After the storm which we had overnight, this morning the weather was fortunately calm and clear. We collected our rental car and headed off to do a quick tour around the island for the dayAs we head out of town we pass the Tangaroa berthed along the pierOur first stop is to visit the prehistoric village of Torralba d’en Salord which is situated east of MahonThe large Talaiot of the village was inhabited from approximately 1000 BC until the arrival of the Romans in 123 BCThe Taula enclosure of this site is one of the largest and well preserved in MenorcaRic doing his photography thing!!After the heavy rain overnight the floor of the Taula has turned into a pond
We leave the wonderful ancient site to continue our drive around MenorcaParròquia de Santa Eulàlia stands high above the town of AlaiorAs we continue towards Es Mercadal which is in the centre of the island, to the north we see El Toro which we intend visiting on our way back to MahonWe pass the well photographed Red Indian rock formationArriving in Ferriers we stop for a coffee and a cake……. and we visit a couple of shoe factory outlets in the area
We continue west along the main road that links Mahon on the east to Cuitadella on the west. This road is known to always be busy during the peak tourist monthsAs we have spent so much time in Cuitadella we decided to visit a couple of other places where we have not been beforeWe arrive in Cala Morrell with it’s white houses and perfect gardens
We visit a fabulous spot to see the spectacular coastline of the north eastern coast of MenorcaLooking east along the northern coast of Menorca as far as Cap de Cavalleria in the far distanceStunning views!!Ric with Punta de S’Escullera in the backgroundWe continue a little further and come to a walking path with amazing views over Cala MorellZooming in ……. there is a busy restaurant in the bayThere is not a lot of space for sheltered anchorage in the Cala Morell however these three yachts are lucky and would feel like they are in paradiseThe walking track around the cliffs looks amazing …. if only we had more time!!The gorgeous rustic wooden gates are very popular in the small villages in MenorcaWe drive around to the opposite size of the bayCala Morell is certainly a beautiful bay with a lovely beach
Ric does his photography thing again!!Our turn!!Note the line of dark reddish rock against the limestone in the bay ….. this was due to a geological fault millions of years agoApart from the beautiful surroundings of Cala Morell, the area also has an amazing history. There are substantial remains of prehistoric inhabitants living in this area and there is a Necròpolis with 14 burial chambers carved into the rockWe next travel through bushland on a narrow road to go and visit another beach which is very popular in Menorca called Cala AlgaiarensCala Algaiarens is the next bay east of Cala Morell on the north coast of Menorca
We continue back through the country road to the main road that leads us back to MahonA short distance out of Cuitadella we stop to go and visit another ancient site. The first is the Montefi settlement which consists of three talayots
Next we go to see the Naveta des Tudons which is the most emblematic megalithic monument of MenorcaIt is a pre-Talaiotic funeral building in use from 1200 to 750 BCAnother selfie!!
Once we leave the ancient site we continue driving back east towards El Toro which is the tallest hill in Menorca at 342 mAt the foot of El Toro is the town of Es MercadalEs Mercadal is another pretty rural village with quaint streets and white washed housesIt was a short distance to drive to the top of El ToroStanding surrounded by modern radio towers is a high statue of Christ
Near the statue is an old Gothic church which dates back to 1670. There is also a Sanctuary which is dedicated to the Virgin of El ToroThere are amazing views around the island from El Toro
To the north we can clearly see the large bay, Cala Fornells where we have anchored in on a few occasionsThe island of Menorca is reasonably flat apart from here at El ToroClose to the Fornells is Cap Cavalleria in the distanceLooking towards the west we see the lighthouse at the north western tip at Punta Nati and Cala Morell in the foregroundFrom El Toro we can see one of our favourite bays, Cala Pregonda to the north westWe can also look towards the east coast from here
Time to head back down to Es Mercadal at the bottom of the hill
Once back on the main road we join the busy traffic and we continue back to Mahon after a wonderful day enjoying some of the other interesting sights of Menorca
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