The main town on the island.
Sant Francesc Xavier is the capital of Formentera, the main town on the island. Sant Francesc is home to the Island Council (Town Hall) and the island’s main services.
What to see: The square and the historic centre
The most important landmark is the parish church. The austere appearance of the building is due to the fact that it was designed as a defensive fortress, as well as a church, at a time when the memory of piracy was still very vivid. Its door is covered with iron plates. The church was completed in 1738 and is located opposite the Island Council. In San Francesc there is also the small chapel of Sa Tanca Vella, covered by a barrel vault. The chapel of Sa Tanca Vella dates from the 13th or 14th century. With the repopulation of the 18th century it became too small, which is why the church of Sant Francesc was built. It is currently out of use but has been restored and can be visited from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.
After touring the square and the eastern part of Sa Raval, you can visit the Fossar Vell, open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. This cemetery was restored by the Formentera architect Marià Castelló in a project that was finalist in the FAD awards for architecture in 2017.
Via Portossalè Avenue you can access the service area, where the cinema, library, swimming pool, sports centre and Es Molí Social Centre are located.
Near Sant Francesc Xavier, you can find the mills of Sa Mirada or Sa Miranda. The first one (Molí d’en Mateu) is part of a private house, while the second one, called Molí d’en Jeroni, is easily accessible. They were built in the 19th century and ceased to operate in the 1950s. From the mills there is a wide panoramic view, with a succession of promontories and inlets: you can see the Estany des Peix and La Savina, the island of Ibiza and the islet of Es Vedrà.
