Ibiza Sun - News from Formentera

News from Formentera

Offer
The Tourism Department of the Consell launched a campaign at the beginning of the month under the banner ‘Descobreix Formentera al maig’ (discover Formentera in May), with the aim of attracting more tourists at the beginning of the season. Many of the hotels are offering special prices, as are the ferry lines, and a wide cultural and sporting programme will be available to those who take advantage of the offer. Discounts are applicable in most of the restaurants and rent-a-car offices and activities such as kayaks, diving and Nordic walking will also cost less during the month of May.
Specially organized events include a half marathon which will take place on the 13th of May and a trek round the Island on the 2nd of June. Sixteen restaurants are offering this weekend, the 11th to the 13th and the following, the 18th to 20th, attractive menus to all comers, whether they are tourists or locals, incorporating local produce at a global price of 18€. Anyone wishing to spend a few days in Formentera to experience the enchantment of the Island should visit the website www.formentera.es, where full details of all the establishments partaking are available.

Markets
One sure sign that summer is just around the corner is the arrival of the flea markets which are set up in various points on the Island. The most famous is that of la Mola which, since its inception in 1984, has become a ‘must visit’ place for tourists who flock to the stalls to find bargains and original gifts to take home. It is open on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and there are a total of 72 different stallholders, who offer a variety of goods, including pottery, leather, wood, silver and glass work, and allows the craftsmen to display their wares. The stalls in Sant Francesc are open in the morning with 25 artisans and in es Pujol in the afternoon with 47.
The markets which are set up in Sant Ferran will not be open for business until the 30th of May. There the offer includes six stalls, where artists may be seen working, allowing them to maintain contact with potential customers, who also in turn have an opportunity to meet the author of the work they are interested in. Apart from the six regular artists, several well known painters are invited to set up their easels and work as they chat with passers-by. During July and August there are activities aimed at children, including storytelling, body painting and videos. All these professionals have permits from the Consell and, whereas two years ago there were only ten, there are now 28.