Sant Francesc Xavier is the capital of Formentera and its largest village, home to most of the island’s residents and to the offices of the Consell Insular. Its pedestrian streets, lined with shops and café terraces, make it one of the few villages on the island that is lively both day and night.
A little history
After the Christian conquest of the Pitiusas in 1235, Formentera was left almost empty for centuries, too harsh a place to live and too exposed to pirate raids. Resettlement began in 1697, when the Ibizan Marc Ferrer was granted land by the Crown, and the new settlers gathered around the old chapel of Sa Tanca Vella. In 1724 they asked permission to build a new church dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier, which gave the village its name.
What to see and do
The church square is the heart of the village. The Consell building, easy to spot by the three flags on its front, stands here, with a small tourist information office next to it in a historic building. Since 1994, the Jazz & Co. collective has played jazz in the square on Saturday afternoons, and for about a month around Christmas the square also hosts a Christmas market.
Nearby, the Ethnographic Museum of Formentera occupies one of the central streets, and in the Sa Miranda area, just outside the village, several old flour windmills still stand. The everyday village shop is open all year, while most fashion and accessory shops open only for the summer season. Restaurants range from international cooking to traditional Formentera dishes.
In summer, the square and the pedestrian streets fill with the stalls of the Sant Francesc market: local crafts, jewellery, fashion and watercolours by island artists.
Festivals
The village celebrates its patron saint, Saint Francis Xavier, on 3 December: an intimate festival with traditional dancing that also marks the end of the tourist season. The big party of the year is on 25 July, Sant Jaume, the patron saint of the whole island, with crowds and concerts.
Getting there
Sant Francesc is about five kilometres from the port of La Savina along the main PM-820 road. Buses L1 and L2 from the port stop on Avinguda 8 d’Agost, in the village. Most of the centre is a paid blue-zone parking area.
Good to know
The village is not on the sea, but most of the island’s services are here or on its outskirts, including the hospital, the Guardia Civil and the local police.
