Hello friends. In the second part of my Minorca trip I’ll talk about some interesting places I visited on this beautiful island, the flavors I tasted and a few surprises I encountered. One of the most remarkable things in Minorca is this stunning and impressive coastline, which is also a natural tourist attraction. I also really liked a building here that was constructed using the local sandstone. This stone is a bit lighter in color and is called nàveta. The word refers to a small boat in Catalan. It was named this way because the structure I’m talking about resembles a boat in its shape.
I’d also like to mention the local gastronomy. A key piece of information here is that the Mediterranean diet has been listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Naturally, the Mediterranean diet includes all Mediterranean regions and Minorca is one of them.
During our trip we visited the only active salt flats on the island, known as Salines. These are the places where salt is produced. In fact, all the Balearic Islands produce salt and Minorca is no exception. Using traditional methods, the crystals are obtained by evaporating water, dried under the sun and then either packed or flavored. We had the chance to try this salt at a pretty good restaurant located just a few kilometers away.
In general Minorca has only five restaurants that, while not Michelin-starred, are still well-known. Two of them were closed due to the off-season. That’s why I recommend making reservations when planning your trip because these places are definitely worth a visit.
This place is actually classified as agroturismo, a form of rural tourism. So you can stay there too. There is also a restaurant on-site. The decoration is not flashy. The place is clean and organized, with nicely set tables and a fairly traditional menu. For example, the tomato salad was dressed with a special oil made from local olives and served with marinated onions and peppers. The swichi made with white fish was also excellent. As a main course we had couscous with goat meat and dried fruit, which was fantastic. The chicken was served in a spiced sauce and it was delicious too. As for the price, it was quite reasonable considering this is a tourist area. It’s definitely a place worth seeing.
If you want to visit the Salinas area, it might be a good idea to book a special tour. I recommend joining a guided tour so you can see everything. Otherwise, you can just take a short walk around. In the distance there is a church and a meadow covered with flowers. They looked like daisies to me but a friend who knows about botany told me they are another kind of flower. Anyway the area is lovely.
Our next stop was a place known as Es Fornells. It’s a small fishing village but it has a few noteworthy features. One is the fort here: called Fort Sant Antoni. There’s also a pool that used to serve as a water reservoir. Unfortunately it’s not very well preserved but still visitable. The village itself is quite charming. However modern tourist housing has increased in this area. Still the village is known for its seafood restaurants especially those serving lobster-based dishes. What I found most interesting was the watchtower built by the British in the 17th century. This tower has a rather unusual shape. Its purpose was to spot enemy attacks and pirate raids which happened from time to time.
The tower is a large structure in the shape of a truncated cone. It’s the biggest one of its type in Minorca. Made of sandstone its lower floor was used for storage the second floor housed the soldiers and the top was where the weapons were placed to fire on enemies.
What I mentioned at the start of this post is actually a nearly unique historical structure for Minorca: the Navetta or Nàveta. In this case we’re talking about Nàveta des Tudons. The nearby village is also called Tudons. As I said earlier the word Nàveta refers to a small boat in Catalan. This term is used for an ancient burial site. The structure dates back to the Bronze Age. Some sources say it was built in the third millennium BCE. That would make it one of the oldest structures in Europe. Although this hasn’t been fully verified similar structures have been found in Majorca Malta and Sicily. Still this one is considered older and therefore more significant.
In the area where these structures are found ancient people used a newly discovered material called bronze to preserve their dead. The tomb has two levels. There was a lower and upper chamber. It’s not clear what the social or ritual basis for this division was but it’s certainly fascinating. The shape of the structure really resembles an upside-down boat. Other shapes also exist some are round some are more elongated. This one is especially unique. Another interesting detail is that it stands on private land. It was built in the middle of farmland and cows graze and daisies bloom nearby. The view is also quite aesthetic.
As always I find myself wondering how people moved these giant stones four thousand years ago. What tools did they have? These structures are generally referred to as talayot. There is also a cultural phase known as the talayot culture. This culture brings together Bronze Age communities of the Mediterranean. A common feature of all these structures is that they were built using the dry-stone technique. That is without any cement or mortar. Bronze Age people placed these huge stones together using only dry-stone construction methods which shows great engineering skill.
