El Pilar de La Mola

El Pilar de La Mola

✅ Where the old traditions of the island are deeply rooted.
✅ Located in the highlands of Formentera.
✅ Its Hippy Market is the most well-known on the island.

La Mola, Formentera and its history

The village of Pilar de La Mola is known among residents simply as La Mola, which is actually the name of the extensive area where its church and town are located, in the highlands of Formentera.

The church, dedicated to its patron saint, the Virgen del Pilar, was founded in the middle of the 18th century as a result of the growing population settling in La Mola, due to the repopulation of Formentera initiated in 1724 by Marc Ferrer.

Its original access, through the Camí de Sa Pujada, made La Mola a somewhat isolated place even within Formentera itself, and only the opening of the current highway in 1925 facilitated access to this area of the island for the rest of its inhabitants.

La Mola, Formentera, nowadays

La Mola is a town where the majority of its inhabitants and their houses are located on the outskirts, in a rural area. There are old traditional houses, some dating back centuries, as well as newly built houses, all set in a rural environment.

The urban area of La Mola consists of a single central street with houses on both sides. In fact, the streets are part of the main road, PM-820, which passes through the town until it reaches the La Mola Lighthouse, located approximately 2 kilometers away. The lighthouse serves as a landmark, symbolizing “the end” of the island of Formentera.

La Mola has a limited range of commerce and services, in line with its small size, of course. Some of these shops are open year-round, while others operate based on the arrival and end of the tourist season. The town offers bars, restaurants, shops, and a bank office, but it doesn’t have a pharmacy. The nearest pharmacy can be found in the town of Es Caló, approximately 5 kilometers away.

In La Mola, this town in Formentera, we would like to highlight a publicly-owned local establishment called Casa del Poble, where an important cultural dissemination function takes place. The events organized there, such as open-air cinema screenings, concerts, and theatrical performances, aim to reach the local population, but visitors are also welcome to attend without any trouble. The managers of Casa del Poble have done an excellent job in promoting cultural awareness.

Hippy market in La Mola, Formentera

A special mention should be given to the La Mola Handicraft Market, commonly known as the La Mola Hippy Market. It takes place every Wednesday and Sunday afternoon during the summer season and features numerous stalls selling handicrafts accompanied by live music.

This market holds a significant historical value as it was the first of its kind to be established in Formentera, back in the late 1960s when the hippy movement had a strong presence on the island. Over time, craft and sales stalls have expanded to other areas of the island, but the La Mola Craft Market remains the pioneer in this regard.

Accommodation in La Mola, Formentera

This area of Formentera, including its urban center, does not have any hotels, hostels, or apartment complexes. In accordance with the tourist zoning law implemented on the island in 2019, the rental of tourist flats is not permitted here.

However, La Mola does offer a wide selection of licensed houses available for tourist rental, making it a great accommodation option for your holidays in Formentera. If you are seeking a peaceful environment away from the typical tourist hotspots and prefer slightly cooler nights compared to the rest of the island, La Mola is the perfect place for you.

Nearby beaches

sea. The most popular beaches in Formentera are located beyond the winding roads of La Mola. The closest beaches to the town are the Migjorn beaches, such as Es Caló des Mort, Es Copinar, Es Arenals, and the beaches around Es Caló, including Ses Platgetes. All of these are approximately 5 kilometers away.

Festivities in La Mola, Formentera

Every October 12th, La Mola celebrates its patron saint festivities in honor of La Virgen del Pilar. These celebrations include cultural, sports, and musical events that span several days. As the festivities coincide with the end of the tourist season for most of the inhabitants of Formentera, they become a special occasion celebrated not only by the people of La Mola but also by residents from other towns on the island. The festivities revolve around deeply rooted traditions of the island’s culture. Additionally, La Mola hosts an Oktoberfest event where the German residents of the island organize a great beer tasting, along with sausages and typical Bavarian food, as part of the unique festival program in this particular town of Formentera.

Olimpiada pagesa

For over 15 years, La Mola hosted the Olimpiada Pagesa (Rural Olympics). This weekend event was filled with fun and laughter, initiated by a group of neighbors as a means to break the winter routine in Formentera. The festivities would commence with the lighting of a cauldron by one of the older residents of the town. From that point on, exhibitions, contests, games, and a grand popular paella would enliven the entire winter population of the island, attracting them to La Mola.

Unfortunately, there was no generational succession in the organizational efforts, leading to the discontinuation of the Pagesa Olympiad in La Mola in 2015. It is indeed a great pity.