CAP DE BARBARIA

Cap de Barbaria with its lighthouse is one of the symbols of Formentera.

Cap de Barbaria, situated on a barren and rocky promontory, is located in the most extreme point of Formentera. We are in the south, 65 meters above sea level, and this pristine terrain looks proudly at the African coasts. The origin of its name is quite controversial: someone says that it refers to the barbarism that the island suffered from the numerous pirates who in the past plundered the Mediterranean; other sources, they approach the term “berberias” to the ancient name of the African coasts inhabited precisely by the Berbers.

Cap de Barbaria is a very special place to visit: almost devoid of vegetation, here you will find neither restaurants, bars, nor shops. It is a virgin area where the total absence of reference points will lead you unequivocally on a small inner journey: it will seem to be on the border between the sea and the sky.

There is no time of day when it is better to visit this place but, surely at sunset, you will see colors that you will hardly forget. For those who are not afraid of dark paths, even a night visit to Cap De Barbaria is strongly recommended: in many areas of this agricultural area there is no electricity and and the starry sky above your eyes will remain forever in your heart.

The Cap de Barbaria lighthouse

cap de barbaria lighthouse

The Cap de Barbaria lighthouse

Cap de Barbaria is certainly worth a visit for its famous lighthouse. Starting from Sant Francesc, follow a long paved road (you will see an almost lunar landscape on its sides) and, at a certain point, leave the car or the motorcycle to take a short walk that will lead you straight to the lighthouse.

Located at the southernmost point of the promontory, it was inaugurated in 1971, although the project dates back to 1924. Just over 17 meters high, it has a diameter of about 3 meters and its function was to serve as a signal.
Of vital importance in past centuries, thanks to its light that reached 18 miles away, it prevented ships from heading and crashing into the rocks.

From the cliff it is possible to observe to the east, a magnificent view of the Migjorn beach and of the promontory of La Mola, to the west where the sun sets, you will be literally overwhelmed by the magic of this moment. It is difficult to distinguish the point where the sea begins and the sky ends, everything will be colored in reddish tones and Formentera will give you one of the best experiences.

In addition to the Cap de Barbaria lighthouse, there are two other lighthouses in Formentera: one on the La Mola plateau and the other at the port of La Savina. The latter is less touristy and well-known, but of fundamental importance for navigation.

The Cap de Barbaria cave

cap de barbaria cave

The entrance to the Cap de Barbaria cave

Formentera is full of caves that can be visited by sea, but it is here that you will find a small cavity to descend into the bowels of our beloved island. Not to be missed, this natural cave is located near the lighthouse. Not indicated by signs or notices, you will discover it by following some other tourist or simply by exploring the land near the lighthouse.

Descending into the Cova Foradada is very easy: through a comfortable wooden ladder placed in the opening, you will enter inside this rock; at the beginning it will be a bit dark, but after a few steps you will come out on a terrace overlooking the sea. The show you will see cannot be described with mere words, here, Formentera reveals itself, once again, wonderful in its purest essence.

A brief information note: starting from summer 2017, precisely from June 25th to September 30th, at km 6.5 of the Es Cap road, a barrier has been placed that prohibits access to cars and scooters in order to preserve the surrounding natural landscape. In the adjacent area there is a parking area that can accommodate about 60 cars and 100 scooters.

Consequently, to admire the lighthouse and the cave of Cap de Barbaria it will be necessary to walk for almost 2 kilometers. A nice walk of about 30 minutes will take you to your destination.

Des Garroveret tower

Not far from the lighthouse is the Des Garroveret tower. This building belongs to the complex of the 5 defensive towers erected during the 18th century in Formentera (Sa Gavina tower, Sa Punta Prima tower, Pi des Català tower and Sa Guardiola tower in Espalmador island).

cap de barbaria tower

The Des Garroveret tower

Built in 1763 by the engineer Garcia Martinez, who followed the plans of Joan Ballester in 1756, this tower, originally built for supervisory purposes, was constructed with limestone and lime. It is 65 meters above sea level and an ancient legend tells that, during particularly clear days, you can see the African coasts.

9 meters high, it is structurally divided into 2 floors and from the sentry box on the upper platform you can enjoy a magnificent view.

Worthy of note is certainly the position of the entrance door: located at a fairly high point, it can be reached from the ground through a ladder fixed on the tower wall. From the platform on the first floor you reach the upper sentry box via an internal staircase.

Once the construction was completed, the Des Garroveret Tower was used as an active defense tower and for this purpose had been equipped with a cannon like the one present at the time in the church of Sant Francesc (in that period also used as a fortress). Only in 1824, this tower was disarmed and turned into a simple observation tower. Thanks to this and the other defense towers it has been possible to guarantee the safety of the island population.

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