The short version: Formentor is the long, narrow peninsula at the northern tip of Mallorca, in the municipality of Pollença, where the Serra de Tramuntana runs into the sea. One road, the Ma-2210, leaves Port de Pollença, climbs to the Mirador des Colomer, drops to Formentor beach, where pines grow almost to the water, and ends at the lighthouse on the cape. In summer, access is regulated: in 2026 the lighthouse section was closed to private cars from May 15 to October 18, between 10 am and 10 pm, and a TIB shuttle bus took over. The 2027 rules had not been published when this guide was updated. Go early, go on a dry day, and drive the curves calmly.
What Formentor is
The Pollença tourist office describes Formentor as the last foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana, and the Consell de Mallorca, the island government, places it at the northern end of a range listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site (Pollença tourist office; Consell de Mallorca). There are no villages on it: cliffs, pine woods, a handful of coves, one historic hotel and, at the very end, a lighthouse.
Everything hangs on one road. The Ma-2210 starts at Port de Pollença, passes the military airfield and climbs onto the peninsula; it was designed by the engineer Antonio Parietti.
The road: curves, cliffs and cyclists
The Ma-2210 is a true mountain road: narrow, with tight bends and few places to pull over. It is also one of the island’s best-known cycling climbs, and on spring mornings riders can outnumber cars. In what we see, it is an easy drive for anyone who takes it slowly, gives cyclists room and stops only where parking is marked. The 2026 rules of the DGT, Spain’s traffic authority, put a fine on stopping anywhere not painted white as parking, even with one wheel on the asphalt. Americans who have taken the summer shuttle up a national park canyon will recognize the logic of what follows: a scenic road that cannot absorb peak traffic, and a bus that takes over at the busiest hours.
Mirador des Colomer and the Albercutx watchtower
The first stop is the Mirador des Colomer, known locally as la Creueta. The tourist office records that it was built into the cliffs in 1961, 232 meters above the sea, with a 1968 rock monument to Parietti at the entrance. Below it stands the islet of El Colomer, 112 meters high, painted since the late 19th century; people gather here at sunset. A path behind the viewpoint climbs to the Talaia d’Albercutx, a watchtower 380 meters up, built around 1600 to relay smoke and fire signals when pirate ships were sighted.
Formentor beach: pines, fine sand and calm water
A few minutes on, the road comes down to the bay of Pollença. The tourist office calls the inlet Cala Formentor, or Cala Pi de la Posada: inside it are the small cove of Cala Gentil and Formentor beach, with the islet of Formentor offshore. The beach is long and narrow, with very fine white sand, and a dense wood of pine and holm oak surrounds it, the branches almost touching the water (Pollença tourist office). The shade is rare on a Mallorcan beach, and the bay keeps the water calm most summer days. The car park charges and, in what we see, fills early in high season.
Cala Figuera and Cala Murta: coves on foot
Cala Figuera, on the north side, is a U-shaped inlet ending in a beach of sand and pebbles between cliffs; the tourist office describes the last 1,400 meters as a stony track best walked (Pollença tourist office). Cala Murta, on the bay side, is an S-shaped inlet with a small beach of gravel and sand; vehicle access is restricted near the estate of the same name, so the final 1,700 meters are on foot (Pollença tourist office). The shuttle bus stops at Cala Figuera–Cala Murta. Neither cove has services: bring water, shade and good shoes.
The lighthouse at the end of the island
The Formentor lighthouse opened in 1863, 210 meters above sea level. The tourist office calls it the hardest of the island’s lighthouses to build and notes that it has the highest focal plane in Mallorca (Pollença tourist office).
The moment people in the north talk about is sunrise at the lighthouse, and only on a dry day: humidity is the enemy of a clear dawn, and when the air is dry, Menorca appears on the horizon. Sunset from the Mirador des Colomer is the other classic. Both fall outside regulated hours, when the road is quiet.
Summer access: what the official rules say
For 2026, the DGT set the regulation from May 15 to October 18, both included, from 10 am to 10 pm (DGT, Formentor 2026). The road was split in two:
- Beach section (kilometer 2 to 8.7): private cars could reach the beach car park without authorization until it was full; then a barrier closed the road to all but authorized vehicles, and others waited on the service road for a space.
- Lighthouse section (kilometer 8.7 to the cape): authorized vehicles only. The Consell adds that cars which entered before 10 am had to leave by 9:59, and that motorcycles without authorization were not allowed.
