Let the sunshine in on Ibiza's laid-back neighbour, the island of Formentera

East of the Spanish mainland and just across the way from Ibiza, the southernmost Balearic Island of Formentera has pristine beaches and its own brand of laid-back glamour, writes Kate Maxwell

The southernmost Balearic Island, Formentera — a 12-mile-long, low-lying piney stretch that was abandoned because of the Black Plague in the 14th century and resettled only 300-odd years later — has long been known for its superlative beaches and water that’s striped so many shades of blue it looks tie-dyed. Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix are said to have spent time on the island in the 1960s, and Pink Floyd visited in 1967. Today, glitter-painted tourists often day-trip from Ibiza, a 35-minute ferry ride away.