Art, crafts and fashion
Handicrafts on Formentera are extremely varied. Traditional handicrafts are readily available from the stalls of the many mercadillos (small markets) that dot the island in the summer months. Jewelry, textiles, baskets, traditional footwear, ceramics, glass and leatherwork, as well as works painted by resident artists, share the limelight at three main craft spaces: La Mola, Sant Ferran and the "Antoni Tur Gabrielet" Craft Centre (more on this below).
On the fashion front, Formentera has been strongly influenced by the Adlib fashion style born in Ibiza in the 1960s, which was itself influenced by both traditional dress and the freedom of the hippy movement. Both Ibiza and Formentera are characterized by a blend of freedom and tolerance, as exemplified by the AdLib movement (from the Latin ad libitum, which translates as "at will, at choice"), created by Smilja Mihailovitch. The Yugoslav actress, at a time when freedom was being conquered with the emergence of the hippie movement, launched the slogan: Viste como quieras pero con gusto (Dress as you like, but with taste). Today, this fashion is still very much in vogue, and a number of boutiques can be found in the island's villages (La Savina, El Pilar de La Mola, Sant Francesc Xavier and Sant Ferran in particular).
Hippie markets in Formentera
La Savina. During the high tourist season, the La Savina market is held on the harbour. You'll find everything! Great for a stroll before catching your ferry (July to early September).
Sant Francesc Xavier. The Sant Francesc market takes over the pedestrian streets of the village center (May to October, daily, 10am to 2pm).
Sant Ferran. On the promenade of carrer Major, the Sant Ferran art market brings together artists from all over the world to exhibit their works of art inspired by the essence of the island (May to October, daily except Wednesday, 8.30pm to midnight). Sant Ferran also hosts a craft market three days a week (May to October, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 8.30 pm to midnight).
Es Pujols. The Es Pujols hippie market takes place on the promenade every summer evening (May to September, daily from late afternoon to midnight).
La Mola. The La Mola craft market is the only market on the island where the exhibitors are all real craftsmen/artists. It's Formentera's biggest and busiest market. Concerts enliven the central square paved with multicolored mosaics (May to October, Wednesdays and Sundays, 4pm to 10pm). Free parking is available on site for the many summer visitors!
Antoni Tur "Gabrielet" craft center. Although not strictly speaking a hippy market, the Antoni Tur Gabrielet center in Sant Francesc deserves a mention here. It comprises two areas: one dedicated to the sale of island food products (fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs, etc.), the other housing an art exhibition room. Open daily.
Enric Majoral jewelry
The son of a craftsman born in Sabadell in 1949, Enric Majoral moved to Formentera in 1971. After studying at the Arts and Crafts School in Sabadell - and at Barcelona's Polytechnic University - he took his first steps as a self-taught goldsmith in Formentera, selling his inspired contemporary creations in the island's markets, using a range of materials including gold, silver, stone, bronze and precious stones. Alongside other artists, he is one of the founders of the La Mola craft market. Goldsmith, jeweler and sculptor, his reputation has spread far and wide, from Spain to the United States, France and Mexico. Two of his creations from the Joies de Sorra series are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.
His creations, full of poetry and lightness, are inspired by his island, Formentera, its expressive nature and the softness of the forms that inhabit it. Today, Enric Majoral works with his son Roc Majoral, born in Formentera in 1976, whose creativity and singular vision continue the Majoral spirit. The house has even released a "Posidonia is a jewel" collection, which couldn't better express the artists' infinite inspiration for Formentera and the fabulous waters that splash onto its paradisiacal shores.
Treat your taste buds
Although Mallorca and Menorca enjoy greater gastronomic renown than the Pityuses, Formentera has a number of culinary specialities in common with its larger neighbor Ibiza. Like Ibiza, Formentera has had saltworks for over 25 centuries! Inspired by the recent success of Sal de Ibiza, a high-end edible salt, Formentera has also developed its own luxury edible salt, but in liquid form. Also known as "Formentera's white gold" or "salt liqueur", this gourmet marine product is low in sodium and chlorine, and contains no additives. Designed to season salads, vegetables and risottos (the bottles are fitted with sprays), it can now be found under several brand names in delicatessens, supermarkets and other gourmet markets on the island and on the Iberian Peninsula.
Closely linked to the salt marshes, peix sec (dried fish) is an ancient specialty of the fishermen of the southern islands, who dried fish so that it could be eaten all year round. Although it can be made from all types of fish, today it is mainly prepared from cartilaginous fish. This is the case for skate, which makes up the majority of dried fish preparations on the island. Once dried, the fish is fire-grilled, then crumbled before being packed in olive oil. It can then be preserved for months. Now all you have to do is enjoy it, in a salad or on a slice of toast. The Peix Sec brand reigns supreme on Formentera, but other, more humble companies also offer this most typical of Pityuse products.
As far as olive oil is concerned, the only Formentera producer able to supply sufficient quantities for the market is Sa Tanca des Clot. Extra-virgin and extracted from Picual variety olives by cold pressing, it stood out at the 2020 edition of the Madrid Fusion gastronomic festival. The Sa Tanca des Clot estate is home to 700 olive trees on the Sant Ferran side and another 200 in the nearby Cala Saona area.
Although originally from Mallorca,ensaïmada, a sweet lard pastry baked in the oven, can be found all over the archipelago and is undoubtedly the most emblematic gift to bring back from the Balearics. More local are orelletes, which, as their name suggests, are shaped like an ear and made from eggs, flour, aniseed liqueur, sugar and olive oil. Other sweet treats typical of the Pityuses are flaó and greixonera. The former is a round cake made with fromage frais, egg, mint and aniseed. The second takes the form of a pudding and is made from...ensaimadas! Traditionally, dried ensaimadas from the previous day are reused to give them a second life, with the addition of milk, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and butter. Thus was born the greixonera!
Beverages
While Menorca's gin enjoys a certain aura, the Balearic Islands' great liquid specialty comes from Ibiza: Hierbas Ibicencas (Ibizan Herbs). Although not a typical Formentera product, the geographical and cultural proximity of the two Pityuse islands is such that Ibicencas herbs have become part of Formentera's eating habits. The drink behind the name is a popular, lightly aniseed-flavored spirit that has been handcrafted for centuries by the island's families, no doubt inspired by the preparations of the monks who populated the Balearic Islands in the Middle Ages. Among the many fermented local herbs and plants used in the recipe are rosemary, thyme, mint, lavender, fennel, verbena, sage, juniper, orange and lemon peel. Since 1997, the Hierbas Ibicencas designation has only been awarded to producers registered with the Ibiza Council, which is supposed to guarantee a certain quality to the product. A great gift idea!
Wine from Formentera (grape-growing has been documented on the Balearic Islands since ancient times) also makes an excellent gourmet souvenir. On Formentera, Monastrell, the grape variety traditionally grown on the island, dominates production. There are two vineyards on Formentera: Cap de Barbaria, located on the eponymous cape, and Terramoll, on the heights of La Mola. Formentera's grape varieties thrive on sandy soil, and are found all over the island. Vines have adapted perfectly to the Mediterranean climate of the southernmost of the Balearic Islands. The wines are classified under the Vi de la terra de Formentera appellation, in compliance with certain production criteria that guarantee the quality of the product. Only wines produced on the island are eligible for this designation. Formentera wines are characterized by their "thick color", purplish hue and fruity aroma.
