Mix history with mystery: welcome to the tropical island of Menorca

If you are looking for a relaxing holiday that combines the benefits of learning, this panoramic island of Menorca nestled in the middle of the blue Mediterranean Sea is the perfect choice. This Balearic island, known for its megalithic stone monuments, will fill your vacation with a new life.

Location and how to get there

Menorca, which is also known as Menorca, is a small island in Spain that is close to another beautiful island of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands archipelago. The name Menorca was given to show the contrast with the contiguous island of Mallorca. This rocky island is 50 km wide at its widest part. To get to this beautiful place, you will have to take a flight to Menorca International Airport which is located about 4.5 KM from the capital city of Mahón.

Things to do in Menorca

In addition to relaxing on the beach and enjoying the locally caught fish and marine fish in the exotic restaurants here, there are many historically significant places to visit. The unspoiled beauty of the landscape will take your breath away and the idyllic pace of the city will set the mood for your vacation.

Taluas:

There are numerous megalithic stone monuments scattered around the island that speak of prehistoric human activities. There are several evidences of Talayotic settlements scattered around the island. There are three types of architecture that are clearly available in these areas and are believed to date back to 2000 BC. C.

You can see the T-shaped altars known as “taluas”, which are exclusive to the island of Menorca. “Taulas” means “tables” in the Catalan language that is spoken on this island. Many of these taulas were buried long ago and are made up of two huge stone slabs. The “taula” of “Torralba d’en Salort”, which is one of the thirteen “taluas” conserved, was found intact after the area was unearthed.

The Menorcan taulas are nestled in a horseshoe enclosure and are made up of two huge stone slabs. They are oriented to the south and the entrance is in front of the front face.

These “taluas” are believed to have been built for religious or astronomical purposes. The Spanish archaeologist J. Mascaro Pasarius suggested that the “taula” was possibly a representation of the “Bull God” in some way. Archaeologist Michael Hoskin suggested that the “taulas” may signify some form of ancient healing cult. Whatever the case, given that they were built between 1000 BC. C. and 300 a. C. by the natives of the Talayotic culture, and no written records have been found for that time, we have to rely heavily on the speculations of archaeologists.

Turnip:

The ” navetas ” are burial chambers that, once again, are only found on this island of Menorca. They look like an overturned ship and were named after Dr. Juan Ramis, which means the same thing in the local language. ” Naveta d’Es Tudons ” is the most famous ” naveta ” found in the western part of the island.

These structures have two vertical walls and a bell-shaped wall in the middle. They are believed to have been built in the Bronze Age before the Talayotic age and the lower chamber was used to store the disarticulated bones of the dead after the flesh was removed from the corpse. The upper chamber was possibly used to dry the meat of the corpses.

Talayots:

Talayots, or talayots, are found on the islands of Menorca and Mallorca and are believed to be used as watchtowers or weather forecast towers. They date back to the Bronze Age and around 274 of them have been found / excavated in this area so far. It is also believed that some of these monuments could have been used to safeguard the natives from foreign invasions, using them as fortresses.

This mysterious island has a lot to offer for a productive vacation. The peaceful landscapes invite you to walk, bike or ride a bike while exploring the megalithic monuments. There are no steep slopes and therefore safe for everyone to take a bike ride. You can think about getting into the water and swimming. Diving, sailing, kayaking and paddle surfing are also very popular sports on the island. In general, this island is full of so many activities and mysteries, that it surely has all the ingredients to make your vacation an unforgettable experience.