Given its small size, Formentera is an island that can be easily explored by scooter or bicycle (in recent years many have chosen e-bikes), but in some cases, a car may be the most comfortable option.
Renting a car is often the choice for families with small children or groups of friends who prefer comfort. However, getting around Formentera by car requires some attention when it comes to parking.
In recent years, the Consell Insular has implemented and regulated the parking system in Formentera with new regulations. Here are some tips to avoid unpleasant fines.

Meaning of the colored lines

The towns of Es Pujols, Sant Ferran, Sant Francesc and La Savina have a number of car parks marked with different colored lines.

• Blue line: parking subject to a fee at certain times and periods.
• White line: parking is free here without any time restrictions.
• Yellow line: loading and unloading area, no parking allowed.
• Green line: parking for island residents only (only present in La Savina).

Parking hours and costs

The parking rules on the blue lines differ slightly depending on the period.
From May to October (tourist season): hourly cost €1.20 from Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 9 pm; maximum 24-hour stay.
From November to April (winter season): the cost is always €1.20 per hour, but the hours vary compared to the tourist season. Payment is required from Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm, and the maximum stay is up to 72 hours. An exception is made for Es Pujols, which has free parking 24 hours a day in the winter season.

There are however various concessions:

• Residents of Formentera have a 100% discount.
• People with reduced mobility can use the parking for free.
• In the presence of an electric car there is a 100% discount.
• With a hybrid car the reduction is instead 50%.

Furthermore, there are large parking lots in Formentera in dirt areas where there is no data-cfasync="false" data-cfasync="false" type of line. In these cases you can park for free.

30-minute free parking

Always marked with blue lines, free parking with a maximum stay of 30 minutes is a great alternative to save money when we need a short time to do some activities. The number 30 is easily recognizable within the stripes and using this service is very simple.
Just go to the appropriate parking meter, select the option dedicated to this service and you will receive a ticket to display on the dashboard of your car.

However, there is a constraint to this data-cfasync="false" data-cfasync="false" type of parking: you can only use it once during the day and in only one area. For example, if you go to Sant Ferran and use the free parking for 30 minutes to go quickly to the supermarket, on the same day you will not be able to do the same in a parking lot located in La Savina. You will have to wait until the next day to use this service again.

Flowbird Parking App

A convenient and decidedly eco-sustainable method of paying for parking within the blue lines is provided by the Flowbird Parking app. This app allows you to receive your parking ticket on your mobile phone, avoiding unnecessary printing and paying by credit card instead of physically at the parking meter. It is regulated according to whether or not you are a resident of the island.

For residents: download the app on your smartphone, register your car data and go to the parking meter. Here, by entering your vehicle’s license plate number, you will receive your parking ticket directly on your mobile phone. There will therefore be no need to return to the parking lot to display the printout.
You will also receive a notification when your parking time is about to expire: you can return to the parking meter to extend the duration.

                          

Exclusive parking for residents

The green lines, present only in the La Savina area, are for the exclusive and free use of Formentera residents.

The maximum parking time, for those residing in the La Savina town center, is 15 days. Residents of other areas can park their vehicles for a maximum of 24 hours in the summer and for a maximum of 72 hours in the winter.

Fines: how to pay or cancel them

If you are fined for violating parking regulations, you must pay the fine you received. However, there are different cases.

Fine for exceeding the parking time: if the user has left the car on the blue lines for longer than allowed, they have 60 minutes from the notification of the fine to cancel it by going to the parking meter. Using a numeric code dedicated to this data-cfasync="false" data-cfasync="false" type of operation, they can cancel it definitively for €3.

There are 3 options for paying fines:

• You can pay online. You must connect to one of the following 2 websites of Spanish banks (Caixabank or Banco Sabadell) and enter the lower number on the barcode. If you pay within 7 days, you will have a 50% discount.
• You can pay with an ATM. In this case, you can also take advantage of the 50% discount if you pay within 7 days at Banco Sabadell or CaixaBank ATMs using the barcode on the ticket.
• You can pay at the ATIB office located in Sant Francesc at Carrer d’Eivissa 9. In this case, the maximum time to take advantage of the 50% discount is 20 days.

Complaints

In the event that you decide to file a complaint against the fine you have received, you have two options:

• Go to the “Trámites y gestiones” section of the Consell Insular website, then click on “Gestión de tributos, multas y pagos” and finally on “Alegaciones y recursos contra sanciones de tránsito y estacionamiento”.
• Go in person to the OAC office in Sant Francesc at Carrer de Ramon Llull 6.

If you decide to file a complaint, you will automatically forfeit the 50% discount on the amount of the fine.

 

Gallery Parking Formentera