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, Mediterranean inspired 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.
To eat...
Although Mallorca and Menorca are more renowned for their gastronomy than the Pityuses, Formentera has some special culinary characteristics that it shares with its neighbor Ibiza. Just like Ibiza, Formentera has had salt mines for over 25 centuries! Inspired by the recent success of Sal de Ibiza, a high-end food salt, Formentera has also developed its own luxury food salt, but in liquid form. Also known as the "white gold of Formentera" or "salt liquor", this gourmet marine product has the advantage of being low in sodium and chlorine and contains no additives. Designed to season salads, vegetables and risottos (the bottles are equipped with spray), it can now be found under various brands in delicatessens, supermarkets and other gourmet markets on the island and the Iberian Peninsula.
Closely related to the salt flats, the dry peix is an ancient specialty of the fishermen of the southern islands, which consists of drying the fish so that it can be eaten all year round. If the dried fish can be elaborated from all types of fish, today it is especially prepared from cartilaginous fish. This is the case of the ray, which composes the majority of the preparations of dried fish of the island. Once dried, the fish is grilled over a fire and then crumbled before being packed in olive oil. It can thus be preserved for months. All you have to do is eat it, either in a salad or on a slice of toast. The Peix Sec brand reigns supreme in Formentera, but there are other, more humble companies that also produce this typical Pityuse product.
As for olive oil, the only producer in Formentera that can provide sufficient quantities for marketing is Sa Tanca des Clot oil. Extra virgin and extracted from olives of the picual variety by cold pressing, it has stood out in the 2020 edition of the Madrid Fusion gastronomic festival. The Sa Tanca des Clot estate has 700 olive trees on the Sant Ferran side and another 200 in the area near Cala Saona.
Although originally from Mallorca, theensaimada, a sweet pastry made with lard and baked in the oven, can be found all over the archipelago and is probably the most emblematic gift to bring back from the Balearic Islands. More local are the orelletes, which, as their name suggests, are shaped like an ear and are made from eggs, flour, aniseed liqueur, sugar and olive oil. Other typical sweets of Pityuses: the flaó and the greixonera. The first is a round cake made with fresh cheese, egg, mint and aniseed. The second one is a pudding made with...ensaimas ! The tradition is to reuse the dried ensaimadas from the day before to give them a second life, adding milk, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and butter. Thus was born the greixonera!
... And to drink!
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.
