La Mola is the eastern part of Formentera: a plateau reached by a steep road, ending abruptly at cliffs on the seaward side. On top there is farmland, a village with a white church and, right at the end, the lighthouse. It is the quietest and highest part of the island.
History
The plateau was Formentera’s grain country. Up here the wind almost never stops, which is why the windmills that ground the corn stood on this height; several of them survive. The whitewashed church in the village of El Pilar de la Mola belongs to the same building tradition as the churches on Ibiza: solid, low, thick-walled. Because La Mola is high and remote and there are no beaches on the cliff side, this part of the island has stayed largely agricultural. The lighthouse on the far point marks the eastern end of the Balearics towards open sea.
What to do here
- Drive the steep road up and stop at the viewpoint halfway, looking back over the whole low part of the island.
- Carry on to the lighthouse at the far point and look out over the cliffs to the open sea.
- Visit El Pilar de la Mola, the village on the plateau, with its white church on the square.
- Go to the craft market in the village when it is on.
- Find the surviving windmills — the reason grain was grown up here.
- Take a jacket: at this height there is almost always wind, even in summer.
Facts
- La Mola is Formentera’s high eastern plateau and ends in cliffs above the sea.
- A lighthouse stands on the far point.
- The plateau was grain country; windmills that ground the corn still stand there.
- El Pilar de la Mola is the village on the plateau, with a whitewashed church.
Good for
Anyone after views, wind and emptiness, and half a day away from the beach.
Honestly
There are no beaches here: the coast is cliff and you cannot get into the water. Without a scooter, bike or car the plateau is hard to reach, the wind almost never drops, and out of season little is open.
