La Mola Lighthouse (Far de la Mola)
Perched at the eastern tip of Formentera atop 192-metre sheer cliffs, the Far de la Mola lighthouse has been guiding ships since 1861 and rewards visitors with the most dramatic panorama on the island — an uninterrupted sweep of deep-blue Mediterranean stretching to the horizon in three directions.
The View & the Setting
The plateau road to La Mola winds through pine forest and past dry-stone walls before suddenly opening onto the cliff edge, where the lighthouse stands in stark white contrast against the sky. On clear days — which are most days from May to October — you can see the silhouettes of Ibiza, Mallorca and even the Valencian coast.
Jules Verne visited in 1878 and was apparently so moved he set a scene from his novel 'Hector Servadac' here; a small monument near the lighthouse commemorates the visit. It's a detail that adds a pleasing literary frisson to what is already a spectacular spot.
The Wednesday Market & the Drive Up
Every Wednesday and Sunday evening in summer, a small artisan market sets up around the lighthouse car park — local jewellers, ceramicists and textile makers sell their work as the sun drops. It's informal, unhurried and genuinely local in character, quite different from bigger Balearic craft fairs.
The drive up through El Pilar de la Mola village is half the pleasure: stop at the tiny Bar Can Toni for a coffee and a slice of greixonera (Formentera's bread pudding) before tackling the final switchbacks to the top.
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