Cap de Barbaria and its lighthouse
Cap de Barbaria is the southernmost point of the Balearic Islands and one of the most visited and attractive sites of the island of Formentera. Although it is not clear the origin of its name, it may be due to its proximity to the African coast, known as barbaric, from where the balearic island was attacked several times in the past. It is therefore closest point to the African coast. But above all, it is one of the most emblematic places of Formentera thanks to its famous lighthouse and the hole through which you can access the cave of Cap de Barbaria, also known as cova foradada.
This is a special place and the most visited for many reasons. The road leading to the lighthouse of Cap de Barbaria from Sant Francesc de Formentera, is paved but really narrow. As we approach the lighthouse, those stone walls and pine forests typical from Formentera’s landscape disappear. We then encounter ourselves with a flat terrain of bleak beauty. Many of our luxury villas to rent in Formentera face this stunning building. Contemplating sea views from the privacy of your villa can be an experience worth living once in a lifetime.
At the end of the road we find the Cap de Barbaria lighthouse crowning an impressive cliff a hundred meters high, completely vertical to the sea. And only we find this lighthouse surrounded by spectacular scenery. If you go to this place during the day, we recommend that you buy a bottle of water or similar as there is no shade or shops nearby. Tourists find in this impressive an ideal place to sit, look around and just unwind from routine. Photography lovers find the perfect place to take pictures of the natural surroundings. There are few places in the world from where to contemplate a magical sunrise from the lighthouse of La Mola and then watch the sun dip into the same sea in Cap de Barbaria.
From this magical place we can see the best sunsets in the Mediterranean. The purity of the sky and the breeze that comes directly from the sea make the bright light reflect on Formentera’s turquoise waters in a very special way. On clear days, due to the height that Cap de Barbaria is in, it is possible to distinguish some mountains on the horizon above the sea: the Iberian Peninsula, which is almost 100 kilometers away.
Once there, the cova foradada is only a few meters away. It is a cave which can be accessed through a "hole" in the ground. In fact it is one of dozens caves that exist in Formentera, since due to the composition of the soil, the island is a real "cheese" with caves and underground galleries. Through a small grotto inside this cave, visitors can reach an amazing marine balcony overlooking the sea, which makes us feel like genuine hippies. We can stay hours watching the landscape and the sea from the stunning cliffs that are at the end of this cave. Many birds that have their nests on the cliffs of Cap de Barbaria accompany us in this adventure. We advise caution though. Inside the cave it is common to see young hippie monuments in the form of stone columns or similar. We recommend not to touch these works to keep the harmony of Cap de Barbaria.