History on the Ground in Menorca

On the road between Alaior and Cala n Porter youll find the Torralba den Salord and evidence of cultures spanning over 3,000 years. Here there was a Talayotic, Roman and medieval village where excavations have revealed two talayots, one built over the remains of a pre-talayotic home. The talayotic period began in the 13th century BC and continued until the Romans arrived in 123 BC. A talayot is a mound built of stones on high ground and used for lookout purposes.

Religious rituals of the time involved a taula, a building that contained a rectangular stone, much taller than a man, topped by another stone to form a T-shape. The one at Torralba den Salord is a magnificent example.

On your visit, look for silos carved out of rock where the people stored foodstuffs or rainwater which they channelled in. You can also see an area that was a sandstone quarry and caves that were used as tombs.

The remains of a 17th century house and tiny church prove that the area was still inhabited in medieval times. Give yourself about an hour to investigate all that the Torralba den Salord has to offer. Many similar, but smaller, Talayotic settlements are to be found dotted around the island.

Other fascinating sites include the remains of a Roman basilica at Son Bou, the start of a long sandy paradise for beach lovers. Look up from here to see several caves in the cliffs above, some of which now provide weather-proof residences, although they would once have been designated for homes of the dead.

At Calas Coves, near Cala n Porter, youll find other burial chambers, many of them colonised by hippies who like to laze nude in this quiet backwater. There are only a few parking spaces at the end of the rutted lane leading to this cove but a large area has been cleared for parking about a quarter of a mile back up the hill.

Youll find other caves in various locations, but the most spectacular necropolis is located at Cala Morrell on the north-west coast of the island. Here you can see how its 14 or so caves have been crafted out of the rock with columns to divide up the areas. The outside face of one has been carved to resemble a classical entablature with fluted columns.

More recent historical sites include defensive towers and forts that speak of the turbulent history of the island. The 17th century Castell de Sant Nicolau guards the entrance to the port of Ciutadella in the west. Ciutadella was the islands capital then and until the following century when the British bestowed that honour on Mahon to the east. They were attracted here by this ports deep and long natural harbour and built the small Fort of Sant Felipe on the south side of the entrance to the port of Mahon.

Opposite, on the northern promontory, the much more impressive La Mola was built by the Spanish in the second half of the 19th century. A walk around this fort can take up to half a day, such is its size and all the fascinating information in the printed guide about what you can see.

Youll find lots more history on the ground in Menorca. All you need is a car and a map.

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