If there are two of you, take the ferry: at roughly €30–50 return per person it is the cheapest way to reach Formentera, and nothing we say here changes that. But the question of ferry or private boat to Formentera flips completely once you travel as a group. Split our NAVAN S30 between eight or ten people and a fully private day on the water works out at roughly €100–175 per person — the same territory a ferry day ends up in once you add the taxi to the port, scooter hire and sunbeds — for a day that has almost nothing in common with the ferry version. Here is the honest arithmetic, from a crew that makes this crossing all season.
What a ferry day to Formentera actually involves
The ferries themselves are excellent. Operators such as Baleària run fast, frequent crossings from Ibiza Town to La Savina, and a return ticket typically costs between €30 and €50 per person. The catch is everything around the ticket.
First, the ferry leaves from Ibiza Town. If you are staying in Santa Eulalia, Es Canar or anywhere else on the east coast, your day starts with a taxi across the island. Then you sail on the operator's schedule, not yours: miss the morning departure and the day shrinks; commit to the late boat home and you queue with everyone who had the same idea. And you arrive in La Savina — a harbour, not a beach. From there it's scooter or bike hire, or the taxi rank, then sunbeds at Ses Illetes in high season. Each step has its own queue and its own bill. For eight people, tickets alone come to €240–400 before a single one of those extras.
None of this makes the ferry a bad option. It makes it a logistics exercise — and for a group, an expensive one.
Ferry or private boat to Formentera: the per-person maths
Our NAVAN S30 is priced per boat, never per person, and the professional skipper is always included. In 2026 a full day (8 hours, typically 10:00–18:00) runs from €999 in low season (October–April), €1,250–1,450 in May and September, and €1,600–1,750 in July and August, with fuel charged separately by actual usage. The full breakdown is on our prices page, and our honest cost anatomy of a charter day explains every line item.
| Ferry day | Private NAVAN S30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price basis | Per person | Per boat, up to 10 guests |
| Base cost | €30–50 return per person | €999–€1,750 depending on season, plus fuel |
| For 8–10 people | €240–500 in tickets, plus taxis, scooters and sunbeds | Roughly €100–175 per person |
| Departure | Ibiza Town, fixed timetable | Marina Santa Eulalia, Berth H17 — you set the time |
| You arrive at | La Savina harbour | At anchor off S'Espalmador, then Ses Illetes |
| Swim stops | None | Whenever you like |
For couples the ferry wins on price, comfortably. From about six people the gap closes fast, and at eight to ten the totals converge — except that one of the two days includes a skipper, a boat to yourselves and the one thing no ferry can sell you: the anchorage itself.
The day you actually get on a private boat
Our Formentera day trip leaves from Berth H17 in Marina Santa Eulalia — usually at 10:00, but that is your call. We run south along the east coast, past Cala Llonga and the silhouette of Dalt Vila off the starboard side, and the crossing itself is about an hour of relaxed cruising. Nobody scans a ticket.
The first stop is S'Espalmador, the uninhabited islet north of Formentera. The engines go quiet, the anchor chain rattles out, and you are floating over sand so shallow and clear that the hull's shadow sits a few metres below your toes. This is the part of the day the ferry crowd never gets: while they queue at the scooter desks in La Savina, you are already in the water.
Lunch is at anchor off Ses Illetes. Some groups eat on board — the Mediterranean lunch board from our €45-per-person food package, laid out on the folding teak table — while others go ashore to one of the famous beach restaurants; our team reserves the table for you in advance, and we have written a guide to Formentera's beach restaurants worth arriving at by boat. The afternoon is whatever you want it to be: stay in the lagoon, cross to the quieter Cala Saona on the west side, or beach-hop back toward Ibiza. We are home by 18:00.
The honest caveats
- Fuel is on top. We charge fuel by actual usage, and Formentera is our longest route, so this is the day it matters most. Ask us for a realistic estimate when you book — we would rather you budget for it than be surprised by it.
- Small groups pay more per head. Two people on a private boat is a wonderful day, but it is not a €50 day. The per-person case is strongest from six guests up.
- Weather has a vote. The crossing is open water. If the sea state is not right, our skipper will tell you straight and propose a plan that is — that judgement is part of what you are paying for.
So which should you book?
Take the ferry if you are one or two people, watching the budget, and happy to build your day around a timetable. Book the boat when the group is six or more, when the point of the day is the water rather than the transport — or when you want that hour at anchor off S'Espalmador that no ferry timetable includes. Whichever you choose, go early: the lagoon is at its best before noon, whichever boat brings you there.
