Wheels in the sky: Windmills on Mallorca

They have been on every picture postcard for decades. The windmills on Mallorca are landmarks, if not trademarks of the island. In particular the iconic windmills with the typical bicolor rotors.

White painted metal with contrasting blue, green or red. Standing on the brown soil, fertile thanks to the groundwater that the mills pump up with the power of the wind. Or the wooden wheels of the larger windmills used to press oil or grind grain.

Hardly any other place in Europe has as many windmills as Mallorca. About 3,000 are still preserved. After a time when many molinos were out of operation and rusting away, renewable power is more sought after than ever before. Thus, the windmills help to cultivate the land and protect the climate. And who said wind turbines couldn’t beautify the landscape?

You can find many mills in the Pla de Mallorca, the wide plain between the Tramuntana and the Serra de Llevant that is mainly used for agriculture. Nowadays, a couple of mills are particular popular for their instagramability. Others have been converted into private homes or restaurants, and some are even up for rent. A rather unusual type of urban milling are the five flour windmills in Palma’s historic neighborhood Es Jonquet.

Original article written by Caterina Bury and features on Estilo Palma.