Accessible
To rent
Showers
Toilets
Litter bins
Parking
Restaurant/Beach bar
Lifeguard
Playa de Formentor is one of the most charming beaches in Mallorca. It is located in an idyllic spot on the Formentor peninsula, in the northern most part of the Balearic island, where Sierra de Tramuntana ends (or begins), depending on how you look at it.
It is located at the end of the s’Estanyol torrent, which also passes through Cala Figuera, another beautiful cove of Mallorca which is only 5km away, so we recommend that you take advantage of the same day to get to know both and end up enjoying one of the best sunsets on the island at Cap de Formentor (Formentor lighthouse).
Playa de Formentor is a fairly wide beach, 840 metres long and 8 metres wide from the vegetation zone to the water. It is surrounded by dense pine forests, its sand is pearly and it is bathed by clean, turquoise waters. A real paradise!
How to get to Playa de Formentor
There are several ways to get to Playa de Formentor, although during the summer months it is best to use public transport.
If you are going to visit the island in winter and you like to travel adventurously, without timetables and independently, we recommend that you rent a vehicle, either a car or a motorbike. You will enjoy more freedom and you will be able to decide what you want to see and discover at any time, stopping and restarting whenever you want, at your own pace.
If you are not sure which means of transport is for you, you can check the different options here. If you finally choose to rent a car, this search engine shows you multiple options for you to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Playa de Formentor car park and restrictions
When you arrive at Playa de Formentor, if you come by car or motorbike, you will have to leave your vehicle in a paying car park. Rates vary from €0.042/min to a maximum of €12 per day.
This car park has a limited number of spaces, which are divided between people who spend the day at Formentor beach and people who want to visit the Formentor Lighthouse.
Restrictions on the Formentor Lighthouse
For protection reasons this sensitive and environmentally sensitive area, with one of the highest landscape values in Mallorca, between the 1 June and 1 September, the acces along the road leading to the Faro de Formentor lighthouse in a private vehicle will be restricted from 10am to 22:30pm.
There will be two levels of restriction where only authorised vehicles, public transport, emergency services and bicycles will be allowed to pass:
- 1st level. From 2km to 8.7km, it starts at the Port de Pollença roundabout and goes to the beach, where the hotel car park is located).
- 2nd level, from 8.7km to 19.6km, i.e. from the beach to the Faro de Formentor lighthouse.
Even so, the restrictions apply to the entire Formentor peninsula, so to access the car park with your vehicle you will need an accreditation that can be requested three working days before accessing the car park or within three days of accessing it. Authorised vehicles must park in the designated parking areas and parking on the verges is strictly forbidden.
In this link you will find the information and the e-mail address where you can request your access permission.
Getting to Playa de Formentor by public transport
Public transport in Mallorca has improved in recent years, which we are pleased about, as we would like to encourage and support its use as a green and sustainable measure for the island. Even so, as we have already mentioned on other occasions, it is still far from being an efficient and sufficient alternative.
One of the improvements is the possibility to pay by credit card. The incorporation of this means of payment, among other things, has made it possible to make transfers without having to pay for each jump.
However, by validating the card both on entry, at the time of payment, as well as on departure. Don’t forget, otherwise the transfer will not be effective and you will have to pay every time you take a new bus.
To get to Formentor beach by bus (red and yellow TIB buses), from any point on the island, you will first have to go to the area of Port de Pollença (Puerto Pollensa) in the bus line leaving from your area and once there make a transfer and take the line 334which operates only in summer.
Another option is to get to Playa de Formentor by taxi. From Puerto Pollensa, for example, it would cost around €25, but bear in mind that if you are coming from a distant location the price will be considerably higher. In this article we tell you how taxi services in Mallorca work and give you approximate prices.
Getting to Playa de Formentor by bicycle
Mallorca is a destination of choice for many cyclists and cycle touring enthusiasts. The Cabo de Formentor area is also one of the most frequented by two-wheel enthusiasts.
If you are one of those who like to travel along conventional and regional roads, practice a responsible and respectful type of tourism, do sport, be in contact with nature and admire the landscape, you could reach Playa de Formentor by bicycle.
In this article we give you some tips that you should take into account if you want to get around Mallorca by bike, as well as a map with the best cycling routes that we have designed for you and that we are sure you will love. We’ve already told you that the Formentor area… is one of them!
Ascent to the Mirador de Es Colomer by bicycle
If you are one of those who have decided to reach Playa de Formentor by bicycle, you are facing a considerable challenge, as as soon as you leave Port de Pollença behind, the ascent to the mountain range of the Formentor peninsula begins.
In only 6.42km you will have climbed 200 metres, which means an average gradient of 5.9% and, at times, 10.1%, a professional gradient that requires strong legs to overcome, so we want to warn you and that you take it into account if you decide to do it. Moreover, if you come in summer, the challenge becomes a feat due to the high temperatures.
When you reach the Es Colomer viewpoint you will have reached the highest point of your journey to Playa Formentor and you could well take a well-deserved rest and admire the impressive views that this place has to offer.
