Why Charter a Yacht to Ibiza & Formentera
Among every destination in the western Mediterranean, few can rival the magnetic pull of Ibiza and Formentera. Together, these sister islands form the Pitiüses — an ancient name earned long before the world discovered their beauty — and they remain the crown jewels of any Balearic yacht charter. Arriving by private yacht transforms the experience entirely: you slip past crowded ferry terminals and airport queues, anchoring instead in pristine bays that are accessible only from the sea.
Formentera, just five nautical miles south of Ibiza, is routinely compared to the Caribbean for the extraordinary clarity of its waters. The Posidonia seagrass meadows that blanket the seabed between the two islands are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, filtering the water to an almost impossibly vivid shade of turquoise. Ses Illetes, the long sliver of white sand at Formentera's northern tip, is regularly voted among the best beaches in Europe — and from the deck of a Sunseeker 88, you can admire it without setting foot on shore or sharing it with a single soul.
Ibiza itself is a place of striking contrasts. The south and west coasts pulse with energy: world-famous beach clubs, cliff-top restaurants and the mythical rock of Es Vedrà catching the last light of day. Yet just twenty minutes north by yacht, you find yourself in an entirely different Ibiza — pine-scented hillsides tumbling into deserted calas, hand-painted fishing boats bobbing in translucent shallows, and the kind of deep silence that most people fly halfway around the world to find. In the heart of Ibiza Town, the fortified old quarter of Dalt Vila rises above the harbour, its Renaissance ramparts a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and its labyrinth of cobbled lanes filled with whitewashed galleries, candlelit terraces and centuries of history.
Whether you seek spirited nightlife or serene solitude, a yacht charter from Palma de Mallorca to Ibiza and Formentera delivers both within a single voyage — and every mile in between is pure, open-sea exhilaration.
Getting to Ibiza from Palma de Mallorca
M/Y Junior is based year-round in Palma de Mallorca, and the crossing to Ibiza is one of the most rewarding passages in the Balearics. At a comfortable cruising speed of 18 knots, the journey covers roughly 65 nautical miles and takes between three and four hours — enough time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast prepared by the onboard chef, settle into the flybridge with a glass of champagne, and watch Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana slowly recede behind you as the silhouette of Ibiza materialises ahead.
The open-water crossing is typically smooth from May through October, when prevailing winds rarely exceed 15 knots. Your captain will choose the optimal departure window based on weather and sea conditions, often suggesting an early-morning start so that you arrive in Ibiza waters by late morning — perfectly timed to claim a prime anchorage at Cala Comte or Es Vedrà before the day-charter fleet arrives. As the low white coastline of Ibiza draws near, the first thing you notice is the light: a luminous, almost silver quality that painters and photographers have tried to capture for decades. It is, quite simply, unlike anywhere else.
Guests who prefer to maximise their time in Ibiza can also arrange to embark directly at Ibiza Marina or Santa Eulària, with the crew repositioning Junior in advance. Your charter, your schedule.
Ibiza Highlights by Yacht
From dramatic west-coast sunsets to the peaceful coves of the north, Ibiza reveals its finest side to those who arrive by sea. Here are the anchorages and experiences our captain recommends most.
Cala Comte & Cala Bassa
The western coastline of Ibiza is where sunset becomes a spectacle. Cala Comte, with its layered terraces of turquoise, is the island's most photographed bay — and when you're anchored offshore rather than shoulder-to-shoulder on the beach, the experience is infinitely more rewarding. Just around the headland, Cala Bassa offers a broader, more sheltered anchorage framed by pine forests. Both bays catch the full arc of the western sun as it sinks below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of amber, rose and violet. Your chef can prepare a sunset dinner on the flybridge while you watch the show.
Dalt Vila & Ibiza Marina
Stepping ashore at Ibiza Marina places you directly beneath Dalt Vila, the fortified hilltop old town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Massive Renaissance walls encircle a labyrinth of steep cobbled streets, whitewashed houses and hidden plazas that date back to Phoenician times. Wander up to the cathedral for panoramic views across the harbour to Formentera, then descend through the Sa Penya quarter for dinner at one of the port-side restaurants. Berths for a Sunseeker 88 are available at Marina Ibiza and the adjacent Club Náutico, both within walking distance of the old town.
