Molino de Lajares

Has anyone ever wondered how the people of Fuerteventura turned the relentless wind into something useful? Here at the Molino de Lajares, you can see that ingenuity firsthand. The Molino de Lajares stands proudly near the San Antonio de Padua hermitage, a testament to the island’s rich agricultural past. This isn’t just any windmill. It’s a “molino tipo torre,” a tower mill, with four magnificent sails reaching for the sky. It’s built on a circular base, constructed with local stone, clay, and lime, giving it a rugged, timeless beauty. The Molino de Lajares has three levels, each playing a vital role in the gofio-making process. The ground floor served as storage. The next level housed the milling mechanism, the heart of the operation where grains were transformed. The top floor contained the main gears that powered the mill. The ingenuity of the design extends to the access between levels. An exterior stone staircase connects the ground and second floors, while a wooden staircase within the mill leads to the top. Andrés Fernández Fránquiz bought the Molino de Lajares in 1951 for 5,000 pesetas. It diligently ground gofio until the 1960s. Now, his son is painstakingly restoring the mill, beginning with the cap and internal machinery. He hopes to transform the Molino de Lajares into a fascinating tourist attraction. Imagine the sails turning once again, a living demonstration of this ethnographic gem. The conical wooden roof protects the gearwheel, spindle, and sails. The sails, catching the dominant winds, would turn a gearwheel. This, in turn, moved a circular reel called a spindle. The spindle connected to the milling stone through a metal axle embedded in an iron piece called the “lavija.” This axle transferred the movement to the upper millstone, making it rotate against the lower one. This grinding action transformed the grain. The milling process involved pouring grain into a hopper. From there, it traveled through a small channel to the millstones. The resulting gofio or flour then fell to the ground floor where it was collected in sacks. The Molino de Lajares stands as a symbol of Fuerteventura’s ingenuity. It is a reminder of how the islanders harnessed the power of nature to sustain themselves.