Sant Ferran de ses Roques, or simply Sant Ferran, is the second village of Formentera, right in the centre of the island. The main road crosses it from north to south, and in summer the traffic can make it look like a place to drive through. It is worth stopping: the real village lies away from the road, around the church square.
What to see and do
The small church, finished in 1889, is built of mortar and sandstone under a double-pitched roof, and looks quite different from the churches of Sant Francesc and La Mola. In summer its square becomes a meeting point for musicians.
Fonda Pepe is the village’s most famous bar, where generations of locals and summer visitors have met. Pink Floyd are said to have been regulars in the summer of 1967; whether Bob Dylan ever came is less certain, whatever the stories say.
Since 2014, several streets in the centre have been pedestrianised, and shops and terraces have multiplied. Most of the shops serve residents rather than tourists, while the bars and restaurants attract both. Formentera Guitars, a workshop founded in 1988, runs three-week courses in which small groups build their own electric guitar or bass.
On summer evenings, several days a week, the village hosts its art and craft market, where Formentera’s painters, sculptors, jewellers and designers sell their own work.
Festivals
Sant Ferran celebrates its patron saint on 30 May, Saint Ferdinand’s Day, with several days of live music on a stage in the church square and performances of ball pagès, Formentera’s traditional dance.
Getting there
Sant Ferran is on the main PM-820 road, between Sant Francesc and La Mola. Es Pujols is about three kilometres away, the beaches of the natural park about seven, and the Migjorn coast a short drive south.
Good to know
Accommodation in the village is limited: a few hostels, family-run apartments and holiday homes on the outskirts.
