Brown Book Loft Blog

If you are planning on working in Spain then you should pretty quickly embark on studying the language of the nation. There are more than 400 million people all over the world speaking Spanish, and in Spain they call their language Castellano rather than Spanish. The reason for that is that Spanish started in Castile, with the earliest writings found dating back to the 970s. This Castellano was based on the Arabic of the Muslim territories below it even though it was a Christian language. The reason that so many Spanish words start with ‘al’ is because of this Arabic influence. The Castellano of Valladolid is said to be the most pure form of the language, but that is just one of the many dialects across Spain.

If you don’t study the language then you are still going to be able to get around in Spain, but you certainly won’t get as much out of your stay, or be able to access the country’s rich culture. Spanish is not that complicated and the grammar is easy. Intonation is used to change meaning, rather than complex sentence structures, and the spelling is not too hard.

Six million people in Spain don’t speak Spanish – they speak Catalan. So if you are going to Formentera, or another Catalan area such as Ibiza, Mallorca or Menorca, then you should study Catalan. However, the locals in those areas do also speak Spanish. Other languages spoken in Spain are Galician and Basque, and the Basque region in particular is very proud of its language and cultural heritage. Galego, Catala and Euskera (Galician, Basque and Catalan) and official languages of Spain so if you are going to one of those areas, tailor your studies accordingly.

Where Catalan is similar to French, Galician sits somewhere in the middle of the languages of Castellano and Portuguese. For survival in the rural areas of Galicia, then you need to put the effort in to to learn the language, but if that is not the case then there is no need to bother with Galician. Across Alava, Guipuzoca and Vizcaya there are about one million speaks of Basque. The Basque language has no clear link to any other existing languages and is a real puzzle to lingusits. If you decide to tackle Basque then you certainly need patience, and be willing to put in the hard work.

Certainly then it is well worth studying a bit of Spanish if you are heading over to that part of the world. And if you are in one of the regions that has its own languages then you should make the effort to learn at least a few words.

If you are searching for a Formentera Guide then a reasonable option to check is the following site: http://www.formenteraguide.com/formentera-guide-book/

This article introduces you to come great places to visit if you go to Formentera: Ses Salines, Platja des Canyers, Cala Saona, and Espalmador.

Ses Salines is the name of the now defunct salt pans, and also of a beach that sits just behind them. The beach is worth a visit during the summer, and is far less busy than that of the nearby Llevant and resort of Es Pujols.

One of Formentera’s smaller beaches is Platja des Canyers, but it is eighty five meters of white sands and blue seas. It is notable because of the surrounding cliffs which are stunning. To get there just head to Es Pujols and turn off en route to Es Trucadors.

One of the best things about destinations in Formentera is the beautiful countryside that you have to travel through to get to them. That is certainly the case with Cala Saona where you cycle through fields of figs and forests of pine to get to one of the finest natural coves on the Balearic islands. It’s almost as beautiful as the journey.

Back in the sixteenth century the port of would have had 400 boats anchored at any one time. These were a mixture of trading and fishing vehicles. Today you can lie on the beach and try to imagine the scene all those years ago. But however noisy those young German tourists may be, it is hard to picture the place as a bustling port.

One of the perks of the area is the the nearby clifftop walks which you can enjoy. The most famous of these is Punta Rasa, which takes 30 minutes to get to, and delivers dramatic views as far as mainland Spain. Beneath the waters are a network of caves, so the area is popular with divers.

For the ultimate in convenience you can stay at thee hotel which is on top of the beach.

Espalmador is the island just north of Es Trucadors and is known for its sulphur mud baths. These do not have proven scientific benefit, but that doesn’t stop thousands of holidaymakers from rolling around in them naked. It is quite an amazing site to behold, and you may even see some mud wrestling.

If you are considering traveling to Ibiza then this website is fairly informative. Click: http://www.squidoo.com/Traveling-to-Ibiza

The Platja de Mitjorn is Formentera’s longest beach and runs along its southern coastline. Although Mitjorn means midday I would advise against sunbathing in Formentera’s midday sun, unless you have plenty of sunblock. Some say that the beach is five kilometers, others eight, it depends where you measure it from, but either way it is one of the longest on the Pine Islands. The most common measurement is from Es Pal Mas to Es Copinar. The strip is clear of buildings for the most part.

Since Platja de Mitjorn is such a long beach there are multiple access point to the sea. As you drive along the main highway that runs through Formentera’s Isthmus, the PM-820, you will see small paths and roads that connect to the ocean. Only those on bicycle and car get to travel down the narrow paths to the most secluded parts of the beach. Es Alrenals and Maryland at the Eastern end are the most developed part of the beach, with Riu Hotel, Es Arenals Hotel, and more.

