The Balearic Islands know how to party, but they also know how to charm - and nowhere better than tiny Formentera, which has talc-coated beaches... and only 10,000 inhabitants.

Will Hide says there's not much to do on the island but "therein lies its charm". During his trip, he cycled, swam in secluded bays and enjoyed exceptional lunches READ MORE: Ten Quirky Campers for an Unforgettable 'Van Life' Vacation < p class="author-section byline-plain ">By Will Hide For The Mail On Sunday

Updated: 10:49 BST, 28 Aug 2023

The new Lonely Planet guide to Spain is a big beast, but only four paragraphs of its 720 pages are dedicated to Formentera. And since it's the smallest, least developed and most charming of the Balearic Islands, you get the impression that its approximately 10,000 inhabitants rather like it that way.

The island – half an hour south of Ibiza by ferry, just 19km long and 2.5km wide at its narrowest point – is a fantastic place to visit in September and October, when it is still warm and sunny during the summer season. during the day and wonderfully soft in the evening. By then, the dense summer crowds are long gone, but restaurants and cafes have yet to begin closing for the winter.

What to do in Formentera? Well, honestly, not much, and therein lies its charm.

If you want to go wild in a nightclub until 6 a.m. attend a yoga retreat where your only sustenance is chewing celery stalks three times a day or changing your chakras at a TikTok recommended ayahuasca retreat, stay in Ibiza.

But if you want to do that aside from eating, drinking, relaxing on talcum-soft beaches, swimming in turquoise waters, or strolling around the markets of the village, it is towards Formentera that you should head in autumn.