Formentera Rutes Verdes

This route, that takes just ten minutes by bicycle or half an hour of light walking, separates the inland town of Sant Ferran de ses Roques from the Es Ca Marí beach. This route, an alternative to the main road and much more direct, travels along the inland rural roads of Formentera. Along the way you will see one of the characteristic elements of the Formentera countryside, the dry stone walls that criss-cross the fields. These have several functions. They separate areas designed for different uses, they serve as borders around properties, they protect plants from the wind and they are a way of using stones that are removed from the fields so that they can be cultivated. They also act as a barrier and stop animals from jumping from one side to the other. In short, these walls show how humankind has shaped and organised the landscape over the years, making use of one of Formentera’s most abundant resources: stone. Farther down the road and before you reach the Migjorn beach, you will come across one of the defence towers that are dotted along the coast: The Es Pi des Català tower. Like the other four, it was used for raising the alarm in case of pirate attacks from the sea. It is in a strategic location and is visible from the watchtower at Es Cap.