Once you leave the viewpoint behind, the road to the beach goes downhill along a narrow, winding road with breathtaking views that will take your breath away.
If you are one of those who are fit, we definitely encourage you to make the bike trip to Playa de Formentor. It is a unique experience!
Getting to Playa de Formentor by boat
If the road is not your thing and you are thinking of a pleasant trip feeling the sea breeze, we recommend you a a boat tour that covers the entire Formentor peninsula starting in Alcudia, passing by the best beaches in the area and ending at the majestic cliffs of Cap de Formentor.
You can also rent a boat on your own with skipper or a boat without a licence and be your own skipper from the nearest port, which is located in Port de Pollença at about 10 nautical miles.
The bay of Pollensa, and specifically the area of Playa de Formentor, has good conditions for anchoring, which is why it is common to see the presence of boats during the summer months, especially charter sailboats. Even so, it is worth knowing that due to its location on the southern side of the Formentor peninsula, caution should be exercised if the winds come from the southeast, south or southwest.
Services of Playa de Formentor
During the summer season Playa de Formentor offers a sun lounger and parasol rental service so that you can take shelter from the heat. Los precios no son baratos. Be prepared to pay around €30 for a set of sunbeds plus parasol.
If you don’t want to waste a single minute preparing your meal before leaving home, you can also make use of the bar and restaurant services. The beach has two, one buffet-style and the other a little more sophisticated where you can enjoy fish, pizzas and hamburgers.
The beach also has showers and toilets, so you can wash off the saltpetre at the end of the day.
Because of the availability of all these services and because the sea is usually calm, Playa de Formentor is a very family-friendly beach. If you have children they can play in complete peace of mind and so will you, as there is a lifeguard on duty from 10am to 6pm.
What to do in Playa de Formentor
What If you have an active spirit and you know you haven’t come to Playa de Formentor to lie on your towel all day, don’t forget to take your snorkelling goggles and snorkel with you to go snorkelling in Playa de Formentor. At the bottom you will find alternating areas of sandy beaches and rocky areas, which are further away from the shore, and you can enjoy contemplating the variety of its marine fauna.
It is also a good beach for swimming, although you will have to be careful not to go beyond the area set aside for bathers as there is a lot of anchoring of boats and it can be dangerous.
If you want to practice other types of activities or water sports, you will find the water sports and activities company Esports Nàutics Formentor, which offers kayak, windsurfing, paddle surfing, pedal boats and small catamarans for hire.
Out of the water, you could take a hiking trail to discover other beaches in the area. We recommend that you take the opportunity to visit Cala Figuera and Cala Murta, about 5km away. To get there, from the Playa de Formentor car park, continue towards the Formentor lighthouse until you come to the Cala Figuera junction, which turns off to the left at kilometre 13.5.
If, on the other hand, you are one of those who have travelled to Mallorca to de-stress and unwind from the stress of everyday life, you can sunbathe on your towel or read a good book in the shade of the pine trees. It is also a fabulous option.
Curiosities: cultural and historical site
The “civilisation” of this place began after the construction of the immense Hotel Formentor in 1931, which guards the heights of the area. This hotel was the personal work of the Argentine poet and law graduate Adán Diehl.
Adam, who had a considerable fortune, arrived in Paris after several trips around the world. There he met Anglada Camarasa, who presented him with his painting Formentor after the Storm. This painting had such an impact on him that he decided to visit Pollença in 1921.
Adán ended up buying the land of Formentor from Miquel Costa i Llobera for 520,000 pesetas and decided, together with his wife María Elena Popolicio, to build an immense 50-room hotel that ended up becoming a meeting place for painters and writers of the time.
This hotel, after passing through several hands, now belongs to the Four Seasons hotel group and is immersed in a major renovation and controversy as the old hotel has been completely demolished when they only had a licence to renovate and extend it.
The political groups Junts Avançam, Alternativa and Unides Podem de Pollença and the GOB are the main opponents to this construction, which they call “illegal” because they do not have the appropriate licences to carry out the works that are currently underway.
The city council has ordered the cessation of all construction work until everything is clarified and the legality of what is happening in the Hotel Formentor is clear, while the hotel has already completed three new floors in its structure.
It is unclear when it will reopen.
Accommodation near Playa de Formentor
You won’t find accommodation on the Formentor peninsula, as it was declared a World Heritage Site in 2011 and is therefore a protected area.
If you are travelling on a very flexible budget and want to enjoy the comforts of a magnificent hotel, this five-star hotel will be one of the most luxurious and exclusive in Mallorca. Its location is incredible and considering the category of hotels belonging to the Four Seasons company, it is sure to offer services in keeping with its category.
But as we just told you, it is not yet known when it will open, until then you have more options, like Playa de Formentor which is located very close to Port de Pollença, a charming fishing village that we recommend as a place to stay on the island. Do you want to stay there? You can enter your dates and check the availability of accommodation in the search engine provided.
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