Es Vedrà
Rising 400 metres from the sea off Ibiza's south-west coast, the rocky islet of Es Vedrà is one of the most iconic natural landmarks in the Mediterranean. Shrouded in myth — some say it is the tip of sunken Atlantis, others claim it as the island of the Sirens from Homer's Odyssey — Es Vedrà is undeniably dramatic. The anchorage at Cala d'Hort, directly facing the rock, offers superb snorkelling in crystal-clear water and a front-row view of what many consider the single most spectacular sunset in the Balearics. Your captain will position Junior to capture the moment the sun drops behind the pinnacle.
North Ibiza — Portinatx & Benirràs
For those seeking the quieter, wilder side of Ibiza, the north coast is a revelation. Portinatx, at the island's northernmost tip, shelters three small coves of fine sand backed by low cliffs and pine woods — wonderfully uncrowded even in August. To the west, Benirràs is famous for its Sunday-evening drum circles but equally beautiful on any other day, when the crescent-shaped beach is calm and near-empty. Between these two bays you will find a succession of barely accessible calas — Cala Xarraca, Cala d'en Serra, S'Illot des Renclí — each one a private little paradise reachable only by boat or a rugged hike. This is the Ibiza that existed long before the clubs.
Formentera — Best Reached by Yacht
If Ibiza is the extrovert of the Pitiüses, Formentera is the introvert — and all the more captivating for it. Just twenty minutes by yacht from Ibiza Town, this slender, sun-bleached island is home to some of the most astonishing water colour you will ever see. The seabed between the two islands is carpeted with ancient Posidonia oceanica seagrass, a protected ecosystem that filters the water to an almost unreal clarity. When you anchor over these meadows, the hull of Junior seems to hover in mid-air.
Ses Illetes stretches along Formentera's northern peninsula like a Caribbean sandbar transplanted to the Mediterranean. The sand is powder-fine and blindingly white, the water a gradient of pale jade and deep sapphire that shifts with every passing cloud. Anchoring off Ses Illetes on a calm morning is one of those travel experiences that defies exaggeration — it genuinely looks like a retouched photograph. The crew will set up the beach club, lower the tender and prepare a chilled lunch while you swim, paddle-board or simply float in the shallows.
A short cruise south brings you to Espalmador, a privately owned islet between Ibiza and Formentera that is accessible only by boat. The shallow lagoon on its northern shore is famous for its natural mud baths — mineral-rich clay that guests love to slather on as a skin treatment before rinsing off in the crystalline sea. Beyond the mud flats, Espalmador's southern beach, S'Alga, is a pristine crescent of sand rarely visited by anyone at all.
For lunch, your captain can anchor at one of several favourite spots: the sheltered bay of Cala Saona on Formentera's west coast, where ochre cliffs meet turquoise water, or off the jetty at Es Pujols for a stroll through the island's most charming village. Formentera's entire coastline measures barely 70 kilometres, yet it packs more visual beauty per nautical mile than almost anywhere in the Mediterranean. The reason it is best experienced by yacht is simple: no traffic jams, no moped dust, no ferry timetables — just crystal water, white sand, and the complete freedom to move at your own pace.
About M/Y Junior
M/Y Junior is a Sunseeker 88 motor yacht built in 2024 and delivered in 2025, representing the very latest in British yacht design and engineering. At 27 metres, she offers the space and amenities of a much larger vessel: four en-suite cabins accommodating up to eight guests, a dedicated crew of four including a professional chef, a flybridge with bar and jacuzzi, and a generous beach club that opens directly onto the water.
Based in Palma de Mallorca, Junior is ideally positioned to reach Ibiza and Formentera in a single morning, with a top speed of 28 knots and a comfortable cruising speed of 18 knots. Her shallow draught allows access to anchorages that larger yachts cannot enter — a significant advantage in the shallow, reef-fringed waters around Formentera and northern Ibiza.
Every charter includes a full complement of water toys — jet ski, Seabob, paddle boards, snorkelling gear and inflatable toys — as well as all meals, snacks and soft beverages prepared fresh by the onboard chef. Whether you are planning a week-long Balearic odyssey or a focused exploration of Ibiza and Formentera, Junior and her crew will craft an itinerary tailored precisely to your wishes.
Discover more about M/Y Junior or explore our Mallorca charter itineraries.
Ibiza & Formentera Pricing
Weekly charter rates for M/Y Junior include crew, fuel for standard itineraries, all meals, snacks and soft beverages. Ibiza and Formentera itineraries depart from Palma de Mallorca.
Ibiza & Formentera Charter FAQ
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Charter M/Y Junior to Ibiza
Ready to experience Ibiza and Formentera from the deck of a Sunseeker 88? Get in touch with our charter team to discuss dates, itineraries and availability.