Famous People in Formentera: From Bob Dylan to Today’s VIPs

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There is an unwritten rule in Formentera — a silent pact that has been respected for decades. On this island, where the blinding Mediterranean light seems to reveal everything, the true magic lies in what remains hidden and protected. Perhaps that’s why, for over fifty years, Formentera has been the ultimate secret hideaway for artists, musicians, writers, and international celebrities.

Famous people don’t come here to be seen — they come to disappear. To shed their public persona and become simply human again. They lose themselves on dusty paths, feel the sand under their bare feet, and watch the sunset without being asked for selfies. This is a journey into the secret Formentera, from rock legends to today’s VIPs, to discover why this small Balearic island has become a spiritual stage like no other.

The Pioneers: When Rock Found Silence

In the late 1960s, while the world was in turmoil, Formentera was its own universe — remote, wild, almost forgotten. With no airport and access only by boat, getting here was already a filter, a natural selection for those who truly wanted to escape — not just geographically, but spiritually.

Pink Floyd and the Psychedelic Wind of La Mola

One of the island’s most enduring legends is tied to Pink Floyd. In 1969, director Barbet Schroeder was filming More, a cult classic that became the manifesto of a generation. The British band was invited to compose the soundtrack.

Although much of the film was shot in Ibiza, the dreamy, psychedelic atmosphere carries the spirit of Formentera. It’s said that the band spent time on the island, finding refuge in an old windmill on the La Mola plateau. Picture Gilmour, Waters, Wright, and Mason far from London’s fog, immersed in a lunar landscape, with the wind howling like a hypnotic melody and the lighthouse cutting through the dark. You can almost hear that isolation in tracks like Cymbaline. Today, the windmill has become a pilgrimage site for music lovers.

Bob Dylan: The Ghost of Fonda Pepe

The story of Bob Dylan in Formentera is even more shrouded in mystery — which makes it all the more fascinating. Around the late 60s and early 70s, Dylan is said to have escaped to the island under an alias, seeking total anonymity.

No official photos exist, but locals recall seeing him sitting for hours at the legendary Fonda Pepe in Sant Ferran, notebook in hand, watching the microcosm of hippies, artists, and farmers who filled the bar. Others claim he spent time at La Mola Lighthouse, staring out at the endless sea. Whether true or not, Dylan’s myth captures the essence of why artists come here: not to find something, but to lose something — to shed the weight of fame and rediscover their truest voice.

Formentera as a Muse: Artists and Writers

The island’s pull has never been limited to musicians. For decades, painters, sculptors, and writers have been drawn to Formentera in search of two things it offers in abundance: unique Mediterranean light and deep silence.

The light for painters: bright, sharp, almost tangible, bouncing off the whitewashed houses, the salt flats, and the turquoise waters of Ses Illetes beach. Many have tried to capture the impossible blues of the sea, the red earth of Cap de Barbaria, and the twisted fig trees — creating a visual identity now part of the island’s soul.
The silence for writers: Formentera, especially in the quiet winters, is the perfect place to write. Jules Verne, though he never visited, immortalized La Mola Lighthouse in Hector Servadac, forever linking it to literature. Many other writers have rented small fincas to finish novels, finding in the rhythm of walking, writing, and contemplating the perfect creative balance.

Today’s Celebrities: The New Discretion

So, is Formentera still the celebrity hideaway it used to be? Absolutely — more than ever. But the rules have changed. If the hippie community was the draw decades ago, now the appeal is privacy and exclusivity.

Every summer, Hollywood actors, world-class football players, fashion designers, supermodels, and tech entrepreneurs arrive on the island. And yet, once here, they seem to honor that same pact of silence: heels are traded for espadrilles, tuxedos for pareos, and gala dinners for casual seafood barbecues in hidden villas.

Formentera acts as an equalizer: an Oscar winner can be found queuing behind a local farmer at the supermarket, and a world-famous musician can have a beer next to a craftsman at a bar.

Formentera: The True Luxury

The real luxury of Formentera isn’t money or exclusivity — it’s freedom. The freedom to just be. And that’s why, from Bob Dylan to today’s top models, Formentera’s allure remains irresistible decade after decade.