If you twisted my arm and forced me to select one of Mitjorn’s areas as the best then I would recommend that you turn of at 8km. Actually it has nothing to do with the quality of sand or sea, and everything to do with food. You see the Italian restaurant Lucky is nestled away here, and it has some of the best fish on the island. After you have eaten you can pop across to see the hippies at Blue Bar.

As you head east you come to the beaches of Es Arenals and Maryland. These are resort-style hotels with tennis, table tennis, mini golf and swimming pools. They lack the authenticity of a farmhouse holiday, but have great facilities. To get to this part of Mitjorn you should turn off at the thirteen kilometer mark of the highway.

Tramuntana is another stunning beach that you can visit, and it is just the other side of Formentera’s Isthmus.

Formentera is the smallest of the amazing pine islands. To find our more about these amazing islands please visit the web site: http://hubpages.com/hub/Pine-Islands

People have been living on Formentera for more than 4,000 years, and there are archeological sited on the island that demonstrate this. Even without natural spring water Formentera attracted Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans. The Greek Stabo who died in 24AD referred to the island as Ophiusa, which means land of reptiles. When you walk along the paths today the geckos are still darting around 2,000 years later.

Romans farmed Formentera for wheat and figs, and this is reflected in the fact that they named it the island of wheat. Es Calo was a bustling port in Roman times, and carefully watched over by the fort of Castell Roma de Can Blai which is on a hill over Es Calo.

The Romans were followed by the Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans, but it wasn’t until the Catalans arrived that things really started to get organized. This was back in 1235 when the Catalan-Aragonese crown decided to occupy the island, and started by taking the unfortunate decision to kill most of the local Muslim population. They went on to form an administration, but the whole thing ended in disaster with the island being abandoned in the 1300s under endless pirate attacks and illness.

Formentera was occupied again in 1697 under the instruction of Carlos II of Spain, who sent explorer Marc Ferrer to get things going again. With the building of defense towers Formentera was better able to protect itself and by 1889 it was an independent municipality.

Until the twentieth century Formentera was sustained by farming of dry fruit trees and the manufacture of salt, but these days it is the tourism sector that makes the biggest contribution to the island. That is thanks to the hippies that came in the 1960s, from whom the word spread. Thanks to the hippies we have a great tourist destination to enjoy – thanks Bob Dylan!

From when you get to at Lasabina formentera port you are delighted by a great island. For further information visit: http://www.squidoo.com/Sabina-Formentera

The finest beaches on Formentera not on Es Pujols, but are to be found on the Trucador peninsula, which is a long stretch of flat land that reaches out from the north of Formentera. It is virtually connected to the neighboring island of Espalmador. It is made up of shallow warm waters that sparkle in the sun, and uninterrupted white beaches.

If you want to visit Es Trucadors it is an easy trip just out of Port de la Savina. You can either walk or rent a bicycle, and then head along Es Cavall d’en Borras. As you go up with see the Ses Salines saltworks on your right, and walk over the inlet that lets freshwater into Estany Pudent to keep it from getting too stinky. Once you get to the old mill of Moli des Carregador you are at the start of Es Trucadors.

Once you have got past Past Moli des Carregador you will walk along the peninsula’s western edge and discover a number of wonderful beaches, each with its own name: Es Moli de Sal, El Pirata, Big Sur, El Tiburon, Juan y Andrea and Es Ministere. These beaches look out onto the islets of Illa Tramuntana, Illa Rodona, and Illa des Pouet. It is these islets that give the western edge the name of Ses Illetes. The eastern edge is made up of a straight white beach called Llevant.

The LLevant beach is made up of Llevant Beach and Tanga Beach. As you look down the coastline the white sands are seemingly endless. There are no buildings to spoil the view and you can enjoy uninterrupted nature. This is one of the Mediterranean’s best beaches and if you follow it down south bound it leads to Ses Salines, Platja de Sa Roqueta and Platja des Canyers.

If you go right to the top of Es Trucadors then you reach a strip of sand around 30 meters in width that have the ocean on either side. You can’t beat a double beach! And just north of that is Es Pas – the stretch of water that separates Formentera from Espalmador.

If the eastern side of Es Trucadors is windy then you can just head over to the western side, and vice versa. Thanks to the geography of the island it is never the case that both sides are windy at the same time.

To get from La Savina to Es Trucadors you won’t need to worry about car rental formentera, but if you are going further on the island then you many find this resource helpful: http://www.squidoo.com/car-rental-formentera

When you arrive at the island of Formentera it will be at its port of La Savina. With no airport on the island this is where everyone arrives, and indeed leaves. The yachts that you see here are pretty fancy – there is some serious money sailing into the port during the summer. You can stay in La Savina for your vacation, for example at Hotel Savina, but there are also plenty of other options which we will discuss in this article.

