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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Tourists can't believe how much they're charged for beer at Ibiza's newest club: 'It's just plainly indefensible'
Tourists are being charged an eye-watering amount for beer at Ibiza's newest club. The hotspot has seen iconic venue Ku Club officially reopen as UNVRS, which promises to provide immersive indoor experiences with the help of technology. Its website says: 'UNVRS is not just a venue, it's a blueprint for the future of entertainment. It creates a new reality for nightlife - one where the boundaries are not merely pushed, but redefined.' The colossal venue, which opened last week, boasts a 10,000-person capacity and is instantly recognisable thanks to a towering crashed UFO sculpture at the entrance. Inside, guests can enjoy open-air terraces with sweeping views of Formentera island, along with high-energy performances from dancers throughout the night. However, the super club's drinks menu has caused a stir with visitors. Posting on web forum Reddit, one user shared the menu, which reveals water is charged at €15 (£12). Soft drinks such as Coca Cola and Sprite, meanwhile, cost €15 per bottle. Posting on web forum Reddit , one user shared the menu, which reveals water will even be charged at €15 (£12) The super club is charging €18 for a pint of Heineken, with wine and rosé also costing the same When it comes to beers, a Heineken costs a staggering €18 (£15), while a glass of white wine or rosé costs the same. A Malibu will set you back €22 (£18) or for one euro more you can order it alongside a mixer. Moet and Chandon champagne is also on the menu, with a bottle costing €55 (£46). Reacting, one person angrily said: '18 euros for a f****** Heineken? lol The one and only time I went to Hi they actually measured the spirits as well so you don't even get a good free pour.' A second blasted: 'I know it's how Ibiza works but I'll never understand charging 15 euros for water or a Coke Zero. You don't even get that at festivals. It's just plainly indefensible.' Hollywood actor Will Smith was drafted in by nightclub bosses to promote its reopening, with the Men In Black star even appearing in a social media campaign.
Times
21-05-2025
- Times
The Balearics are calling — these are the islands' loveliest villas
My first family holiday out of Ireland was a fortnight on Menorca when I was seven. I remember being impressed by Spanish lollipops with bubblegum inside, which cost five pesetas. I liked the beach just fine but I was more intrigued by the dusty hills, the dark mouths of caves, the strong, mysterious breezes that would rake the pines overhead. The peculiar allure of that island I have since come to recognise as a signature murmur heard across the Balearics. By the time I went to Ibiza with a friend — when we were both at the youngest end of our 18-30 package tour group — 'Balearic' also referred to a nebulous subgenre of house and trance music deployed on the dancefloors of Amnesia and Ku. Those superclubs were then in their mid-Nineties pomp, but my best memories of that trip are the bleary sunrises and hungover boat rides over luminous blue meadows of seagrass. Living in Madrid for the past decade, I have hopped on a lot of short, cheap flights back to Ibiza, though usually in winter when the clubs are shuttered and local life ticks over at a pace and volume better suited to my advancing years. In that time, the visitor demographics have grown and spread on all four of the main Balearic islands — Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera — from the summer charter market to encompass quieter holidays for nature lovers, longer stays in the off-season, and glam options for those who arrive by yacht to occupy the VIP booths at venues like the spanking new 'hyperclub' [UNVRS] (opening this summer where Ku used to be). The corresponding villa rental business is booming and the very definition of that term might now be stretched to historic Mallorcan townhouses, Menorcan hillside eco-lodges, former farms on Formentera, and luxury compounds atop Ibizan cliffs. Some make handy coastal bases for beach and bar excursions, others take up such remote positions in island interiors that they qualify as genuine retreats for solitary couples or whole extended families. Swimming pools and barbecue pits come as standard these days, but there's always something distinctive about a villa stay on the Balearics — not just the location or design of the property itself, but the angle at which it reflects that particular cast of sunlight off the Mediterranean, and receives that distinctive whispering breeze. Sitting on the roof terrace of your rental, or half asleep in a hammock strung between citrus trees, you could swear you were hearing the same call that coaxed ancient Phoenicians to these shores 3,000 years ago. Or it might just be the bass from a sound system in the distance. