Man's presence on Formentera goes back at least 4,000 years. The best remaining example of the period of Roman rule is the Can Blai camp, near Es Caló.

After the period of Arab rule, Ibiza and Formentera were conquered by Catalan troops in 1235. Emigration to far-off lands was a constant feature until the middle of the 20th century.

Tourism radically changed the island's economy and society. The hippies made a decisive contribution towards publicising it and linked its name to a different way of understanding life and being tourists.

The Balearic Islands Statute of Autonomy (1983) establishes the two official languages of Catalan – the native language of the islands – and Spanish – the official state language – and devolves the islands institutions of self-government: the Island Council, the Parliament and the Government of the Balearic Islands.

With the centuries that have gone by, no-one knows for certain the origin of Formentera's folklore traditions, although it seems clear that there are reminders of the Arabs (largely in the singing), there are many subtle elements that make this doubtful. The symbolism of the dances draws the attention strongly, together with the unusual nature of the musical instruments used. These are made using craft techniques, based on using exclusively native raw materials.

The costumes are very spectacular, above all the women's ones for festivals, complemented with a golden "emprendada" (of incalculable value), contrasting strongly with the completely black and very simple working clothes.