Minorca understand · Minorca tourist information
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Minorca tourist information
Minorca tourist information
The harbour at Maó, the island capital, is the second largest natural deep water port in the world - the largest being Pearl Harbour. The whole island is a European Biological Reserve and Unesco Biosphere Reserve aiming to preserve environmental areas. More than a 75% of the territory is protected. You can watch some of the last turtles of the Mediterranean, birds and protected species.
An identifying sign of Minorca is its fascination with horses. All things centre around horses and the people love them. Minorca has its own race of black horses. In all the festivities the horses and their "caixers" (riders) are the centrepieces. The "Cami de Cavalls" is a pathway surrounding the island for horse riding and it was used in the past for defence of the coast by horse.
Minorca is a relatively quiet island which means that more wholesome, family fun holidays are geared towards this island. If you prefer a more vibrant night scene, head to nearby Ibiza or Mallorca for a bustling city atmosphere.
If you do take time to explore the interior you will discover a wealth of
of interesting and historic landmarks from El Torro the highest point on the Island to
the most significant prehistoric sites at Trepucó and Torre d’en Galmés.
To this day no one is certain of the significance of these prehistoric monuments
in the form of Taulas, T shaped stone formations thought to be spiritual sanctuaries;
Talayots which are stone towers that local people believe were once used as look-out points.
There is little evidence to support these theories about Menorca’s prehistoric past nor
the original function of these breathtaking creations . Taulas are named after the Menorquín
word for table. (Menorquín is the local dialect of Catalan which is widely spoken on the Island.
Menorca is by far the richest place in Europe for sites of prehistoric settlements, mostly
dating from the Talaiotic Period, which was the period of civilisation between 2000 and 1000 BC.
The term Talayot is believed to originate from the Arabic atalaya meaning “watch tower”.
Another feature of prehistoric Menorca, and one of its most famous monuments, is the communal
burial structure known as a Naveta. The best example of such a structure is close to
the former capital Ciutadella. Just to the east of the town is the Naveta d’es Tudons which dates
from around 1300 BC it is believed to be the oldest roofed building in Europe. It gets its name from
its shape which is like an unturned boathape of an upturned boat. You enter via a small low entrance
which gives access to a roomy interior which measures 46 feet in length, 21 feet in width and up to
13 feet in height. When it was first excavated in the 1950’s there were the remains of some
fifty bodies confirming that it was used as a burial chamber.
Since prehistoric times the Island has been controlled by the Romans, Moors, Spanish, French and English. All these nations have left their mark on the Island and monuments to visit from Sanisera, the archaeological site close the port of Sanitja on the north coast of the island to the ruins of the Fifth Century Bascilica on the beach at Son Bou.
So here we are back at the beach where we first started. Hardly surprising when you consider that you can
drive from east to west in an hour and north to south in about 45 minutes.
During the 18th Century, Minorca was a bone of contention among the British, French and Spanish powers. This was due to the Port of Maó, the finest natural harbour in the Mediterranean, and one of the best in the world, which could protect the largest fleets of the time in their entirety. The Utrecht Treaty, signed in 1713, gave place to the first British presence on Minorca, which lasted until 1755. The first British Governor was John Campbell (Argyll) nominated by the Queen Anne. Richard Kane ,from County Antrim in Ireland, the second British Governor, is still fondly remembered for his effective support of agriculture on the island; he introduced the cultivation of the apple, promoted cattle breeding and built roads and reservoirs which are still in use today. The Scottish Col.Patrick Mackellar (Argyll) was the chief engineer of Minorca and responsible for the main constructions of the british legacy. The main contribution of Mackellar was the design and construction of Georgestown (Es Castell) near to Sant Felip fortress at the entry of Mahon harbour.
There were two later periods of British presence on Minorca, from 1763 till 1781 and 1798 to 1808. The British left more than their earthworks and ramparts behind. Things as varied as the growth of Maó, which enthusiastically accepted the opportunities for trade and the abolition of the Inquisition,, the traditional woodworking and boat building techniques and designs and Minorca's most popular drink, gin.
The Golden Farm, a summer house near Maó, is one of the symbols of British presence on Minorca, perhaps as much as the bow and sash windows still to be found in the capital's old part quarter.
Son Granot is a Georgian style house built during the British presence on Minorca and is where Mackellar lived. This building is the second symbol of British presence and is considered a monument. Now the house is totally restored keeping the original concepts of XVIII century and it is a pretty land hotel and restaurant at the entry of Mahon harbour. It is the first house(red and white) you can see arriving by ship.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Minorca
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Minorca - updated Apr 2024
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Minorca Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.