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Sleeps 4 The farm built by the owner Lucas Prats's grandfather on this site, high on a hill near the centre of the island, gives its modern iteration a pastoral appeal. Olive and citrus trees grow between the free-standing garden suites, villas and holiday homes since added by Prats and his family. Some fall within a 'traditional' zone of architecture around the original farmhouse; other units are sleek and contemporary. The overall feel is something like a sleepy rural hamlet, perfectly positioned for sunset views all the way down to the Med. Nearby, the village of San Rafael hosts various food and craft markets throughout the week. Details Seven nights' self-catering for four from £4,770 ( Fly to Ibiza • Read our full guide to Ibiza Sleeps 12The architect Rolf Blakstad lovingly modelled Can Nemo on traditional Ibizan fincas — sturdy white stone walls, imposing timber doors — looking east to sunrise from the cape just beyond the bars and beaches of Ibiza Town. Inside it's hypermodern, from the kitchen attended by private chefs (there is also a clay pizza oven and a barbecue pit elsewhere on the property) to a silo-style wine cellar and a basement cocktail bar and disco room that doubles as a cinema. There are 15,000 sq m of gardens, including an area inlaid with a curved pool and hot tub as well as earthier elements such as a roomy chicken coop, whose residents keep the place stocked with free-range Seven nights' full board for 12 from £25,550 ( Fly to Ibiza Sleeps 12Only a ten-minute drive from Ibiza Town and the destination beaches of Bossa and Cavallet, this modernist villa nevertheless feels pretty secluded behind thick shrouds of palms. Within lies a main house with several bedrooms, as well as a separate casita and a bedroom built into a treehouse. Other standout touches include the onsite tennis court, sauna and meditation room, and an outdoor pool with surround-sound music. The house cook makes breakfast every morning, with other meals catered on Seven nights' B&B for 12 from £20,393 ( Fly to Ibiza • 17 of the best hotels in Ibiza Sleeps 10Many Ibizan villas have a chic rustic look but this compound takes the opposite approach, towards cutting-edge minimalism. It's deep in the northeast wilds of the Morna Valley, and its clean, cubist lines stand out against the pines to make a Balearic fortress of solitude. The bedrooms, with huge picture windows, feel part of the wraparound gardens and there is a gorgeous alfresco dining space, where a Sonos sound system plays clear across the saltwater pool and yoga deck. Forest trails lead over the hills to north coast beaches and lookouts. Details: Seven nights' self-catering for ten from £26,120 ( Fly to Ibiza Sleeps 12The owner-architects Diego Alonso and Alexeja Pozzoni put all their taste and training into reworking a 17th-century monastery in Ibiza's northern hills. Beams of juniper and Ibiza's native sabina wood frame a house fitted with a sauna, massage room and glass-walled yoga studio, while the main bedroom is built into a separate casita over manicured Balinese gardens. There are two pools out there — one saltwater, one 'natural' — and an alfresco dining space big enough for a banquet. The setting is maximally rural but you're not far from the landmark fortified church of Sant Miquel village, nor the island's best bullit de peix (fish stew) in Port Balansat. Details Seven nights' self-catering for 12 from £20,640 ( Fly to Ibiza Sleeps 28For those looking to go large literally on Ibiza, here is a renovated townhouse in the old quarter of the capital which a single party can take over as a complete, serviced villa. Its five storeys are stacked with 14 bedrooms, rising to a penthouse terrace suite and rooftop pool overlooking the walled medieval citadel, Dalt Vila. Inside you've got lounges, bars and a full wellness area with a yoga studio and steam room. Outside you've got the Old Town and marina, with the landmark nightclub Pacha and restaurants such as Ibiza Food Studio practically next door. Details Seven nights' self-catering for 28 from £9,502 ( Fly to Ibiza • The historic side of the island that everyone knows for partying Sleeps 9The west coast of Ibiza looks