La Savina is the port of Formentera and the only way on or off the island. It sits on the north-west tip between the open sea and two lagoons, Estany des Peix and Estany Pudent, and every visit starts and ends here: the ferry terminal, the marina, the vehicle rental offices and the bus stops are all within a few minutes on foot.
The town
The port was created at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century to give the owners of boats moored in Estany des Peix a safer shelter. It then became the key point for exporting the salt collected on the island, and the infrastructure built for the salt trade has since been turned to tourism; the port remains the main point of entry for supplies for the whole island. In summer there is a constant coming and going of people. Several shipping companies dock here with routes that keep the island connected throughout the day; in winter bad weather can occasionally interrupt them.
Beyond the renovated maritime station, where you can buy tickets or have a snack, lies a large marina for private boats and boat hire. Along the promenade that borders the port, establishments rent every kind of vehicle from the early hours, and bars and restaurants look over the harbour. Behind the buildings are the dykes that protect the port from storms. Further in are more rental offices, restaurants and hotels, and, in summer, the market that opens every day from 10:00 to 01:00. The remains of the old dyke occupy the south-eastern end of the harbour, where a bicycle route to the natural park begins. The west side of the harbour is where people watch the sunset before leaving the island.
Getting there
By sea only. Formentera has no airport; the usual route is the ferry from Ibiza, with frequent sailings all year round, and in season there is also a direct connection with the mainland. Once on the island, all the regular bus lines and the Bus Turístic L3 start at Port La Savina: L1 to Es Pujols, L2 to Sant Ferran de ses Roques, Es Caló de Sant Agustí and El Pilar de la Mola, L5 to Sant Francesc Xavier and Cala Saona, L7 along the Migjorn coast to Es Pujols and Ses Illetes, and the L3 to Ses Illetes in about 15 minutes. From 1 May 2026 a short trip costs 2.25 EUR, a long trip 3.20 EUR and a day pass 15 EUR. The bicycle and the public bus are the best ways to get around: the terrain is flat and the distances short.
Services
Ferry terminal with ticket sales, marina with moorings and boat rental, car, scooter and bicycle rental, bars, restaurants, hotels, a tourist information office and the summer market.
When to go
Ferry arrivals and departures set the rhythm, so the port is busiest in the hour around each sailing in summer. Evening is the calm time, when the sun goes down on the west side of the harbour.
Nearby
Estany des Peix, the shallow lagoon west of the port, is the place for kayaks and small boats, and the natural pools of Ses Pedreres at Punta de sa Pedrera are 1.7 km away on the Can Marroig estate. Es Cavall d'en Borràs, 2 km north, is the first beach inside the Ses Salines natural park, followed by Ses Illetes and Platja de Llevant on the Es Trucadors peninsula. Sant Francesc Xavier, the capital, is the next town inland.
