The mill of sa Punta des Molí

On the bay of Portmany, as if oblivious to the passing of time, there remains an old windmill. When it was in use, it was one of the three that existed in the whole municipality of Sant Antoni. It was probably built in 1818 to grind barley and wheat. Together with a waterwheel, fishing huts and a house, it makes up one of the most striking spaces in the village. This enclave is known as sa Punta des Molí and is located between the beaches of s’Arenal and es Pouet. 

The bay of Portmany is the largest in Ibiza. In fact, the very word Portmany comes from the latin Portus Magnus – large port –. 

In 1996, the windmill, waterwheel and house were restored, becoming an exhibition room to which and auditorium was also added. It was oficially opened in 1999. In 2001 another space was built, where an antique oil press was installed. 

In olden times, the place used to be called sa Punta de sa Font, because there was a fresh water fountain that flowed nearby, inside the sea. 

A distinguished thinker lived once at sa Punta des Molí: Walter Benjamin, a German philosopher, writer and critic of Jewish descent. He lived there in 1932 and very close by during his second stay, in 1933. The beauty and serenity of the landscape greatly fascinated him, while he also feared impending changes due to the budding tourism and speculation with the land, with regards to the transformation of landscape and society, as he described in various pieces he wrote in Sant Antoni.