Authorization covered the TIB shuttle, resident owners in the regulated stretch, bicycles, emergency services and vehicles carrying people with reduced mobility, requested from the DGT by email at least three working days ahead; coaches, taxis and private-hire cars could use the beach section, and hikers could always go through. The Consell says the 2018 pilot plan cut peak-hour traffic from about 300 vehicles to 20.
And 2027? The DGT publishes these measures each year. In October 2026, the 2027 rules had not been published, so the dates above describe 2026 only. Check the DGT and the Consell’s Formentor page before a summer visit.
By bus or by boat
The shuttle is TIB line 334, Alcúdia–Port de Pollença–Formentor lighthouse, stopping at the Mirador des Colomer, Formentor beach, Cala Figuera–Cala Murta and the lighthouse, with connections to other TIB lines; timetables are on the TIB website. If you drive to Port de Pollença, the DGT and the Consell point to free parking on the service roads of the Ma-2200 ring road. In what we see, boats from Port de Pollença also take visitors to Formentor beach in summer.
When to go
In season, the peninsula fills with cars and cyclists from mid-morning; the people we know set off at first light and head back before 10. Outside the regulated period the road is open to everyone and far calmer, and in winter, in what we see, Formentor belongs to walkers, cyclists and photographers waiting for a dry, clear morning.
The Hotel Formentor and the poets
The tourist office and the Consell’s Serra de Tramuntana site both record that the Argentine Adan Diehl opened the Hotel Formentor in 1929 as a retreat for artists and writers; the Consell adds that he had bought the estate from the family of the poet Miquel Costa i Llobera (Consell de Mallorca). Costa i Llobera wrote his best-known poem, El Pi de Formentor, about a pine tree here. The guest list both sources quote runs from Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin to Grace Kelly, and in 1959 the future Nobel laureate Camilo José Cela gathered poets at the hotel, the start of the Formentor literary conversations.
Getting there: drive times
From OpenStreetMap routing, in free-flowing traffic and outside regulated hours:
- Port de Pollença: about 8 minutes to the Mirador des Colomer, 12 to the beach and 25 to the lighthouse (20 km, 12 miles).
- Central Palma: about 1 hour to the beach and 1 hour 15 minutes to the lighthouse.
- Palma airport: about 1 hour 7 minutes to the beach and 1 hour 20 minutes to the lighthouse.
- Ses Salines, our base in the south-east: about 1 hour 40 minutes to the lighthouse.
Living near Formentor
Those who enjoy Formentor most live in Pollença and Port de Pollença, ten minutes from the start of the road. Across the sector, Pollença and Formentor are among the places where well-known names buy or rent. Our guide to Pollença, Port de Pollença and Formentor covers daily life in the north, and our guide on where to live in Mallorca covers every area.
What you need to know
Can you drive to the Formentor lighthouse in summer?
Not by private car during regulated hours. In 2026, from May 15 to October 18, 10 am to 10 pm, only authorized vehicles, the TIB bus 334, cyclists and hikers could use the lighthouse section. The 2027 dates had not been published in October 2026.
Can you drive to Formentor beach?
Yes, until the car park fills. Under the 2026 rules, private cars could reach it during regulated hours; once full, the barrier closed. The car park charges.
How do you get to Formentor without a car?
On TIB line 334 from Alcúdia and Port de Pollença, stopping at the viewpoint, the beach, Cala Figuera–Cala Murta and the lighthouse. In summer, boats from Port de Pollença also reach the beach.
What is the best time of day to visit Formentor?
First light, heading back before 10, or sunset. Sunrise at the lighthouse on a dry day can bring Menorca into view.
How far is Formentor from Palma?
About 1 hour to the beach and 1 hour 15 minutes to the lighthouse from central Palma in free-flowing traffic, by OpenStreetMap routing.
Where we work
We work across Mallorca from our base in the south-east, where you can browse homes in Santanyí, homes in Ses Salines and homes in Campos. Whatever area you are considering, the north included, contact Villas y Fincas Mallorca and we will answer in English.
Updated October 2026. Access rules come from the DGT’s Formentor 2026 document and the Consell de Mallorca and apply to 2026 only; the 2027 rules had not been published at the time of writing. Facts about the peninsula come from the Pollença tourist office and the Consell de Mallorca’s Serra de Tramuntana site, all consulted in October 2026. Driving times come from OpenStreetMap routing and vary with traffic and season. The descriptions reflect what we see and are for general information only.
