Molino Sa Miranda

About Molino Sa Miranda

Molino Sa Miranda suits travellers who want to stay in Formentera's small capital rather than on the coast, with the fortified church of Sant Francesc Xavier about 0.4 km away and the port at La Savina about 3.4 km down the road. Couples and families who plan to cycle, swim and eat late fit the rhythm here. It is a four-star hotel, so expect a more formal setup than the island's guesthouses, with parking and internet access included among the listed facilities.

Molino Sa Miranda is a four-star hotel of the kind that works as a base rather than a resort: a garden, a terrace and a solarium are listed among the facilities, along with a picnic area for meals outside. Rooms are non-smoking and air conditioned, and a kitchen with a fridge, microwave and dishwasher appears in the list, which suits longer stays and families who cook some evenings. Check the room type and exactly what the kitchen holds with the property before you book.

Location: Sant Francesc Xavier

Sant Francesc Xavier is Formentera's small capital and the one place on the island with a life beyond the season: a fortified 18th-century church built as a refuge, a market and the island's shops sit in the streets around it. Molino Sa Miranda is 0.5 km from the village in a straight line and 0.4 km from the church, so the centre is a walk rather than a drive.

Walking covers the village and the lanes around it; the water needs wheels or a bike. The Estany des Peix, calm enough to paddle, is about 2.4 km from Molino Sa Miranda, the lagoons where birds gather about 2.3 km, and La Savina port 3.4 km. Bikes and the green routes are the simplest way to reach all three. In July and August the lanes fill early; in May, June and October the same rides are quiet and most of the island is open, while from November to April much of it closes.

Rooms and facilities

Couples who want quiet can ask for a room set back from the terrace; families do better with the kitchen and washing machine, both listed among the facilities, which cut the daily logistics of a beach holiday. Air conditioning, a safe and a hairdryer appear in the list, along with a TV and internet access, so the basics for a week are covered. Molino Sa Miranda also lists a fireplace, useful outside the warm months, and a patio and terrace for evenings at the hotel.

Late arrivals should arrange the key handover and the parking space in advance, because reception hours are not something to assume on a small island, and Molino Sa Miranda is 3.4 km from the port where evening ferries land. Ask the property about the check-in window, the laundry service, the luggage storage and whether the coffee and cooking equipment listed are in every room or only in some. Car rental through the hotel is listed too; confirm availability for your dates.

Getting there

Flights land at Ibiza Airport (IBZ), about 7 km south-west of Ibiza Town. From the airport you reach Ibiza Town port, where ferries to Formentera leave; the fast crossings to La Savina take about 30-35 minutes and the conventional ones about an hour, with more sailings in season than in winter. Check the operators for the current timetable before fixing the flight. From La Savina, Molino Sa Miranda is 3.4 km away in a straight line.

From La Savina the last leg is short: 3.4 km to Molino Sa Miranda. Bikes and the signposted green routes cover most of the island from the port and from Sant Francesc Xavier, scooters and taxis handle luggage days, and buses run between the main settlements, more often in season than in winter. The Consell de Formentera caps visitor vehicles in high summer, so check the rules before bringing or hiring a car, and ask the hotel about the free parking it lists.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Molino Sa Miranda is not on the sand, so plan on a ride or a drive: Platja de Migjorn runs along the south coast and Ses Illetes sits up in the Ses Salines Natural Park, with the Espalmador islet reachable by boat on calm days. Cala Saona, the island's one real cove, faces west for sunset. Villages are close: Sant Ferran de ses Roques 3.2 km away and La Savina 3.4 km, both easy by bike.

The sights nearest the door are the ones in the village: the fortified church of Sant Francesc Xavier 0.4 km from Molino Sa Miranda, and the market and shops around it. Birdlife at the lagoons is about 2.3 km away, and the Estany des Peix, where you can paddle a canoe, about 2.4 km. Food on Formentera is plain and good: peix sec, dried fish, island salads and fresh fish, best eaten where the day's catch decides the menu.

A day from Molino Sa Miranda

Start with the 0.5 km walk into Sant Francesc Xavier for coffee and bread while the market is setting up, then look at the fortified church 0.4 km from Molino Sa Miranda. Cycle to the Estany des Peix, 2.4 km away, and paddle a canoe before the wind builds. Back at the hotel, the garden, terrace and solarium are the obvious places to sit out the middle of the day. Lunch is a picnic from the hotel's picnic area.

In the afternoon take the bikes 2.3 km to the lagoons to watch birds, then push on to La Savina, 3.4 km from Molino Sa Miranda, for the harbour and the water of the Estany des Peix at the end of the day. A swim on the south coast or a drive to Cala Saona for sunset finishes it, and dinner back in Sant Francesc Xavier is a 0.5 km walk. The hotel's parking makes the drive back easy after dark.

Practical tips

Molino Sa Miranda sits in a village that stays open all year, but much of Formentera's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so check the hotel's own opening dates before booking a winter crossing. July and August are the peak, with the fullest ferries and the vehicle cap in force. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is added per person per night at Molino Sa Miranda; the rate depends on the accommodation type and season, children under 16 are exempt, and the Govern de les Illes Balears publishes the current rules.

Questions about Molino Sa Miranda