Opens in a new tab
TODAY in Ibiza and Formentera
function updateHeaderHeight() {
        // Get the height of #brx-header
        const headerHeight = document.querySelector('#brx-header').offsetHeight;
          
        // Store the height in the CSS custom property --header-height
        document.documentElement.style.setProperty('--brxw-header-height', headerHeight + 'px');
    }

    // Execute the function as soon as the document is ready
    document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
        updateHeaderHeight();  // Initial update of header height when the document is ready

        // Update the header height on window resize and orientation change
        window.addEventListener('resize', updateHeaderHeight);
        window.addEventListener('orientationchange', updateHeaderHeight);
});

New Ferry to Connect Ibiza and Formentera from Australia in 2027

Insotel Marine Group has acquired an Australian catamaran with capacity for 244 passengers and 53 vehicles to strengthen the Ibiza–Formentera ferry connection from summer 2027.

Spirit of Kangaroo Island catamaran acquired by Insotel Marine Group for the Ibiza–Formentera ferry route
The catamaran 'Spirit of Kangaroo Island', acquired by Insotel Marine Group in Australia. / IMG - INSOTEL MARINE GROUP

Alejandra Larrazabal

Saturday, November 07 2026, 3.23pm

The maritime connection between Ibiza and Formentera is set to receive a boost in summer 2027, with the arrival of a new ferry acquired in Australia. Insotel Marine Group (IMG) has announced the purchase of the Spirit of Kangaroo Island, a catamaran that will join its fleet to strengthen passenger and freight transport between the two Pitiusa Islands.

The vessel, which previously operated for Australian ferry company SeaLink, will be transported from Australia to the Balearic Islands in the coming weeks aboard a semi-submersible heavy-lift ship. Once it arrives, it will undergo technical modifications and the necessary Spanish flag registration procedures before entering service on the Ibiza–Formentera route.

Capacity for passengers, cars and trucks

The Spirit of Kangaroo Island is a 50-metre-long, 17.8-metre-wide aluminium catamaran built by Australian shipyard Austal at its Henderson facility in Western Australia. It is a ro-pax vessel, designed to carry both passengers and vehicles, as well as freight.

The ferry can accommodate 244 passengers and 53 cars, although it can also be configured to transport eight trucks and 18 passenger vehicles. One of its distinctive features is an open vehicle deck with no height restrictions, making it suitable for carrying larger vehicles.

Before being acquired by the Ibiza-based group, the catamaran operated between Cape Jervis and Kangaroo Island in Australia. The crossing covers approximately ten nautical miles, with the vessel previously completing up to 12 sailings a day.

The new ferry is intended to strengthen the passenger and freight services currently operated by IMG between Ibiza and Formentera, one of the most important maritime links for residents, visitors and the supply of essential goods to the island.

Strengthening ferry connections across the Pitiusa Islands

The acquisition is part of the expansion of Insotel Marine Group, the maritime division of Grupo Insotel, a family-owned Balearic company headquartered in Ibiza.

Among the companies within the group is Trasmapi, which has been operating between Ibiza and Formentera for 50 years. According to company figures, the operator carries more than 1.2 million passengers annually on the route.

IMG also includes Formentera Lines, formerly known as Mediterránea Pitiusa, and Formentera Cargo, which specialises in freight transport.

Since 2022, the group has also operated the maritime connection between Alcúdia, in Mallorca, and Ciutadella, in Menorca, under the Menorca Lines brand.

Tags