Ses Illetes, Espalmador and the clearest water in the Mediterranean, reached by private crewed yacht from Ibiza or Mallorca. No ferries, no timetable, no crowds you didn't choose.
Formentera has no international airport, no motorway in from the mainland, and no easy way to arrive except by water. That single fact is why it has stayed the way it has: sandbanks the colour of a swimming pool, a coastline still mostly free of concrete, and a pace that owes nothing to Ibiza fifteen minutes across the channel. A yacht charter to Formentera is not a workaround for the lack of an airport; it is simply the correct way to see an island that was always meant to be approached from the sea. Ses Illetes, the sandspit that gives the island its postcard reputation, is genuinely as good as the photographs suggest, protected inside the Ses Salines natural park, with water so clear that the anchor chain is visible ten metres down.
TSB Yachting arranges fully crewed private yacht charter to Formentera from both Ibiza and Mallorca. Every charter comes with a professional skipper who knows the natural park's anchoring rules, which side of Ses Illetes is sheltered on a given wind direction, and when to leave early enough to beat the midday crowd off the sandbank. You need no licence, no sailing experience and no plan beyond a date. The route, the anchorages and the timing are built around your day and the forecast, not a fixed schedule. Most guests fly into Ibiza, where the crossing to Formentera takes well under an hour, making it the more practical base for a single day on the water.
Charters take three main shapes. A day charter from Ibiza is the most popular by far: out in the morning, back by early evening, with two or three stops between Ses Illetes, Espalmador and Cala Saona. A multi-day itinerary starting in Mallorca or Ibiza folds Formentera into a longer Balearic route, often paired with the west coast of Ibiza. And a private full-day charter departing directly from Formentera's own harbour at La Savina suits guests already staying on the island who want to see it properly from the water rather than from the beach.
Depart Ibiza Town or San Antonio, cross to Ses Illetes in under an hour, and spend the day moving between anchorages before returning at dusk. The simplest and most popular way to charter a yacht to Formentera.
Formentera as one stop on a longer charter from Mallorca or Ibiza, sleeping aboard and moving on to Es Vedrà, the Ibiza west coast or back across to the Mallorcan south-west.
Already staying on the island? We can charter directly from La Savina, so you spend the whole day on the water instead of crossing from Ibiza and back.
Formentera rewards patience with anchorage choice more than any other Balearic island. The difference between arriving at nine and arriving at noon is the difference between a private bay and a crowded one. These are the spots our skippers plan around.
The sandbank that made Formentera famous: shallow, turquoise water on both sides inside the Ses Salines natural park. Best before 11am or after 4pm, when the day-boat traffic from Ibiza thins out.
A private island just north of Formentera with a sheltered anchorage and the shallow lagoon of Estany des Peix. Quieter than Ses Illetes and, in our opinion, just as beautiful.
A smaller west-coast bay with reliable afternoon shelter and one of the best sunset outlooks on the island. A good final stop before the crossing back to Ibiza.
A working fishermen's cove on the east coast with excellent snorkelling over seagrass meadows and a handful of low-key restaurants a short tender ride from the anchorage.
Most of Formentera's best anchorages sit inside this protected marine reserve. Anchoring rules and permitted zones are stricter here than elsewhere in the Balearics. Our skippers hold the required permits.
Juan y Andrea, Beso Beach and Es Ministre are all reachable by tender from anchor. Tables in July and August need booking weeks ahead. We handle the reservation before you sail.
Nothing here is fixed. The route bends to the forecast and to what your group wants more of. But this is the shape a day charter from Ibiza usually takes, and a useful starting point for planning your own.
Board in Ibiza Town or San Antonio and cross south. Under favourable conditions the passage to Formentera takes thirty to forty-five minutes.
Anchor early, before the day-boats from Ibiza arrive in numbers. Swim, paddleboard and walk the sandbank while the water is at its clearest.
Move to the quieter anchorage at Espalmador, or take the tender to Juan y Andrea or Beso Beach for lunch on the sand.
Round to the west coast for the afternoon: sheltered water, a final swim, and the best light on the island as the sun drops.
Back across the channel, often with Es Vedrà catching the last of the light off the port side on the run home.
Operating across Ibiza, Formentera and Mallorca year-round. We know the anchorages, the park permits and which wind direction ruins which bay.
Every yacht we charter is personally inspected before it goes on our books. No tired interiors, no surprises at the dock.
Professional crew holding Spanish Maritime Authority certification and current Ses Salines anchoring permits.
Vessel, crew, beach club tables and transfers between Ibiza and Formentera handled by a single coordinator.
A Formentera charter carries its own particulars: natural park permits, tender transfers to beach clubs with no dock access, and a channel crossing that can be choppier than the anchorages either side of it. We itemise all of it up front.
A licensed professional skipper and a fuel allowance for the crossing and normal cruising are included in every quote, with the Ibiza–Formentera passage costed in from the start.
Ses Salines natural park anchoring authorisation and any required port formalities in Ibiza or La Savina, arranged before you board.
On-board catering, drinks packages, and beach club tables at Juan y Andrea, Beso Beach or Es Ministre booked ahead of the high-summer rush.
SeaBobs, paddleboards and snorkelling gear on request, plus transfers to your Ibiza hotel or villa so the day starts and ends at the dock, not the taxi rank.
Pairing Formentera with more of the Balearics? See our guides to Formentera by yacht and Ibiza by yacht, or our dedicated pages for boat charter in Ibiza, private boat hire across the Balearic Islands and catamaran charter.
Tell us your dates, your group and whether you're starting from Ibiza or Mallorca. We'll come back with the right boat, a suggested route and a clear, itemised price.
Check Formentera Availability