Another place that you can stay is Hostal La Savina. Despite its name it is not a hostel, but more like a boutique hotel. It recently had new blinds and sunshades installed and it has a pretty decent menu. The food caters to German and Italian tastes. In terms of facilities it is pretty basic, but you get a hairdryer, fridge and satellite TV as standard. It has quite a high percentage of repeat guests as some people like to be near the ferry terminal.

Estany des Peix and Estany Pudent are just a short walk from the the port of La Savina. These natural saltwater lagoons have pathways running around them, and the wetlands are rich nature reserves. You can see all manner of birds here, and during the summer months there are even flamingos. One of the problems with the lagoons is that Estany Pudent can get quite smelly during the summer when its sulphur reserves bubble up.

When you arrive at La Savina you will see that there is a tourist information office right there at the ferry terminal. The staff inside are very friendly and will be able to answer all your questions. Most tourists just want to know how to hire a bike and get to Es Trucadors, and the Tourist Office will be able to set you up. In fact it only takes 20 minutes of cycling along the coastline of Es Cavall d’en Borras in order to reach the best beaches on the island.

The port of La Savina also has some cultural points of interest, including the old prisoner of was camp Es Campament. Hundreds were held here during the Spanish Civil War, and the area has an eerie feeling about it.

La Savina Formentera is the island’s port and you can find out more about it if you view this overview. It’s pretty useful http://hubpages.com/hub/Savina-Formentera

Es Calo is an old fishing port and Es Pujols is the modern mecca of resort entertainment. In this article we look at these contrasting Formentera locations. Whilst La Savina is the port these days it used to be Es Calo that was the main point of transportation for sandstone, charcoal and wood. People living in Pilar de La Mola found the location very handy as Es Calo is at the foot of Cami Roma. Today there are also some good fish restaurants in the village, which is to be expected given its heritage.

Es Calo has Ses Plagetes just up the road, which is one of the best beaches on the island, although it can get pretty windy in the afternoons. That is not an issue because you can just cross the PM-820 to Mitjorn beach anyway. Don’t forget to bring your snorkel as Es Calo is home to lots of marine life attracted by the rocks.

At just five minutes away from Es Calo Ses Plagetes is very convenient as it provides protection from the winds and you get a decent view of La Mola.

Unlike Es Calo, the resort of Es Pujols has lost much of the old fishing port character. Whilst there are still a few boat huts around, this place is more dedicated to jet skis than fishing boats. In fact you will see all sorts of water sports here, from divers popping out of the ocean, to kayaks bobbing on the waves. It’s everything that you would expect of a resort location.

No holiday resort would be complete without a good range of souvenirs to buy, and Es Pujols has a ton of market stalls along Passeig des Plameres (the high street) and Passeig des Plameres (the promenade along the beach. You will note that some of the sellers are aging hippies that stayed on after the 1960s.

If you are looking for an Ibiza-style wild night then you will not find it on Formentera, but the island does have some night clubs in Es Pujols.

For further information on Formentera life this site is pretty interesting. : http://www.infobarrel.com/Formentera_Life

It’s an easy trip to Formentera, but you can’t get there by plane as there is no airport. There is a helipad, but you need to book well in advance to be able to use it. The most conventional route is to take a ferry from one of the mainland Spanish ports (Barcelona, Denia, Alicante) or from one of the Balearic Island ports of Ibiza Town or Palma. You will arrive at the port of La Savina, and if you are coming from Ibiza the crossing will only take you around thirty minutes.

The length of time that you decide to stay on Formentera will dictate where you decide to go. For example, most day trippers just head up to the stunning white beaches of the northern peninsula known as Es Trucadors. If you need some help planning your trip then you can pop into the Tourist Information Office, which is just opposite the ferry. There is also another one that is in the village of Sant Francesc.

The incredible stretch of white sand beaches, islets, coves, and turquoise waters that make up Es Trucadors has views out to S’Espalmador and Es Vedra. And that is not the only natural beauty on display as this part of the island is a hot spot for naturism. To get to the beaches is just a 15 minute cycle from the port of La Savina. Then you can roam free.

Book early! There are so few houses on Formentera, and a limited number of hotels, that you need to plan your vacation carefully. From the desolate farmhouses of El Pilar de la Mola to the frenetic resort hotels of Es Pujols, this small island has a lot to offer the visitor. Your choice should be dictated by the type of vacation you want, but do bear in mind that the island is just 82 kilometers in circumference so wherever you end up is in striking distance of the other attractions.

Es Pujols is the island’s only real resort so this is a popular choice. It has a frenetic pace relative to the other parts of the island, and there is a throng of young Italians and Germans teeming the streets at all hours of day and night. A more sedate, and central location would be the village of Sant Francesc, which is the island’s capital.

For more information on Formentera tourism this article is fairly useful, so visit http://hubpages.com/hub/formentera-tourism