out to the pyramidal islet Es Vedra, which has long been a vector for weird legends, UFO sightings and so on. It's the island's totemic focal point for sunset-viewing, and this simple modern villa gives you the full panorama from the 'infinity edge' of its swimming pool. Drinks at dusk at this elevation may be as sublime an experience as Ibiza can offer. It's about two miles downhill to the beaches of Cala Carbo and Cala d'Hort — the latter home to the seafood restaurant El Seven nights' self-catering for nine from £3,836 ( Fly to Ibiza Sleeps 12The Ses Salines Nature Reserve stretches all the way over the channel from Ibiza to north Formentera, crossing salt deposits, seagrass meadows and green coastal fields to reach the gates of this country villa. Surrounded by Mediterranean gardens and covered with bright spillages of bougainvillea that seem an organic part of the park, the grounds extend to an outdoor pool and courts for volleyball and badminton (as well as a full gym). Insulated as it feels, the house is only a ten-minute walk from Migjorn Beach, which forms a chain of rocky and sandy coves along the south coast, where there are many points en route for seafood or cocktails. Details Seven nights' self-catering for 12 from £20,280 ( Fly to Ibiza Sleeps 8A modern villa annexed to a little country house, this one delivers on two key promises of Formentera by way of breezy seaside tranquillity and proximity to the gilded nightlife of the capital, Sant Francesc. Super-stylish but unflashy, the design favours Balearic white stone walls and native woods. Beyond the sunbeds and hammocks arrayed around the pool and garden, nature trails lead straight out of the gate to the beach at Cala Saona, to the lighthouse at Cap Barbaria and to the capital's growing locus of boutiques, bars and Seven nights' self-catering for eight from £2,100 ( Fly to Ibiza Sleeps 12The house is a gem, distinguished by an especially lovely attic room, a library, and an outdoor pool, lounge and dining area under a thatched canopy. But the location adds immense value: a large herb-scented garden blurs into surrounding vineyards and beyond to the lighthouse at Faro de la Mola, its beam winking over the starry Med by night. La Mola is little more than a mile away for excursions to shops and bars, with a secluded beach, Es Calo des Mort, only a little further Seven nights' self-catering for 12 from £7,150 ( Fly to Ibiza Sleeps 6A modern villa built in 2019, this is styled like an exclusive beach club set on a pine-forested hill over the northwest coast. Interiors are fresh and stylish — all Dutch furniture and whitewashed walls — and there's an emphasis on outdoor living by way of an alfresco kitchen, fire pit, tennis court and swimming pool. It's right on the edge of Can Marroig too, a former estate turned nature reserve with natural pools in disused quarries, protected habitats for native birds such as the Balearic shearwater, and a prime dive site around an undersea rock Seven nights' self-catering for six from £4,120 ( Fly to Ibiza Sleeps 4A relatively small and simple option geared towards the traditional quietude of Formentera: a two-bedroom bungalow in classic Balearic blue and white, with a fireplace, terracotta tiling and some nicely chosen artworks. It opens to one of those covered garden verandas that allow for all-day dining and lounging. Migjorn Beach nearby begins a stretch of white sands and sheltered coves, with the idyllic fishing village Es Calo almost as Seven nights' self-catering for four from £1,449 ( Fly to Ibiza Sleeps 12A Mallorcan country house in a garden of palm and fruit trees, with the Serra de Tramuntana mountains as a painterly backdrop and the culture-rich medieval town of Pollensa just out of view. Recent restoration work preserved the traditional stone walls, wood beams and classical archways while adding smart modern lighting and entertainment systems. Besides the large pool and orchard-view terrace, the big sell for many will be a full leisure annexe with pool and football tables, exercise equipment and a separate hangout Seven nights' self-catering for 12 from £7,968, including flights ( Sleeps 10 This one has the trifecta many seek on Mallorca: an outdoor pool, a seabird's vantage over the Med, and equally easy access to town and beach. The garden terrace looks unobstructed over the southeast edge of the island, and it's a short walk downhill to the sand at Cala Esmeralda or dockside bars and restaurants in Cala d'Or. Cooking within the villa itself is easy and appealing enough to stay put — there's a fully kitted kitchen