Formentera windmills route: the island’s 6 windmills
Discover the route of Formentera’s 6 windmills: a journey through rural history, spectacular views and local traditions, from la Mola to Sant Ferran and Sant Francesc.
Formentera’s windmills: heritage powered by the wind
Windmills have been part of Formentera’s rural landscape since the 18th century. They were used to grind grain, a staple food on the island, and they are a symbol of farming life long before tourism arrived. They all share the same design: a cylindrical stone tower with a conical roof and six sails. None of them grinds any more, but six are still standing as witnesses to the past.
The route of the 6 windmills is a simple, lovely way to travel the island from village to village and understand how people lived here not so long ago.
Where are Formentera’s six windmills?
They are in three areas: two on La Mola plateau, two in Sant Ferran de ses Roques and two on the sa Miranda hill, next to Sant Francesc Xavier.
1. Molí Vell de la Mola: the only one you can visit inside
The Molí Vell de la Mola is Formentera’s most famous windmill. It stands on La Mola plateau, next to the village of El Pilar de la Mola. The date 1778 is carved into its machinery; it was restored in the 1990s and it is the only windmill on the island you can visit inside, where the gears and millstones have been preserved. Entry is free. It usually opens in summer, in the mornings; check opening times with the Formentera tourist office (971 32 10 87).
About 500 metres away is the la Mola craft market, held on Wednesdays and Sundays from May to October, so you can combine the two visits.
Molí Vell de la Mola. Photo: Fabian Hurst, CC BY-SA 4.0
2. Molí d’en Botigues: the last one to start up
Less than 400 metres from the Molí Vell, also on la Mola, stands the Molí d’en Botigues. It began grinding in 1893, was the last flour mill to start operating in Formentera and kept working until the mid-20th century. Its tower and roof survive, but not its sails. You can only see it from the outside, and it is very photogenic at sunset.
3. Molí d’en Teuet: the first on record
In Sant Ferran de ses Roques, very close to the petrol station, is the Molí d’en Teuet. According to the Consell de Formentera, it is the island’s first documented flour mill, dating from the mid-18th century. It stopped grinding in 1964 and still belongs to the family who built it. It cannot be visited inside, but you can see it from the road and from the public path, and Sant Ferran’s green routes pass nearby: ideal for arriving on foot or by bike.
Molí d’en Teuet. Photo: Joan Gené, CC BY-SA 4.0
4. Molí de ses Roques (or d’en Bet)
Also near Sant Ferran is the Molí de ses Roques, which already existed in the late 18th century. In the 1960s its tower was built into a house, so today it is a private home and can only be seen from the outside.
5. Molí d’en Mateu: on the sa Miranda hill
West of the church of Sant Francesc Xavier, the island’s capital, are the two sa Miranda windmills. The Molí d’en Mateu dates from the 19th century and is now a private home, so it cannot be visited inside. Its white silhouette can be seen from the camí de Dalt de Portossalè, behind the old cemetery, and it looks especially beautiful in the late afternoon.
6. Molí d’en Jeroni: the Mateu’s neighbour
Just 100 metres or so from the Mateu is the Molí d’en Jeroni, 64 metres above sea level. It was restored in 1991 and is privately owned: you cannot go inside, but the area around it is accessible and offers one of the best panoramic views of the island, especially at sunset. If you are visiting Sant Francesc for its shops, cafés and fortified church, pop over to see them.
Molí d’en Jeroni. Photo: Fabian Hurst, CC BY-SA 4.0
There was once a seventh windmill, the Molí d’en Simó, at Cap de Barbaria, but its tower was pulled down around 1950 and very little of it remains.
How to do the windmill route in Formentera
The easiest way is to combine stretches by car, scooter or bike with short walks. A good way to plan it is by area: Sant Francesc (sa Miranda), Sant Ferran and, finally, la Mola, which is further away and reached by a winding road up the plateau. With a map or GPS, each windmill is easy to find.
It is not just about seeing the windmills, but about enjoying the journey between them: dirt tracks, open fields, the scent of juniper and silence.
Can you visit Formentera’s windmills?
Only the Molí Vell de la Mola can be visited inside. There you will see the original machinery. The rest are private properties or towers that can only be seen from the outside: respect the land and do not enter without permission.
A perfect plan for a quiet day in Formentera
It is an ideal route for anyone looking for something different from the beach. You can combine it with the la Mola market, a stop at a village bar and, if you plan it well, end the day on the coast.
And if another day you want to see the island from a different angle, boat hire in Formentera lets you explore the coast at your own pace, from the cliffs of la Mola to the coves of the west.
Windmills that tell stories
Each windmill has its own story, its own family and its own name. They were here long before there were hotels, scooters or tourist boats. Walking past them is a glimpse of another Formentera: quieter, simpler, but just as alive.
