Formentera is the next island south of Ibiza, and crossing to it is one of the standard reasons to book a boat here. There are two crewed ways across, and they differ in almost everything except the destination:
- Shared day trip — Smart Charter Ibiza, €95 per person
- Private catamaran — GOA Catamaran Ibiza, €1,090 per catamaran
Both come with a crew, so nobody in your group has to sail. What changes is the port you leave from, the length of the day, how many strangers are aboard and what the price unit actually buys.
How much does it cost to get to Formentera from Ibiza?
€95 per person for a shared six-hour day with Smart Charter Ibiza, or €1,090 for the whole catamaran for seven hours with GOA Catamaran Ibiza. The shared boat takes up to 12 guests; the private catamaran takes up to 11.
Eight people, two answers
Eight seats on the shared trip come to €760, because €95 is charged per head. The same eight on the GOA catamaran pay €1,090 between them — about €136 each — and nobody else boards. The private boat gets cheaper per person the fuller it is: eleven guests split it into shares of about €99, six guests into about €182.
The two ratings are not the same size
Smart Charter Ibiza is rated 4.4 across 34 reviews, GOA Catamaran Ibiza 4.9 across 211. Both are strong numbers, but one of them rests on six times as much feedback — worth knowing before you read either as a promise.
Where does the boat leave from — Marina Ibiza or San Antonio?
This is the difference most people miss, and it decides how your morning goes. Smart Charter boards at Marina Ibiza (Botafoch) in Eivissa, the marina beside Ibiza Town. GOA boards at Carrer del General Balanzat in Sant Antoni de Portmany, on the far side of the island. Both send the exact berth after you book.
From Botafoch: straight across
The Smart Charter day runs south from Marina Ibiza to anchor off Ses Illetes or Espalmador, then back along the coast. If you are staying in Ibiza Town, the boat is a walk away rather than a taxi across the island.
From San Antonio: down the west coast
GOA leaves San Antonio, crosses to Ses Illetes, works the quiet calas at midday and sails home past Es Vedrà as the sky turns gold. It is the longer day of the two, and the return is the part guests write about.
Shared seat or the whole boat?
The €95 buys one place on a boat that may carry up to twelve. The €1,090 buys the catamaran itself for the day, whatever the size of your group — eleven guests, or four, the boat costs the same and nobody outside your party is aboard.
When sharing is the better deal
For two or three people the shared trip wins outright: €190 or €285 against €1,090. Smart Charter's boats can also be taken privately for your own group, so the shared seat is a way of testing the crossing before committing to a whole boat.
When the whole boat is worth the difference
From about eleven guests the gap all but closes: €99 a head on the GOA catamaran against €95 on a shared deck, and for that €4 you get an extra hour, a route you agree with your own skipper, and the trampolines to yourselves.
How long is the day and what happens on it?
Six hours with Smart Charter, seven with GOA. Both days are built the same way — cross, anchor, swim, eat, come back — and both leave the sailing entirely to the crew.
The six-hour version
Board at Marina Ibiza and meet the crew at Botafoch, cruise south, anchor off Ses Illetes or Espalmador, snorkel and try the SUP from the swim platform, stop again near a white-sand beach, then coast back to the marina.
The seven-hour version
Board at San Antonio for the briefing, anchor off Ses Illetes to swim, eat lunch aboard in a quiet cala, spend the afternoon on the bow trampolines and the paddleboard, and sail back past Es Vedrà at sunset.
What is included and what you pay separately?
Smart Charter includes the day charter, the crew, snorkel gear and a swim platform with SUP. GOA includes the private catamaran, skipper and crew, fuel, snorkel gear and a paddleboard.
The extras are almost identical
Neither price covers marina and entry fees, transfers or gratuities. Food and drinks are extra on both — catering is optional on the GOA charter, and on Smart Charter trips food and drink are included on some departures and not others, so ask which one you are booking. Some Smart Charter departures let you bring your own food aboard.
Bring for the day
Tip
swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat and water. No sailing experience and no particular fitness are needed on either boat: the crew runs everything, and swimming and SUP are things you opt into.
What language does the crew work in?
Smart Charter works in Spanish and English. GOA works in Spanish, English and German, so if you want to plan the route with your skipper in German, that is the charter that covers it. Neither operator offers Russian.
Two things worth knowing before you anchor
Formentera's anchorages are quiet places and guests notice when a boat is not. One Smart Charter reviewer marked the day down for exactly that — their own group was loud for the setting at Es Caló — which is a fair warning rather than a fault of the boat. And if the weather turns, the crew may move the route to sheltered water or reschedule; if the trip is cancelled, the refund is full.
| Crossing | Price | Unit | Duration | Group | Leaves from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared day trip (Smart Charter) | €95 | per person | 6 h | up to 12 | Marina Ibiza (Botafoch) |
| Private catamaran (GOA) | €1,090 | per catamaran | 7 h | up to 11 | San Antonio |
Booking goes straight to the operator, at their price. The live options sit on the Ibiza sailing charter page, and the rest of the island's crewed trips are compared in our guide to Ibiza boat trips.