and a substantial barbecue area out on the Seven nights' self-catering for 10 from £5,880, including flights ( • Read our full guide to Mallorca Sleeps 7Most Mallorca villas are at least a little out of town, but this slots neatly into the historical centre of Pollensa at the north end of the island — a five-storey townhouse with a beautiful façade built from the same yellow stone as surrounding architecture (mostly 17th and 18th century). The interior rises from an open-plan ground-level lounge to a top-floor master bedroom overlooking those timewarped rooflines, and the sweetest touch is a private pool terrace that fills the outer courtyard. Pollensa's market, beach, medieval churches and central square Placa Major are effectively around the Seven nights' self-catering for seven from £1,718 ( Fly to Mallorca Sleeps 11Big enough for almost a dozen, with a child-friendly dorm-style bedroom, this south-coast villa rolls out across various outdoor dining and lounging spaces so guests can also look west to sunset over the Med from the pool or roof terrace at dusk. Son Bou beach is just downhill through a small, sleepy residential area, and the location makes a perfect jump-off point for exploring some of the island's most isolated coves and sea caves in rented boats or Seven nights' self-catering for 11 from £6,127, including flights ( • 25 of the best hotels in Mallorca Sleeps 2More a chalet than a complex, this whitewashed bungalow is concentrated on simple, essential pleasures: a private pool with loungers under almond trees, and a cooling, cane-covered porch oriented toward the sunrise. The interior is a cosy open-plan arrangement of kitchen and living room, and surrounding land leads out through orchards into the Tramuntana mountains — prime hiking, cycling, and climbing territory — with the small, sweet central Mallorcan village of Selva a short walk Seven nights' self-catering for two from £1,904 ( Fly to Mallorca Sleeps 10The garden really sells this hillside ranch, with 18-acre grounds across a northwestern valley of olive and orange groves. There are many shaded places to sit or eat half hidden out there under ancient trees while the main house uses lots of local wood inside for added organic effect, from walls to wardrobes to ceiling beams. It's not unduly rustic though: you've also got a cinema room and a big modern kitchen for cooking with the olive oil made on-site. Soller itself is the closest place to eat out, an incredibly attractive town with an outstanding art museum at Can Prunera ( Seven nights' self-catering for ten from £4,582 ( Fly to Mallorca Sleeps 6Rentals are hard to come by in and around the pretty northern fishing village of Cala San Vicente, most local villas being private summer retreats for Spanish owners. This house in the residential outskirts has more character than surrounding properties too, all exposed beams and stones with a lovely lounge on the balcony and a walled garden terrace around the pool. Four separate beaches are a short walk away in turquoise coves under sheer cliffs, and an hour's gentle hike will bring you to Puerto Pollensa for lunch at the new marina. Details Seven nights' self-catering for six from £4,669, including flights, care hire and concierge services ( Sleeps 22That very cool name for a villa — the Eagle's Beak — testifies to the prime hilltop position chosen by the merchant family who built their weekend retreat here almost 200 years ago. It's isolated in a hikeable expanse of central countryside, and a recent restoration revived the best original features: vaulted ceilings, Cuban tiles, a country club living room with a marble bar and library. Eleven bedrooms make room for a big crowd of guests but the set-up allows everyone to spread out across the yoga studio, cinema, and ceramic workshop, with Balinese sunbeds at the pool pavilion in a French-style landscaped Seven nights' full board for 22 from £20,300 ( Fly to Menorca Sleeps 14A 74-acre estate near the island's southeast beaches, this villa sprawls across a private vineyard, mini-golf course, pétanque court and bowling lanes, not to mention two outdoor pools and a hot tub. The interior is modern-Mediterranean; it houses a library, lounge and screening room personalised with the owners' tasteful art. Their passions are also geared toward the gardens, where the grapes, olives, and lavender yield wines, honeys, and oils so good they're used by chefs in Paris (and by the optional house cook right here in the villa kitchen). A housekeeper and concierge service is Seven nights' self-catering for 14 from £12,191 ( Fly to Menorca • Read our full guide to Menorca Sleeps 13At the edge of Alcaufar, a small fishing village on the southeast coast, this property descends to its own private cave, converted into a summer hangout. A concrete platform drops directly into the Med, with a buoy just offshore that guests can rent to tie up small boats out front. It's a fine spot for sailing, the local cove and beach being the very spot where the French landed to retake the island from the British in 1756. Wrapped inside a large garden, the house itself makes for a pretty singular Seven nights' self-catering for 13 from £6,470 ( Fly to Menorca Sleeps 14An actual working finca here, on a 2,500-acre plot home to pigs, cattle and Menorcan horses that you can ride along the isolated trail to the north coast beach of Cala Pilar. That remoteness is a big part of the appeal, with a main farmhouse, a separate lodge in a converted cowshed and an outdoor pool in fields of almonds, olives, herbs and vegetables. Design-wise it's all fittingly traditional: whitewashed walls, rattan furniture, stone fireplaces and a big old country-style dining table, where hosts Toni and Sisca provide outstanding homemade meals (as well as sorting hikes, rides, and massages on request).Details Seven nights' full board for 14 from £13,617 ( Fly to Menorca • The Med island where you can still find splendid isolation Sleeps 8Many Balearic island villas play up proximity to a beach, but few have the Med itself at the end of the garden. This mid-sized, light-filled villa near the southern tip of Menorca looks straight out the kitchen window to an elevated terrace and sun deck overlooking a glowing blue swimming pool on a vivid green lawn, with the sea so close that passing sailboats seem to float over the boundary hedge. The fishing hamlet of Cala Torret on the doorstep, and the bigger, busier coastal resort of Binibeca less than a mile Seven nights' self-catering for eight from £2,170 ( Fly to Menorca Sleeps 4It can be tricky to find smaller villas with a bit of character, especially in the Balearic summer, but this little gem is a good call for couples or families with up to two children. Right on the sea near the southwestern beach of Cala en Bosch, it's a stone-built, open-plan bungalow recently modernised with a subtle maritime design that suits the name and setting. There's a pool terrace outside framed by high walls and plants that make the place feel nicely tucked away from a pretty rich and dynamic corner of the island — a lot of good bars and restaurants are clustered inside the medieval walls of Ciutadella, less than seven miles Seven nights' self-catering for fourfrom £3,640 with flights (
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Travel + Leisure
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
This Celebrity-Loved Destination Off the Coast of Spain is Home to Several Luxury Hotels, Pristine Beaches, and Few Crowds
I hid under a camel-hair Berber tent on the beach to shade myself from the intense Mediterranean sun, next to a young woman from Atlanta who was tapping out poems on an old typewriter. She asked me for a word—the first that popped into my head—to add to her psychic verse. Nearby, a German model-turned healer in a backless goddess dress and no tan lines was talking about breath work. An artist in a crocheted bikini came by and sought help dragging a large metal sign that read, "SAVE ME," into the sea. I smiled, because without even standing up, I had stumbled upon the elusive essence of Formentera—a pristine island four miles south of Ibiza that feels like a bohemian holdover from an earlier time. It has no Ibiza-style megaclubs, just sand dunes, pine forests, and secluded coves. The stiletto-shaped slab of craggy rock lies at the southern end of the Balearic Island chain. Its geographic isolation has, for the past five decades, made it a low-key social sanctuary for artists, musicians, fashionable eccentrics, and other vacationing visionaries. From left: Pool vibes at the Dunas de Formentera hotel; a private terrace at Dunas de Formentera. Hippies first arrived in the 1960s. Bob Dylan is reputed to have slept in an old windmill. Pink Floyd stayed for extended periods, and the band used the eerie image of an island windmill on the cover of its soundtrack for More, Barbet Schroeder's 1969 film about the hippie-heroin scene that was partly filmed on the island. Joni Mitchell, fleeing fame and Los Angeles, stopped there on a sabbatical through Europe that inspired her 1971 album, Blue . The design crowd came next and built chic beach escapes: they included Consuelo Castiglioni, the founder of Marni, and Philippe Starck, the French architect. 