Shauna, Juan & Natalia
Few destinations can boast the quality that Formentera has: when the food is good, the scenery makes it even better. This summer, Gecko Formentera goes one step further with Orilla Restaurante by Gecko, a new culinary concept on the seafront that celebrates all the Mediterranean has to offer in an unhurried way and with the produce taking centre stage.
Migjorn has that strange quality of making you feel like you are arriving somewhere when, in reality, you are just staying put. Its waters change colour by the hour, the sound of the waves sets the pace of the day, and the sand retains the warmth of the sun long after it has set. It is the perfect setting, and Gecko Formentera has known this for years.
The hotel has long been a benchmark on the island, with a wellness philosophy that has become its hallmark: relaxed design, direct access to the Mediterranean and Formentera’s most iconic beach club. Gardens that exude calm, a pool that seems to blend into the sea, and a range of activities—from yoga to water sports—that invite you to connect with your surroundings. At Gecko, you can breathe in, touch and hear Formentera. Everything is designed with that in mind.
This season, Gecko Formentera goes one step further with the opening of Orilla Restaurante by Gecko: a culinary concept right on the waterfront with a clear vision. Orilla, which means ‘shore’ in Spain, is exactly what it’s name indicates: the point where everything comes together, where the sea ceases to be a mere backdrop and becomes part of the dish.
Leading the kitchen is the chef Juan Craywinckel, a figure whom Gecko Formentera knows well and trusts to deliver results, season after season, based on the idea that sound judgement yields better results than innovation for innovation’s sake. His menu highlights the flavours of the Mediterranean through simple, refined cuisine designed to be shared: local produce, seasonal cooking and a dining experience that perfectly matches the island’s rhythm.
The menu features the fresh catch of the day, selected each morning by someone who knows that in Mediterranean cuisine, half the work is done by the ingredients themselves. Rice dishes retain their status as essentials. And among the reinterpreted classics, the Caesar salad stands out, prepared fresh at the table. At Orilla, the ritual of its original preparation is revived, assembling it in front of the diner with the ceremony it deserves.
Sharing, at Orilla, is not dictated by the menu but a natural consequence of how the dishes are designed. The portion sizes invite you to order several dishes, to try what others are having and build your meal together. A way of eating that complements the spirit of the island, which is generous and elegant yet informal, something Formentera has been practicing its whole life without ever having put a name to it.
Every Sunday from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm, that philosophy of sharing is taken to the extreme with La Mesa Larga, a concept combining produce, seasonality and Mediterranean cuisine based on a format designed to make you stay put. It’s a place to linger, savour and take your time.
Behind each service is a team that understands hospitality as something more than protocol. At Orilla, the kitchen and dining room work together with a sense of harmony that the diner can perceive without anyone having to explain it to them.
Ultimately, Orilla’s concept is straightforward: a good spot, the sea in front of you and enough time to enjoy it all. Not to mention a menu designed for sharing, a team who knows how to read the rhythm of each service and a setting that does all the rest. In Formentera, when all of that comes together, you have enough reason to stay.
