La Mola Lighthouse (Far de la Mola)
Perched at the eastern tip of Formentera's plateau, the Far de la Mola lighthouse stands 192 metres above the sea on sheer dolomite cliffs — the highest point on the island and the place where Jules Verne reportedly found inspiration for his novel 'Hector Servadac'.
The drive and the drama
The road to La Mola winds up through fragrant pine forest and dry-stone terraces, passing the whitewashed village of El Pilar de la Mola before the plateau opens onto a panorama that stretches, on clear days, all the way to Ibiza and the Iberian Peninsula coast.
The lighthouse itself, built in 1861, is a working navigation aid painted in classic red and white. A small monument to Jules Verne stands nearby — a genuinely charming, low-key tribute that most visitors photograph before realising who it honours.
Sunset is the main event
La Mola faces due east, which means sunrise is spectacular, but the late-afternoon golden hour catches the cliffs in amber light that photographers chase from across the Balearics. Stay until dusk and the beam of the lighthouse begins its rotation just as the horizon turns violet.
On Wednesdays and Saturdays in summer, the El Pilar de la Mola artisan market sets up in the village square, making a natural pairing: browse handmade jewellery and ceramics, then drive ten minutes to watch the sun sink into the sea.
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