'Formentera is a paradise in the center of Europe,' Starck, who owned a cliffside home on the island for three decades, told a French fashion magazine in 2023. 'It's a rock, like a boat, in the middle of the sea. I don't know anything more perfect; I don't know anything more rare.' From left: Strolling the village of Sant Francesc de Formentera; Panadería Manolo, a bakery in town of Sant Francesc de Formentera. I knew exactly what Starck meant as I lounged under the Berber tent at Can 7, an artists' residence and private home on Platja de Migjorn, a beach on the island's southern shore. It was peak summer, when many beaches on the Mediterranean are wall-to-wall bodies. But I encountered hardly any tourists, apart from a few nude sunbathers splashing around in the calm and buoyant sea. It was early evening, so I decided to go for a pre-dinner swim myself. As I waded in, the electric-blue water felt amniotic and restorative, as if my nervous system were being recharged. At first, I thought that the hippie-healer vibe at Can 7 had rubbed off on me. But it turns out I was swimming in an aquatic meadow of Posidonia seagrass that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site—some of it is thought to be 100,000 years old. The long, thick strands dance in the current, filtering the water and imbuing it with a magical crystalline glow. From left: A deck at Teranka Formentera; the hotel bar at Teranka Formentera. The land is equally as primordial—a pinkish dirt so desiccated it made me thirsty just looking at it. But look deeper and the mineral-rich soil almost takes on a jewel-like sparkle, with shades of rose, coral, and ocher. There is history everywhere, too. Drive around the island and catch glimpses of past civilizations: ancient fig trees propped up by wooden crutches; centuries-old windmills that look like giant antique flyswatters; stone walls built by the Moors during the Middle Ages that somehow still look new. Until recently, Formentera's elemental charms were mostly enjoyed by day-trippers, who came aboard 30-minute ferries from Ibiza or on private yachts. They typically confined themselves to the northern shore, and made the pilgrimage to Juan y Andrea, an island institution that specializes in boozy seafood luncheons on Platja de Ses Illetes, a spit of sugary sand. Fewer spent the night, as many hotels lacked the kind of haute-hippie vibe that Joni Mitchell might have sought, nevermind anything more luxurious. The lodgings were often concrete bunker-like structures left over from Franco's dictatorship or big package resorts built before the government clamped down on development in the 1980s. Upscale travelers seeking nicer accommodations were left to rent villas—unless they were lucky enough to be guests of Starck. From left: Party-size paella at Juan y Andrea Formentera; lobster at Es Còdol Foradat. I first visited Formentera 20 years ago. I stayed at the only semi-chic place I could find, Las Banderas, a small hotel run by Leah Tilbury, the sister of English makeup entrepreneur Charlotte Tilbury (their parents met at a full-moon party on Formentera in the 1960s). The rooms were basic, and the few guests were scrappy club kids taking a break from Ibiza to work on their tans. I was lucky if I could find fresh-squeezed juice or a memorable meal. Can 7 occupies the same structure that was once Las Banderas. Coincidentally, I was staying in the same room I had 20 years earlier, although it was unrecognizable—redesigned in wabi-sabi style with a charcoal color palette, high-thread-count linens, and earthy Moroccan textiles. The property was originally a 1950s taverna run by an old woman who looked like a witch—I know this because a stone effigy of her marks the turnoff from the main road. (An endearing feature of the island is the many roads that are not identified by signs, but by painted rocks and statues.) From left: A suite at Dunas de Formentera; the hotel just steps from the sea. Permits to build new hotels on the island are almost impossible to get. But with older owners looking to sell or lease, several properties have been refurbished and opened as barefoot-luxe hotels, attracting the type of visitors who might start their mornings with Pilates overlooking an olive grove and end their nights feasting on fresh-caught langoustines and biodynamic wines. Among the newest is Teranka Formentera, a boutique property from the same developers as the Nobu hotels in Ibiza and Marrakesh. Set among fragrant pine trees, the 