Tramuntana Coast Coves
Formentera, Balearic Islands, Spain

The Tramuntana coast runs along the north side of Formentera, Spain, past Punta Prima toward La Mola, a wild, rocky stretch quite different from the sandy beaches most visitors picture on the island. Small, mostly unmarked coves break up the shoreline between Es Calo and the lighthouse at Far de la Mola, each one reached by scrambling over rock rather than walking onto sand.
Genuine solitude on an island that gets packed everywhere else in summer, though the rocky terrain and total lack of facilities mean it only appeals if an easy sandy beach isn't the priority.
Wear real shoes, not sandals. The terrain along this coast is rocky and uneven the whole way, and the payoff is solitude rather than an easy lounge on soft sand.
There's informal parking near Es Calo and along the road toward Far de la Mola, from which unmarked trails lead down to the various coves.
Access to most coves along this coast involves walking over rocky, uneven terrain with no paved paths, not suitable for strollers, limited mobility, or bare feet.
June through September brings Formentera's warm, dry Mediterranean summer, with the exposed north facing coast catching more wind than the sheltered south side of the island.
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