El Zurdo

El Zurdo is a historic windmill in Mota del Cuervo, a small town in the province of Cuenca, in the Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain. It's the only original mill surviving from the town's historic cluster of windmills, and one of the enduring symbols of this stretch of La Mancha — the landscape forever tied to the story of Don Quixote.

Why is it called "El Zurdo"?

The name means "the left-handed one," and it's not a poetic flourish — it describes exactly how the mill works. Unlike every other windmill in the area, El Zurdo's sails and millstones turn to the left. The reason traces back to a shipment of millstones from Barcelona that arrived set up in reverse; rather than replace them, the millers adapted the sail mechanism to match, leaving the mill running "backwards" compared to its neighbors ever since.

What's the history behind it?

Windmills have documented roots in Mota del Cuervo going back to the mid-16th century — around 1550, at least one mill here already belonged to a local owner, Cristóbal López. By the 18th century, the 1752 Catastro de Ensenada recorded as many as 15 flour-grinding windmills in the area, underpinning the local grain economy.

In the 19th century, El Zurdo belonged to Doroteo Zarco Lillo, known as "El Barbas." His son, Benedicto Zarco — also called "El Barbas" — was the mill's last miller, grinding grain here for the final time in 1929. The date 1841 is still preserved above the doorway, most likely marking an earlier restoration of the structure. As electricity reached the region in the early 20th century, windmills lost their economic purpose one by one; El Zurdo was the last of them still working in Mota del Cuervo.

From 1955 onward, the Asociación de Amigos de los Molinos (Association of Friends of the Mills) led a recovery and restoration effort that kept the surviving windmills, El Zurdo among them, standing for future generations. On 6 June 2016, regional authorities formally opened the process to declare El Zurdo a Bien de Interés Cultural — Castilla-La Mancha's designation for a site of cultural significance — with the resolution published later that month, on 27 June, in the region's official gazette.

What will you actually see?

El Zurdo is a compact stone tower with a wooden sail mechanism, built in the style typical of Castilian windmills — except for that one telling detail, its reversed rotation. Together with the town's other, partly reconstructed windmills, it forms the skyline that has long served as Mota del Cuervo's calling card and a regular stop on windmill-themed routes through La Mancha.

How do you get to Mota del Cuervo?

The town sits in the province of Cuenca, on the plains of La Mancha, along the corridor connecting Madrid with Spain's Levante coast. Driving is the most practical option — Mota del Cuervo lies close to the main roads linking the region to Toledo, Cuenca, and Albacete. It's also one of the stops on routes built around the Don Quixote legend, a draw for travelers exploring this part of Spain.

When's the best time to visit?

Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable conditions, since the open plains of La Mancha can get punishingly hot and dry in summer. The sight of the windmills against a clear blue sky is the classic image associated with this region, whatever the season.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes El Zurdo different from the other windmills in Mota del Cuervo? It's the only original mill from the town's historic cluster to have survived intact — most of the other windmills visible today are reconstructions.

Why does the mill turn the "wrong" way? Because its millstones arrived from Barcelona set up in reverse, forcing the millers to adapt the sail mechanism — leaving El Zurdo turning left instead of right, unlike every other mill in the area.

When did the mill stop operating? It ground grain for the last time in 1929, under its final miller, Benedicto Zarco.

Is El Zurdo a protected heritage site? Yes — in 2016, Castilla-La Mancha's regional government formally began the process of declaring it a Bien de Interés Cultural.