Minorca is mostly a flat island. The topography is generally very even. It’s ideal for walking or cycling. Unlike places like Majorca or Tenerife there are no steep slopes here. Still there are a few small hills between cities. We climbed to the highest point El Toro Mountain. It’s 358 meters above sea level. The view is very wide. You can see both the western and eastern shores. In fact you can observe all four directions if you look carefully. The scenery is really stunning.
As with many high places there is also a sanctuary here. It is dedicated to the Saints and its full name is Santuario de la Mare de Déu del Toro. The word El Toro means bull. The first assumption is that the mountain looks like a bull but no. According to legend a bull guided the priests who came to find a hidden icon of the Saints. After the island was reclaimed from Muslim rule the priests arrived. The bull caught their attention walked upward and showed them where the sacred image was hidden. That’s why a monastery and church were built here.
Architecturally the sanctuary is not especially impressive but it’s a pleasant structure. Inside there are a few lovely frescoes and a graceful altar which includes the image of the Saints. There are also stained glass windows. They look modern but are quite impressive in sunlight. There’s also a statue of the Redeemer Christ with open arms built in memory of the people of Minorca who died in wars. There’s also a monument dedicated to Father Pedro Camps a missionary who traveled to America in the 16th century to spread Catholicism. He defended his faith even during conflicts with the British in Florida. So there is a memorial here in his honor.
Next we went to the western tip. From there it’s possible to notice that Majorca is about 20 kilometers away. If the weather had been clearer we could have seen it more easily. One of the most interesting natural attractions here is the coastline and a bridge called Pont d’en Gil. This is a naturally formed arch-shaped structure. It looks like it’s made of limestone or sandstone. Over time erosion created these unusual forms. This place is located a bit north of Ciutadella. Ciutadella was once the capital of Minorca. The capital was not originally Maó it was moved there later.
Personally I find Ciutadella much more attractive than Maó. The old capital feels warmer and more welcoming yet still lively. People are working on the streets in shops sitting in cafes and enjoying themselves. The atmosphere is truly pleasant. The narrow streets in the historic neighborhoods are beautiful. The buildings made of local sandstone are also striking. The stone has a golden hue and shines brightly in the sun. A few prominent buildings are made of this stone. For example the town hall in the square is quite eye-catching. It has a colonnaded facade an arched arcade and carved stone decorations. According to the founders of the museum the finest palace here belonged to a famous figure. We didn’t go in because the weather was great and we’d had our fill of museums.
In the center of the square stands an obelisk. It was erected in honor of the courage shown by the people of Minorca during a battle with the Ottomans in 1558. The Ottomans captured the island and some of the population was taken as prisoners to Algiers. This obelisk stands in memory of those who witnessed the event and fought bravely. During the same conflict Minorca’s main cathedral was also damaged. The cathedral was originally built in the 10th century after the Muslims left and the mosque there was demolished. It was named in honor of the Saints. It was damaged in the war but later restored. Today it stands as a fine example of Gothic architecture.
Across from it is the building of the Minorca Regional Council. So it seems that the capital functions are shared with Maó. One of the most striking parts of the city is the port. It’s narrow but historic. Large cruise ships don’t dock here but smaller yachts and boats do. With these boats it’s possible to visit remote beaches or natural spots like the Pontjil Bridge.
The city is both charming and elegant. I highly recommend it. And I definitely recommend Minorca as a whole. Everything is so clean here. You won’t see cigarette butts or bottles in the streets. The trash bins don’t add to the beauty of the towns but at least the streets are almost perfectly spotless.
There is a serious parking problem in Minorca especially in the towns. The streets are narrow and building underground parking doesn’t seem possible. The only underground lot we found was in Maó. In other towns all parking areas are open-air and usually full. You can park on the street but you must pay. Inspectors are constantly checking. If you don’t pay you’ll get fined. The most sensible solution is to park in the guest lots outside the towns and walk to the center. It’s about a 10-minute walk. Not the most convenient option but doable.
I thought Minorca was wonderful. I’ve now reached the fourth of the Balearic Islands. This island is as valuable as Majorca or Ibiza and offers much more than Formentera. See you on the next journey. 🤗