Forgotten Spanish island has crystal clear water and sandy beaches

Whenever I think of the Balearic islands now, images of ‘mad-ferrit’ Ibiza clubbers, strobing lights and pounding music bring me out in a cold sweat. I’d love to say that it’s a symptom of middle- age, but I’ve always been more of a beach bar guy than a Manumission man.

That said, I have been a repeat visitor to Ibiza. While the party town of San Antonio is everything that my nightmares are made of, the stunning beauty of the beaches and cliffs of Old Ibiza town and Talamanca on the south of the island are utterly idyllic.

What I didn’t know on previous visits was that a short ferry ride from the old town is the smaller island of Formentera — a hidden gem of the Balearics that offers unspoiled white beaches kissed by clear turquoise water with not a club or booming baseline in sight.

While the Canary Islands have always been the go-to destination for sun-deprived Paddies, the cluster of Balearic islands are more often visited by the Spanish themselves. But with a direct flight to Ibiza with Ryanair taking less than three hours, the islands are poised for an Irish invasion.

Formentera is a short ferry ride from Old Ibiza town, arriving into the picturesque port of La Savina. The town spreads along the seafront with white painted shops facing a marina where diving and snorkelling trips along the island’s coast are top of most visitors’ to-do lists. Given that this island is only 19km long, a short taxi ride from the port will bring you to any of the island’s hotels.

I was staying about twenty minutes away in the four-star Insotel Hotel Formentera Playa. With three pools onsite and a terrace leading down to the beach, it’s a perfect spot for a relaxed family break. Meals are the usual self-service affair with something for all tastes, with fresh seafood and meat dishes being cooked to order each night.

Family-friendly entertainment is provided in the evenings, but as I was there ‘sans-kids’ this time, it was nice to be able to position myself out of earshot and enjoy an evening drink or two overlooking the pool with the sound of the sea drowning out the ‘entertainment’.

If all you’re looking for from your holiday is a sunbed and a pool, then rest assured, there is no judgement. A week on a sun lounger is a wonderful way to recharge the batteries and with only 3-4 days of rain each year on Formentera, it’s a sun worshipper’s dream.

But this tiny island has so much more to offer. If you are feeling a little more adventurous there is a world of activities waiting for you.

One thing that the islanders are very proud of and passionate about preserving is the Posidonia seagrass. Ordinarily, underwater shrubs would have no place in a holiday review, but bear with me.

Formentera is surrounded by ‘meadows’ of this underwater grass — not seaweed, for the love of God don’t call it seaweed, they get very upset.

The grass gobbles up enormous amounts of CO2 converting it to oxygen and act as a massive ecosystem comparable to the Great Barrier Reef.

This is all wonderful for the environment and global warming and Greta and penguins etc, but it also makes for the most stunning, crystal-clear water and pristine white beaches, which is far more important in a holiday review.

My group organised an afternoon of snorkelling with a group back in the port town of La Savina. Conveniently called Formentera Divers, the captain and instructor brought us on a tour of the coast and out to the tiny island of Espalmador. The island is private but the sea and beach is public. With only one house on the enclave, hidden behind large dunes, it feels for all the world like a desert paradise and is a haven for kite surfers and boat trippers.

Our flat-bottomed boat got within a few feet of the beach, from where you can drop into the most ridiculously clear water and wade in to walk on the endless, glowing white beach.

From there we headed back to the Posidonia meadows and dropped off the boat for snorkelling. Although wetsuits were provided, the water is warm, and as soon as you dip your head you are in an utterly hypnotising universe, surrounded by swaying grasses and schools of silver fish flitting around your fingertips.

I’ve dived before around the coast of Egypt and along coral reefs, but these meadows are a truly unique experience. It’s impossible to describe just how clear the waters are when you are immersed in the incredible ecosystem.

If your sea legs aren’t up to the boat trip, the other excursion I have to recommend is the bike tour of the island. Don’t worry, these are e-bikes, and they are a game-changer for those of us who may not be quite as fit as we once were.

The tour took about three hours and covered about 25km, with the electric motors doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. We toured the coast, from the pink salt flats, to the Martello towers constructed in the 18th century to warn of marauding pirates attacking the island.

The two guides that travelled with us took regular stops for water and suncream and to give a taste of the history and culture of the island, as well as pointing out some of the smaller beaches and explaining how nude bathing is permitted on all beaches — but that might be a step too far for the sun-shy Irish white bits.