Formentor in Mallorca

Formentor in Mallorca is one of the most visited areas of the island, so today we are going on a route to discover this area in the north of Mallorca, and explain many interesting things that you can see and explore in one of the most visited places in Mallorca. .

The Road to Formentor:

This 9 km long road, which takes us to the Formentor Hotel, was built in the 1930s by the engineer A. Parietti Coll, who is probably one of the most famous on the island, and among other roads he also built the famous snake road to Sa Calobra. The Formentor road was built to ensure supplies to the hotel under construction, since until then it could only be reached by sea.

At certain points it was so risky to continue that Alan Diehl himself (owner of the hotel at the time), hanging from a rope, was placing the dynamite to encourage the workers. It is a marvellous feat of engineering, drawing curves to overcome the gaps, and using rock extracted from some of the cliffs in other places on the road.

Formentor Viewpoint: Mirador des Colomer

The Colomer viewpoint is the highest point on the Formentor road, located at 232 metres high. This viewpoint is a place that is full of people, cars and coaches during the busy tourist months. It was built in 1961. At Es Colomer, we find a monument made from rock from 1968 in memory of the engineer Parietti.

The Colomer Viewpoint is truly spectacular, and represents one of the most typical and famous photographs of Mallorca and the Formentor area. It is a vertical wall of 200 metres framed on the left by the bare and vertical walls of the Sierra del Cavall Bernat. The blue of the sea extends throughout, where the islet of Colomer stands out, an islet of 170 metres of altitude, and 750 of perimeter. It is a characteristic image of the steep terrain of the Sierra de Tramuntana. It is called like this because of the large number of wild pigeons that nested in it.

Views to Formentor Beach from a Watchtower:

From the right side of the Colomer viewpoint, you can continue towards the Talaya de Albercutx watchtower, located at 375 metres, and from there you get the best views of Formentor Beach, Pollensa Bay, the Formentor Peninsula, Cavall Bernat and the Tramuntana coast.

It was built approximately in 1595, like the rest of similar buildings, as a lookout point and defense of the coast, in anticipation of pirate attacks that were frequent in the past. It is cylindrical in shape, slightly conical, with gargoyles and parapets. It has a terrace and the access portal is nine metres high.

It is currently restored and in a good state of preservation, but has had to be saved from two demolition attempts. The first was at the beginning of the 70s, thanks to the work of its owner, when a battery of cannons was intended to be installed in its place. Later, in 1983, the council of ministers approved a decree to expropriate it and install a radio streetlight in its place, the city council with a decree prevented it. During the Spanish Civil War it was useful to install an observatory connected to the city by telephone line. Up there, a concentration camp for prisoners of war was also organized. The prisoners provided the labour to build the highway and the military installations that exist.

Formentor Beach:

Formentor Beach is also known as Cala Pi de la Posada. It is a beautiful sandy beach one kilometre long WITHOUT URBANIZATION, which presents a perfect curve, one of the purest in the Mediterranean. The beach is framed with a beautiful backdrop of pine trees (from where the name “Pi” comes) and dense holm oaks. It is a beach frequented by the many boats that anchor there in the summer months.

The Formentor Beach attracts thousands of visitors in the hot season: there are many cars, boats and buses. Visitors range from families of modest bathers to the most famous personalities of culture, politics or entertainment, hence it is sometimes called “Millionaires’ Beach”. The area near the hotel is more frequented by clients of the exclusive establishment. On the beach there is no lack of traditional beach bars, as well as showers, sun loungers, parasols, and even a surf school.

The Road to Cap Formentor

Possibly these ten kilometres that separate the Hotel Formentor from the Formentor Lighthouse are one of the least traveled and least known stretches, but no less beautiful for that.

At first the road passes through forests, to pass the houses of Formentor and later those of Cala Murta, where the tribute and memory of Costa i Llobera is permanent. Then we have the impressive views over Cala Figuera, to arrive, through a tunnel and after several bends, to the lighthouse at Cap Formentor. From there, the spectacle, with the magnificent cliff and the sea below, is overwhelming. Writer Josep Pla expressed in his guidebook that the traveller should not end his journey at the Formentor Hotel, but at the lighthouse.

The engineer Mariano Pascual was the promoter and director of the works on this road, which began operating in 1951. This road replaced the old road of which remains are still preserved, and it is possible to hike most of it.

Formentor Lighthouse

The engineer Emili pou was the promoter and director of the lighthouse works that began in 1860 and ended in 1863, its cost was 1.3 million reais, a figure higher than what the lighthouses usually cost, probably because there was no road in conditions at the beginning of its construction, and the materials had to be transported by sea.

Currently at the lighthouse there is a bar, a small car park and some points with magnificent views. Cap de Formentor has one of the most emblematic lighthouses and the main reference if you arrive from the northeast-north. It is located at 159 metres above sea level. The view is wonderful, and if the day is good you can see the island of Menorca on the horizon. The range of the lighthouse is 36 miles.

How to get to Formentor?

The Formentor area can be visited in different ways, either by renting a car, on organized excursions and even by boat. It should be noted that each summer from 15th June to 15th September, the Balearic Government implements restrictions to reduce vehicle traffic in the area. For those three months, motor vehicles with no previously obtained permit may travel to Formentor between the hours of 10am and 7pm.

Visit Formentor by boat

Formentor can be reached from Puerto Pollensa and from Puerto Alcudia by boat. Click on the links below for more information.

• Boat Trip to Formentor Beach
• Cap Formentor Boat Trip

Visit Formentor on an organised tour

On our website click-mallorca.com we offer different options to visit Formentor with pick-up from your hotel, and combining the tour with markets in towns in Mallorca.

An option that is proving popular among our clients is a 4-hour excursion from Puerto de Alcudia by open-top bus, with a stop at the Colomer Viewpoint, on Formentor beach and with a boat ride. More information here.