June 6, 2025

Teranka Formentera Is a Seaside Siren Call for Island Hoppers

Taking its name from ‘tierra’ (‘earth’) and ‘ancla’ (‘anchor’), Teranka Formentera is a wellness-dedicated haven on the shores of a mystical Balearic island that can only be reached by boat. Keeping watch over the pine forests which stretch their fragrant branches towards the rugged Migjorn beach, three shell-white buildings rise above the treeline like ships on verdant waves—a sight made all the more mesmerising by the canvas-topped roof terrace which resembles sails filled with the warm wind.

From the same minds behind the legendary Marbella Club (London-based siblings Daniel Shamoon and Jennica Arazi), every sand-dusted inch of Teranka is thoughtfully curated to feel like a pared-back beach house where the palette is drawn from the island’s coastline—the vivid colour of the surrounding waters is down to the native and rare posidonia seaweed (this is where Joni Mitchell wrote Blue, after all). Textiles in all the ocean’s shades are draped over driftwood-carved furniture, and hemp tapestries woven into fishing nets, lumen prints made using local botanicals, and charcoal paintings curated by designer Katrina Phillips to exclusively feature work by female artists adorn the walls—hinting at Formentera’s women-led heritage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when many of its men left the island to work abroad in fishing or the navy. The ever-evolving art collection is complemented by the hotel’s Sea Library, which is stocked with holiday reads and covetable editions of everything from Homer’s Odyssey to William Sieghart’s Poetry Pharmacy trilogy, and plays host to a new series of intimate conversations centred upon books from its shelves.

The coastal aesthetic continues in the bedrooms and suites, which are scattered across three nature-cocooned structures inspired by ‘Mar’ (‘sea’), ‘Tierra’ (‘land’), and ‘Cielo’ (‘sky’). The sea-facing Mar rooms occupy the upper floors of the main building to maximise the endless blue views, and are fronted by balconies for soaking up the sea air and glimpsing La Mola lighthouse on the horizon. The stone-hewn Tierra suites are ensconced within the juniper and rosemary-filled grounds, while the elevated Cielo suites seemingly float between the forest and clouds, with sweeping outdoor terraces framed by billowing white curtains and flowering cacti.

In keeping with the hotel’s grounding ethos, there’s a meditation app in collaboration with wellness pioneers OPO which you can download in your room and listen to while lounging by the pool or on a calming wander throughout the grounds, especially at sunset or during a stargazing sound bath. If you’re on a digital detox, simply falling asleep to the sound of the waves breaking on Migjorn beach should lull you into a deep relaxation without the need for tech. Slowing down is encouraged and easy to do here, with two spa treatment rooms, an open-air yoga deck and shala wrapped around a tree, an ice bath tucked between the trees, and a gym that’s half-exposed to the elements. The ongoing ‘Essence of Flow’ series sees wellness experts wash up on Formentera’s shores for Ayurvedic bodywork, Kobido facials, Reiki, and other rebalancing sessions, including a cathartic, holistic movement experience and mindful nature walk with body-frequency-altering Sanctum this summer.

Teranka Garden restaurant lies at the heart of the property on a bed of golden sand, where woven lighting in the shape of sun hats hangs from olive trees which twist and turn over sun-bleached tables and blue banquettes. Island-caught seafood sings on every plate, from crispy cuttlefish dipped in parsley aioli to seabass tiradito wrapped in delicate shiso leaves. The signature cocktails are infused with herbs grown in the onsite garden, including the minty ‘Terankini’ which is a refreshing, zesty combination of Roku craft gin, ginger, citrus, aloe vera, and cucumber. Up on the rooftop, local tapas dishes are prepared in harmony with the lunar cycles, and served beside flickering fires as the sky turns dusky pink accompanied by mellow DJ sets at weekends.

Tempting though it might be to stay within Teranka’s whitewashed walls, fabled Formentera is home to weekly hippie and craft markets, ancient vineyards, charming lighthouses, and near deserted stretches of bleach-blonde sand dunes. The hotel organises excursions across the island and beyond, from sailing to the myth-steeped isle of Es Vedrà aboard a traditional llaut wooden boat and snorkelling the blue lagoons of Ses Salines Natural Park with a marine biologist to printing a silk scarf with natural pigments with local artist, Simona Colzi, at her farmhouse-workshop where you can pick the plants you’d like to use in your creation. This is just one of the many ways in which guests can tap into the island’s feminine energy, and heal a little piece of their soul through creativity and immersion in nature.

Top Takeaways

Location: Formentera, Spain

Address: Carrer Sant Agustí KM 10.7, Playa des Arenals, 07872 Es Calo de Sant Agustí, Formentera

Rating: Five-star and a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World

The vibe: Like a big, bohemian breath of fresh air, Teranka’s indoor-outdoor spaces are designed to flow freely between land and sea. You’ll spend most of your time barefoot, with salty, air-drying hair and swimwear that’s still wet from your last dip.

Food + drink: Island-grown ingredients are treated and presented with care throughout Teranka’s dining spaces, and almost always enjoyed outside in the sun-dappled shade. Graze on gazpacho with chilli jam, Santoña anchovies, and tuna sashimi by the pool, and gather round one of the long tables in Teranka Garden to share giant rice platters topped with fresh seafood and chargrilled vegetables. Save room for the rice brûlée and dark chocolate mousse whipped with sea salt, rosemary, and Mahón cheese.

Amenities: Outdoor pool and gym, spa, ice bath, meditation deck and yoga shala, rooftop terrace, room service, free WiFi, Le Labo bath products, Dyson hairdryers, boutique, breakfast buffet (with à la carte options), restaurant, pool bar, Land Rover shuttle service.

Our favourite part of the hotel: Watching the sunset from the glass-fronted rooftop is pure magic, especially with an ice-cold botanical cocktail in hand.

What’s nearby? Take a walk along the Migjorn coast with the hotel’s environmental educator, Rocío Moreno, to visit the island’s iconic centuries-old fig tree Na Blanca d’en Mestre. To protect the precious fruit from the winds which lash the island, and offer shade to livestock and wildlife, fig trees on Formentera are cultivated using supporting beams and arranged in a concentric circle around the trunk.

Any personal neighbourhood recs? Peruse the flea market at Sant Francesc Xavier on a Saturday morning, and discover the scents of the island at Centrale Perfumería, which dedicates fragrances and candles to natural beauty spots like Migjorn, Es Caló, and Ses Salines. Balàfia is also worth a browse for gorgeous tableware, beach cover-ups, and hand-woven accessories.

Rooms: 35.

Pricing: Rates start at €390 per night.

Closest airport: You’ll need to touch down in Ibiza then take one of the regular ferries to Formentera; the crossing takes 30 minutes and one of Teranka’s blue Land Rovers will be waiting on the other side to shuttle you to the hotel.