Art, crafts and fashion
The handicrafts in Formentera are very diverse. Traditional handicrafts can be found quite easily on the stalls of the many mercadillos (small markets) that dot the island in the summer. Jewelry, textiles, baskets, traditional footwear, ceramics, glass and leather, as well as works painted by resident artists, share the spotlight in three main craft spaces: La Mola, Sant Ferran and the "Antoni Tur Gabrielet" craft center (more details below).
On the fashion side, Formentera has been strongly influenced by the Adlib fashion born in Ibiza in the 1960s, a fashion that was itself influenced both by traditional dress and by the freedom of the hippie movement. Both Ibiza and Formentera stand out for the mixture of freedom and tolerance that the AdLib movement (from the Latin ad libitum, which can be translated as "at will, at choice"), created by Smilja Mihailovitch. The Yugoslavian actress, at the time of the conquest of freedom favored by the emergence of the hippie movement, launched the slogan: Viste como quieras pero con gusto (Dress as you like, but with taste). Today, this fashion is still in vogue, and there are a few stores in the island's towns (La Savina, El Pilar de La Mola, Sant Francesc Xavier and Sant Ferran in particular).
Hippie markets in Formentera
La Savina. The market of La Savina settles on the port during the high tourist season. You can find everything there! Not bad for a stroll before taking the ferry (from July to the beginning of September).
Sant Francesc Xavier. The market of Sant Francesc invades the pedestrian streets of the center of the village (from May to October, every day from 10 am to 2 pm). There is also a second-hand market in the "Jardí de Ses Eres", behind the church of Sant Francesc, on Tuesdays and Saturdays all year round.
Sant Ferran. On the promenade of Carrer Major, the Sant Ferran art market brings together artists from all over the world to exhibit their works of art inspired by the essence of the island (from May to October, every day except Wednesday and Sunday, from 8:30 pm to midnight). There is also a craft market three days a week in Sant Ferran (May to October, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 8:30 pm to midnight).
Es Pujols. The hippie market in Es Pujols is held on the promenade every evening during the summer (from May to September, every day from late afternoon to midnight).
La Mola. The handicraft market of La Mola is the only market on the island where the exhibitors are all real craftsmen/artists. It is the most important and busiest market on Formentera. Concerts enliven the central square paved with multicolored mosaics (from May to October, on Wednesdays and Sundays, from 4 to 10 pm). There is free parking on site for the many summer visitors!
Antoni Tur "Gabrielet" craft center. Although it is not a hippie market per se, the Antoni Tur Gabrielet center, located in Sant Francesc, deserves to be mentioned here. It consists of two spaces: one dedicated to the sale of food products from the island (fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs, etc.), the other houses an art exhibition room. Open every day.
Enric Majoral, Mediterranean inspired jewelry
Born in Sabadell in 1949, Enric Majoral moved to Formentera in 1971. After studying at the Arts and Crafts School in Sabadell - and at the Polytechnic University of Barcelona - he took his first steps as a self-taught goldsmith in Formentera, selling his inspired contemporary creations in the island's markets, using a wide range of materials such as gold, silver, stone, bronze and precious stones. He will be one of the founders, along with other artists, of the artisanal market of La Mola. Goldsmith, jeweler and sculptor, his fame has crossed borders, from Spain to the United States, through France and Mexico. Two of his creations from the series Joies de Sorra are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.
His creations, full of poetry and lightness, are inspired by his island, Formentera, its expressive nature and the softness of the forms that inhabit it. Today, Enric Majoral works with his son Roc Majoral, born in Formentera in 1976, whose creativity and singular vision are in keeping with the Majoral spirit. The house has even released a collection called "Posidonia is a jewel" which could not better translate the artists' infinite inspiration for Formentera and the fabulous waters that splash its paradisiacal shores.
To eat...
Although Mallorca and Menorca are more renowned for their gastronomy than the Pityuses, Formentera has some special culinary characteristics that it shares with its neighbor Ibiza. Just like Ibiza, Formentera has had salt mines for over 25 centuries! Inspired by the recent success of Sal de Ibiza, a high-end food salt, Formentera has also developed its own luxury food salt, but in liquid form. Also known as the "white gold of Formentera" or "salt liquor", this gourmet marine product has the advantage of being low in sodium and chlorine and contains no additives. Designed to season salads, vegetables and risottos (the bottles are equipped with spray), it can now be found under various brands in delicatessens, supermarkets and other gourmet markets on the island and the Iberian Peninsula.
Closely related to the salt flats, the dry peix is an ancient specialty of the fishermen of the southern islands, which consists of drying the fish so that it can be eaten all year round. If the dried fish can be elaborated from all types of fish, today it is especially prepared from cartilaginous fish. This is the case of the ray, which composes the majority of the preparations of dried fish of the island. Once dried, the fish is grilled over a fire and then crumbled before being packed in olive oil. It can thus be preserved for months. All you have to do is eat it, either in a salad or on a slice of toast. The Peix Sec brand reigns supreme in Formentera, but there are other, more humble companies that also produce this typical Pityuse product.
As for olive oil, the only producer in Formentera that can provide sufficient quantities for marketing is Sa Tanca des Clot oil. Extra virgin and extracted from olives of the picual variety by cold pressing, it has stood out in the 2020 edition of the Madrid Fusion gastronomic festival. The Sa Tanca des Clot estate has 700 olive trees on the Sant Ferran side and another 200 in the area near Cala Saona.
Although originally from Mallorca, theensaimada, a sweet pastry made with lard and baked in the oven, can be found all over the archipelago and is probably the most emblematic gift to bring back from the Balearic Islands. More local are the orelletes, which, as their name suggests, are shaped like an ear and are made from eggs, flour, aniseed liqueur, sugar and olive oil. Other typical sweets of Pityuses: the flaó and the greixonera. The first is a round cake made with fresh cheese, egg, mint and aniseed. The second one is a pudding made with...ensaimas ! The tradition is to reuse the dried ensaimadas from the day before to give them a second life, adding milk, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and butter. Thus was born the greixonera!
... And to drink!
If Menorca's gin has a certain aura, the great liquid specialty of the Balearic Islands comes from Ibiza: Hierbas Ibicencas (Ibizan herbs). Although it is not a typical product of Formentera, the geographical and cultural proximity of the two Pityuse islands is such that Hierbas Ibicencas have become part of Formentera's dietary practices. The drink behind this name is a popular, slightly aniseed-flavored spirit that has been prepared for centuries by the island's families in an artisanal way, probably inspired by the preparations of the monks who populated the Balearic Islands in the Middle Ages. Among the many local herbs and fermented plants that are found in the recipe, we almost always find rosemary, thyme, mint, lavender, fennel, verbena, sage, juniper, orange and lemon peel. Since 1997, the Hierbas Ibicencas denomination is only attributed to producers registered in the Ibiza Council's register, which is supposed to guarantee a certain quality to the product. A very good gift idea!
The wine of Formentera (the culture of the vine is attested on the Balearic Islands since ancient times) is also a very good gourmet souvenir. On Formentera, the Monastrell, the grape variety traditionally grown on the island, dominates production. There are two vineyards on Formentera: Cap de Barbaria, located on the eponymous cape, and Terramoll, on the heights of La Mola. Formentera's grape varieties thrive on sandy soil and are spread throughout the island. The vine has adapted perfectly to the Mediterranean climate of the southernmost of the Balearic Islands. The wines are classified as Vi de la terra de Formentera in accordance with certain production criteria that guarantee the quality of the product. Only wines produced on the island can claim to have this designation on their bottles. The wines of Formentera are characterized by their "thick color", their violet hue and their fruity aroma.
