Camí de Cavalls

Seven days on the finest stretches of the coastal path that rings the island, between turquoise coves, sandstone quarries, diving and the best seafood restaurants in the Balearics

Duration: 7 days, Sunday to Sunday Period: late May Route: Ciutadella and the south coast, the wild north at Cavalleria and Pregonda, Mahón and La Mola Region: Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain Type: coastal trekking and outdoor, with kayaking, diving and cycling Bases: Hotel Bahia (Caleta Santandria, Ciutadella) and Sa Roqueta (Mahón)

The idea is simple: circle an entire island along its coastline, on foot, and do it when Menorca is at its best and least crowded. Late spring is the moment. The maquis is in full bloom, temperatures sit in the low twenties, the sea is warm enough to swim, and the coves that turn into a wall of beach towels in August are still silent and empty.

The Camí de Cavalls is the thread. It is an old path, the GR223, that runs for 185 kilometres around the island’s perimeter. Laid out by the British in the eighteenth century as a defensive bridleway, it was closed for decades, then reopened in 2000 and fully secured in 2015. It is now waymarked with wooden posts every 50 to 100 metres and split into 20 stages. Walked in full with a pack; it takes about 10 days.

This itinerary does it differently. Rather than a continuous thru-hike, it is a week built around two fixed bases and the most spectacular sections of the path, walked light, with a swim at the end of each stage and a good seafood dinner waiting in the evening. Four full days on the best stretches of the Camí, one for kayaking and diving, one on a mountain bike, plus time for two places that explain Menorca better than any beach: the sandstone quarries of Líthica and the great fortress of La Mola at the mouth of Mahón harbour.

The first four nights are at Hotel Bahia in Caleta Santandria, minutes from Ciutadella, the ideal base for the south coast and the western end of the island. The last three are at Sa Roqueta in the heart of Mahón, within reach of the north coast, the s’Albufera des Grau nature park and the capital. A hired car links the two and carries us to the trailheads.

A week you walk with your feet and remember in your skin: the salt, the tramontana wind, the golden stone, the scent of pine. Welcome to the Camí de Cavalls.

Highlights

Two consecutive southern stages, Cap d’Artrutx to Cala en Turqueta and Cala en Turqueta to Cala Galdana, through pine forest to a string of virgin white-sand coves including Son Saura, Es Talaier, Macarella and Macarelleta
The queen stage of the north, Binimel·là to Els Alocs via Cala Pregonda, the wildest, most dramatic coastline on the island, with golden sand and rust-red rock
The red sands and clifftop lighthouse of Cap de Cavalleria
A sunset walk along the Camí to the Punta Nati lighthouse, across a lunar plateau of dry-stone walls and shepherds’ shelters on the northwest tip
A sea-kayak and diving day along the caves and reefs of the southwest, reaching coves accessible only from the water
Cycling the flat, rideable Camí between Cap d’Artrutx, Son Saura and Son Xoriguer
The stone labyrinth and gardens of Líthica, Pedreres de s’Hostal, a marès quarry turned open-air artwork
The nineteenth-century Fortalesa de La Mola, guarding one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean
Dinner each night at the best seafood restaurants on the island, from the lobster stew of Fornells to the day’s catch in Ciutadella and Mahón

Itinerary

Western base: Ciutadella and the south coast (Days 1 to 4)

Day 1, Sunday: arrival and Ciutadella

Fly into Mahón, collect the hire car, drive across to Hotel Bahia in Caleta Santandria. The rest of the day eases into island time. Late afternoon in Ciutadella, the old capital: a maze of golden-stone lanes, a fourteenth-century gothic cathedral and a harbour sunk below the town. As the light drops, drive fifteen minutes northwest to Punta Nati and walk the short Camí stretch out to its 1913 lighthouse, across a stark, lunar plateau of dry-stone walls and shepherds’ barraques. It is one of the finest sunset spots on the island and a first taste of the path. First seafood dinner at Café Balear on the port, a family place that has fished its own ingredients daily for twenty years.

Day 2, Monday: Camí south, Cap d’Artrutx to Cala en Turqueta

The first walking day, an easy coastal stage of roughly thirteen kilometres through low pine forest, opening onto a sequence of unspoilt white-sand coves: Son Saura, Es Talaier and finally Cala en Turqueta, one of the clearest bays on the south coast. Long swim stops along the way. Dinner at Cas Ferrer de sa Font in Ciutadella, set in an old kiln, traditional cooking from the owner’s organic farm.

