Discoveries in Menorca
- Lifestyles
- Travel & Leisure
- Travel Destinations
Author: Britney B.
Released 28 July 2003
Cavalleria
Photograph by Britney B.
Each time I go to Menorca I discover another interesting place to visit.
In the north of the island is an area to the west of the pretty fishing village of Fornells called Cavalleria. The whole region has been declared an area of special interest, not only because of the outstanding countryside, but also because of the number of archaeological remains that have been found here. This is believed to be the site of an ancient Roman city called Sanisera (or Sanitja). Also an old English watchtower, Muslim mosque, huts, fishing shelters and a limestone oven are all in the process of being excavated. This collection of archaeological remains form what is now known as Menorca's first outdoor museum. The ultimate aim is to protect and conserve the area for future generations. There is a very interesting indoor museum, with cafe and shop, where some of the interesting archaeological finds and a model of the area as it was believed to be in ancient times are on display.
Cala Moli
Photograph by Britney B.
I also discovered that my next door neighbour is an amateur artist who has a studio in her house with some of her beautiful oil paintings on display. One day I joined her and another neighbour to sketch some of the fishing boats in the local harbour at Cala Moli. It was good to make some new friends with similar interests, though I wasn’t much impressed with my resulting picture - will have to practice more! There’s a wealth of beautiful scenery to paint on the island and naturally a large art scene has evolved with many galleries showing paintings, sculpture, ceramics and even patchwork. Classes are held and painting holidays are offered. Visit www.artmenorca.co.uk if you would like to find out more about painting courses in Menorca.
There was a maritime disaster in Menorca on the evening of May 21st this year. The epicentre of the Algerian earthquake, which registered 6 on the Richter scale, was 83 kilometres from Algeria and near the Balearic Islands. The tremor affected the Port of Mahon, the capital, and other harbours around the island. Water was sucked out of the harbours and returned shortly after in the form of tsunamis (tidal waves). A total of 73 boats were sunk and 80 damaged throughout the whole island. Ten pontoons, both wooden and concrete were damaged or destroyed. The island has not seen a phenomenon like this for 500 years. Luckily no one was hurt in the disaster.
As we moved into our new house from our apartment during one week last March, this was my first opportunity to live in it for any length of time. It was a relief to discover there were no major problems except for a slight leak under the kitchen sink, which was fixed by the builder’s plumber in no time at all. The new garden is a little overgrown with weeds and I spent some time getting landscaping quotations. My husband couldn’t make it on this trip due to work commitments, but an old friend from my workdays in London came over for a week and we had lots of fun catching up on old times and discovering some new restaurants in the local area.
If you’re still trying to decide where to go on your summer or fall vacation, I can recommend Menorca. There’s a lot to discover in this beautiful and unspoiled Mediterranean island. For more information on the Balearic islands of Spain, there is an excellent website at www.visitbalears.com.