Sant Ferran de ses Roques

Village Formentera, Spain

Sant Ferran Formentera is the most centrally located of the island’s villages and has a lot going for it as a base from which to explore the island. However, it has not always been in its current location, as it was previously nearer to the saltwater lagoon of Estany Pudent.

It was named in memory of King Ferdinand the Catholic and its full name is Sant Ferran de ses Roques, or San Fernando in Catalan. With two flour mills and a church dating back to the eighteenth century, it is clear that it has always been a focal point of the island. It has continued to grow, and the resulting architecture is not always pretty. As you come from Es Pujols, the apartment blocks look distinctly drab, but on the plus side the village is very functional with banks, a post office, internet café, and an excellent doctor’s surgery. If you leave the main streets and head up the cobbled path to the Esgelsia de Sant Ferran you reach a prettier area. The church was originally located closer to the salt pans, but was moved along with the rest of the village in 1883 because the saltpan ground was not firm enough and the building started to crumble. The fact that the sandstone facade has not been whitewashed distinguishes it from most Balearic churches, and just opposite is La Fonda Pepe.