Day 3, Tuesday: Camí south, Cala en Turqueta to Cala Galdana

The most iconic short stage of the island, about six kilometres and two and a half hours, is almost entirely under pine and holm oak, linking Turqueta to Cala Galdana via Macarella and the tiny Macarelleta. The turquoise water and white sand of Macarella are the reward, and in late spring, you have them in peace. Dinner at Ulisses in Ciutadella, worth it for the wine list alone.

Day 4, Wednesday: kayak and diving on the southwest coast

A day on and in the water. Morning sea-kayak from Galdana or Son Saura along limestone cliffs pierced by caves and natural arches, landing in nameless coves reachable only by boat. Afternoon guided dive off Cap d’Artrutx, with posidonia meadows, small caverns and excellent visibility, suitable for certified divers and first-timers alike. Seafood dinner on return at Caleta Santandria.

Eastern base: the north coast and Mahón (Days 5 to 7)

Day 5, Thursday: bike, Líthica, and transfer to Mahón

Morning on the bike along the flat, rideable western Camí between Cap d’Artrutx, Son Xoriguer and Son Saura: easy tracks, pinewoods, dunes and swim stops. In the afternoon, a kilometre from Ciutadella, Líthica, Pedreres de s’Hostal: old quarries of marès, the soft limestone used for centuries to build Ciutadella’s palaces, its cathedral and even La Mola. Quarrying ended in 1994; instead of letting it be filled in, the Líthica association turned it into a monumental open-air space of stone labyrinths, sunken botanical gardens and a natural amphitheatre. Allow a couple of hours. Then drive east, stopping at the Cap de Cavalleria viewpoint, and check in at Sa Roqueta in Mahón. Dinner in Fornells, home of caldereta de langosta, the island’s signature lobster stew, at Sa Llagosta or Es Cranc.

Day 6, Friday: the queen stage of the north, Binimel·là to Els Alocs via Cala Pregonda

The hardest and most memorable walk of the week. Stage 6, about nine kilometres in four hours, with constant ups and downs and almost no shade, so carry plenty of water and sun protection. The payoff is the wildest stretch of coast on Menorca: Cala Pregonda, with its golden sand, offshore islets and rust-red rock that give it an almost Martian look, then Cala en Calderer before Els Alocs. Back to Mahón for a seafood dinner at S’Espigó, on the harbour.

Day 7, Saturday: s’Albufera, Mahón and La Mola

The final walking day in the city. A gentler morning along the coastal Camí through the s’Albufera des Grau nature park, the core of Menorca’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: wetlands, lagoons, dunes and low rock, with the lunar Cap de Favàritx lighthouse on the horizon. In the afternoon, Mahón, with its harbour stretching almost five kilometres, and the Fortalesa de La Mola, built in marès between 1850 and 1875 at the harbour mouth, a colossal fortress of bastions, moats and tunnels with commanding views. Farewell dinner in Mahón, departure Sunday with time for a boat tour.

Practical information

When to go. May and early June are ideal: mild weather, maquis in bloom, empty trails and coves, lower prices and swimmable water, especially on the sheltered south coast. Avoid July and August for the heat, the lack of shade in the north and the crowds.

Bases. Hotel Bahia, Carrer dels Suïssos 3, Caleta Santandria, Ciutadella (first four nights). Sa Roqueta, Carrer del Carme 122, Mahón (last three nights).

Transport. A hire car is essential: it links the two bases and reaches trailheads that public transport does not serve, Líthica included. For point-to-point stages, leave a car at the end or use local taxis. Book kayak, diving and bike rental in advance through operators on the south coast and in Ciutadella.

Seafood. The dish to try at least once is caldereta de langosta, the lobster stew born among the fishermen of Fornells; also baked sea bream, cuttlefish in sauce, arroz de la terra, plus Mahón DOP cheese and the island’s growing wines.

On the trail. No technical difficulty, but reasonable fitness is needed. The north stages have constant elevation change and little shade: carry water, a hat and high-factor sun cream, and follow the wooden waymarks. Stages used here: south, the Cap d’Artrutx to Turqueta to Galdana sequence; north, Binimel·là to Els Alocs via Pregonda; east, s’Albufera des Grau; plus the short Punta Nati stretch near Ciutadella.

Packing. Light hiking shoes, swimwear and towel, hat and sunglasses, at least 1.5 litres of water, a light windproof for the tramontana on the north, a daypack, water shoes for kayak and diving, and a camera for the late-spring light.

Documents and health. EU citizens need no visa and no vaccinations; carry a valid ID or passport and the European health card. Travel insurance is advisable, particularly for diving.