35-room hotel has all the ingredients required for sophisticated lounging: raw-wood daybeds, plush neutral-color cushions, and contemporary art—not to mention a saltwater swimming pool and a rooftop bar that's ideal for sunset cocktails. The garden restaurant may be the dreamiest on the island: built right on the sand, it has rustic wooden tables illuminated by African straw lanterns dangling from olive trees. My boyfriend and I dropped in for lunch one afternoon, taking in the scene as we grazed on a tomato salad with impossibly fresh burrata. The other tables were filled with sleek women in sheer caftans, their hair and skin salty and sun-kissed. The lunch scene at Es Caló Restaurante. Our next stop was Dunas de Formentera, which opened last summer just steps from the sea. Marugal, a hotel group that also operates the ultra-exclusive Cap Rocat in Mallorca, turned a former hostel into an 'eco-luxury' resort, with a series of whitewashed bungalows that seem to be carved into the dunes. The property is shaded with wind-sculpted pines that curl and snake like something out of Dr. Seuss. I thought it was the most ingenious landscaping I'd ever seen, until I realized it occurred naturally. From left: Lobster paella at Es Caló Restaurante; a hilltop view of Formentera, with Ibiza in the distance. As we explored the sandy paths, I kicked off my shoes without thinking, and convinced my boyfriend to do an impromptu photo shoot. After what seemed like hundreds of poses and ever-changing backdrops, we were both panting and wondering how to get back to the hotel. Then, out of nowhere, a waiter appeared and handed us two freshly made mojitos. All was back on track. Drinks in hand, we checked out our room. Designed by Mallorca-based Antonio Obrador, the interiors are an homage to Balearic splendor: earthy textures and natural materials such as jute, terra-cotta, clay, cotton, and wood. Nothing faux anywhere. A striped, pastel-pink headboard was a subtle nod to the 1960s Mediterranean jet set. There are also eco-friendly touches, including an hourglass timer that encourages you to keep your shower to less than five minutes. From left: Platja de Ses Illetes, on the island's northern tip; Can 7, an artists' retreat. The following morning, I was sipping fresh watermelon juice by the infinity pool with Maria Pulido, the hotel's general manager, who has lived on the island for more than a decade. With pride in her eyes, she asked if I had tried vintages from the island's two wineries, Bodega Terramoll and Cap de Barbaria. In the late 1800s, she told me, the aphid-like pest known as phylloxera, accidentally brought from the United States, decimated Europe's vines. Scientists eventually figured out how to graft the roots with resistant American ones, but it altered the grapes' DNA. Formentera, because of its isolation, was one of the few places that escaped the blight, and varieties like Monastrell remain unadulterated to this day. In a way, that's how I feel when I'm in Formentera: protected from the world's troubles by the sea, which acts like a moat and provides a sense of security. From left: Gambas al ajillo and croquetas at Dunas; sunset cocktails at Dunas. On one of our final nights, we went back to Can 7 for a party. Instead of an EDM-fueled bacchanalia of the kind found on Ibiza, it was an intimate gathering: three DJs joined seven visitors from Romania, England, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. The Berber tent glowed with flickering candles as we huddled on cushions around a coffee table that held vases of wildflowers and a professional mixing deck. The DJs created a down-tempo soundscape with the volume kept low, so as not to disturb the still night beyond. It felt subversive, like a game of sardines—the reverse of hide-and-seek—in which we were all hiding from the other players on Ibiza still searching for the party. From left: Platja de Migjorn, on the southern coast; a lazy afternoon on Platja de Migjorn. After a few drinks, someone suggested moving our little soirée to the beach. Formentera's dark skies and lack of light pollution make for spectacular stargazing. We spread blankets and sarongs on the sand and formed a circle with our heads so it felt like we were all one big happy brain. We giggled, sang, and traded stories as we stared up into the cosmos. I smiled because I'd happened upon Formentera's soul again—only this time I wasn't even sitting, but sprawled out gloriously under the stars. A version of this story first appeared in the June 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "La Isla Bonita "
