Ses Salines Natural Park & Estany des Peix
The protected wetlands and salt lagoons that straddle the northern tip of Formentera form part of the Ses Salines Natural Park, a UNESCO-recognised reserve shared with Ibiza. Flamingos wade through the shallows, ospreys patrol overhead, and the flat, mirror-still landscape feels utterly removed from the beach-bar Balearics.
The Salt Lagoons
Estany Pudent — literally 'smelly pond', a name that flatters it not at all — is the larger of the two main lagoons and turns extraordinary shades of pink and violet in summer as salt-tolerant algae bloom in the shallow brine. A flat cycling track circles most of its perimeter, passing through tamarisk scrub and past the ruins of old salt-harvesting infrastructure.
Greater flamingos are present from late summer through spring, sometimes in flocks of several hundred. The best viewing spot is the wooden observation platform at the lagoon's southern end, near the junction of the La Savina road and the track to Ses Illetes.
Estany des Peix
On the western side of the peninsula, the smaller Estany des Peix (Fish Pond) is a near-circular tidal lagoon connected to the sea by a narrow channel. Kayakers paddle its calm interior, herons stand motionless in the shallows, and the surrounding pine and juniper woodland is laced with walking trails that take no more than an hour to complete.
The lagoon's channel mouth is a favourite spot for local fishermen in the early morning, and the combination of still water, pine reflections and soft light makes it one of the most photogenic — and least photographed — corners of Formentera.
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