leave the beach that accounts for the return journey, collecting belongings and boarding requirements at the port. Aim for the sailing you have planned rather than relying on the last possible departure as your only option.
For either format, avoid booking a tightly timed evening activity immediately after the expected return. You will still need to get back, shower, change and eat, and the boat’s arrival time may be affected by operating conditions.
Planning your Formentera boat trip with Clubtickets
Clubtickets can help you find a boat day that fits the way you want to visit Formentera. Choose an excursion with cruising and swimming stops if time on deck is part of the appeal, then check how much of the programme takes place offshore and whether you go ashore. Confirm the departure point before arranging transport; an outing promoted to Ibiza Town visitors may board elsewhere on the coast.
Compare an excursion with a straightforward ferry day
For a day built around your own beach and lunch plans, a ferry from Ibiza to Formentera may be the better fit. Choose outward and return sailings that leave enough time ashore, and check the operator, boarding point and ticket conditions. Include local transport and meals in the budget so you can compare the complete day with an organised excursion.
Neither format is automatically better value. An excursion may include useful extras but give you less time ashore. A ferry may suit your plans more closely, even after adding a bicycle rental or lunch. Compare the total day you are buying, not just the starting price.
Read the details of the exact ticket
The 2 Islands Boat Trip from Figueretas is an option to consider if you want a swimming stop as well as free time on Formentera. Its listed departure is not Ibiza Town’s main port, so plan the journey to Figueretas when comparing it with other outings. Food and drink arrangements differ by ticket type; check the selected date and package before booking.
That distinction is important when comparing trips from your hotel. A convenient departure elsewhere on the coast may still be a good choice, but allow for the journey there and back. Do not assume transfers, beach-club access, restaurant tables or club admission are included unless the selected package explicitly lists them.
Keep a copy of the booking confirmation and its meeting-point instructions available before you leave. Check the passenger information required and bring any identification requested. If an inclusion, age rule or access arrangement is unclear, ask before completing the purchase.
Leave space for weather changes and the rest of your holiday
Read the cancellation and rescheduling conditions of the specific booking. A change you request yourself is not necessarily treated in the same way as an operator cancellation. If the forecast changes, look for messages from the operator and contact the booking support team with your reference number rather than assuming the trip has been cancelled.
Leave a little flexibility around the boat day, especially if you are spending a week in Ibiza. Place Formentera between less demanding days so an early departure does not follow your latest night out. Avoid leaving the trip until a narrow gap before your flight home; having another suitable day available makes a change of plan easier to manage.
Visiting Formentera responsibly by boat
The clear water is part of Formentera’s appeal, and the habitats beneath it need protection. Anchoring over protected Posidonia seagrass is prohibited, as the island’s official boating guidance explains. Leave the choice of an appropriate anchorage or mooring to the skipper rather than asking to stop wherever the view looks best.
For a charter, ask how the operator plans its anchoring and shore visits. Flexibility should mean finding an appropriate alternative, not stopping wherever passengers request. On an organised excursion, follow the crew’s instructions about entering the water and using equipment.
Take your rubbish back with you, respect marked beach-access routes and leave wildlife undisturbed. Avoid choosing a trip on the strength of vague environmental claims alone. A sailing boat may still use an engine for part of the journey; clear operating practices are more informative than an unsupported promise of an entirely impact-free day.
What to bring on a Formentera boat trip
Swimwear, a towel and a light change of clothes.
Sun protection, sunglasses and a hat that stays secure in the wind.
A light layer for the crossing and return journey.
Suitable footwear for the boat and any planned time ashore.
A charged phone, booking confirmation and required identification.
A water-resistant pouch for essentials, especially if shore access involves a tender.
A payment card and some cash for expenses not included in the ticket.
Any personal essentials you need for a full day away from your accommodation.
Keep luggage compact and check the operator’s restrictions before bringing large bags, pushchairs or sports equipment. If you are travelling with children, include dry clothes and confirm what food is available rather than relying on the onboard menu suiting everyone.
Choose the trip that gives you the day you want
Choose a shared cruise for an arranged day of cruising and swimming, or a private catamaran if your group wants its own space. A sailing trip suits a quieter day centred on the journey. For music and a livelier atmosphere, look for a party cruise that explicitly includes Formentera and a clear return plan. If the beach, lunch and exploring the island matter most, a direct ferry may be the better fit.
Once you have chosen, settle the practical details: where to board, what is included, how much time you have ashore and how you will get back. Keep the island itinerary simple and leave room after the return. One good beach, an enjoyable meal and an unhurried journey make a better day than racing between places to tick them off.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you take a boat trip to Formentera from Ibiza Town?
Yes. Direct ferries connect Ibiza Town with Formentera, while excursion and charter options have their own departure arrangements. Check whether the selected trip leaves from the town’s port, a marina or a nearby location such as Figueretas. Do not treat those meeting points as interchangeable.
Is a boat excursion better than a ferry?
An excursion suits people who want cruising, swimming stops and an organised day on the water. A ferry is usually more suitable when the priority is exploring Formentera independently. Choose according to how you want to spend the day, and compare the full cost and time available ashore.
Does every Formentera boat trip include time on the island?
No. Some trips stay offshore, while others include disembarkation and free time. Look for the arrival point and shore arrangements in the itinerary. A swimming stop near a beach does not necessarily include access to that beach.
Can families join a Formentera boat excursion?
It depends on the specific trip. Check age restrictions, the atmosphere on board, safety equipment, shade, toilets and the duration. If those arrangements do not suit your children, a shorter outing or an independent ferry day may work better.
Are lunch and drinks included?
Only if they are listed for the ticket you choose. Packages can differ even on the same excursion. Check meal arrangements, the drinks selection, dietary options and whether you need to budget for lunch during time ashore.
Can you visit Formentera and return on the same day?
Yes, provided the selected ferry or excursion offers the return journey you need. Plan around your own ticket and boarding instructions. If you want an overnight stay, arrange accommodation and a transport option that explicitly permits the journey rather than assuming a day-trip ticket will work.
What happens if the weather affects the trip?
The operator may adjust the route, change a stop, reschedule or cancel according to conditions and its operating arrangements. Follow its updates and read the terms attached to your booking. Do not assume that every weather-related change results in the same refund or replacement options.
