Formentera’s calling card is its beach scene. The smallest of Spain's Balearic Islands is known as the ‘last paradise’ because there’s a blanket ban on beachfront buildings, and the island’s sands are uniformly long, white and unspoilt. Most of them come with Blue Flag status, too, including the five-mile stretch at Migjorn.
Despite being just 17 kilometres from Ibiza, Formentera is a million miles away in terms of personality. While Ibiza burns the candle at both ends, Formentera’s flames flicker gently in the laid-back harbour-side restaurants of La Savina, and the lantern-lit hippy markets of El Pilar de la Mola. Even the island’s capital has go-slow as its default setting. San Francisco is built around an unhurried central square, where notice boards advertise massages and yoga classes.
That’s not to say there’s no nightlife on Formentera. Es Pujols, on the island’s north coast, has a collection of cocktail bars and open-air street cafes, which are open until the early hours. And if it’s bright lights you’re after, it’s easy to catch a boat over to Ibiza.