Walking in Menorca – on the Cami de Cavalls

It was a perfect day for walking Menorca on the Cami de Cavalls. One of those late May days when the sun is warm, the sea sparkling but the temperature in the comfortable early 20s.

Although we’d had showers the day before, the skies had cleared with puffs of cloud. The sea seemed to be lit up an intense turquoise.

Spring and autumn is the perfect time for walking in Menorca. The weather is generally warm and it’s before the heat of summer descends and everyone just heads for the beach.

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A path for horses

Hiking in Menorca centers along the Cami de Cavalls. This ancient walking path and bridle way encircles the whole island.

The importance of this Menorca coastal path was recognised by the island’s rulers in the Middle Ages. It allowed horses to move around for defence and goods could be easily transported. The trail gets its name from the Catalan word Cavall which means horse – it’s literally a path for horses.

If you fancy trying some horse riding on the Cami de Cavalls, check out this horseback riding experience in Menorca

Menorca hiking on the Cami de Cavalls

Our walk for the day started at Cala Galdana, one of Menorca’s most popular resorts. We were staying at Hotel Artiem Audax, a lovely, stylish 4-star hotel overlooking the marina.

The resort on Menorca’s south coast is an excellent place to base yourself for a walking holiday. You’ll have immediate access to the coastal path as well as a number of bars and restaurants to enjoy in the evenings.

You may also enjoy: 15 fun things to do in Ciutadella – the ancient capital of Menorca

Starting the coastal path

We climbed up from the little marina onto the coastal path, almost immediately giving us the kind of views that you expect to see on postcards. Our path took us up onto the rocky cliffs, where wind-twisted pines framed the view of the the turquoise sea glittering below and the cliffs of the headland beyond.

You may also enjoy: Naveta d’es Tudons – Discovering the Talayotic culture of Menorca

Before long the route veered off away from the sea on a broad, flat stony path. Scrub and trees of pine, olive and oak dotted around us.

On one side, the path was bordered by a dry stone wall. Scattered in the grass were miniature pink gladioli and wild orchids. These would have been in full bloom in March and April but were just starting to dry out as summer approaches.

You may also enjoy: 15 Things to do in Mahón, Menorca – if you only have one day

The whole of the southern coast of the island is now owned by the Menorca government, to ensure that it is preserved from development. However, the land on either side of the path is owned by individual farmers who maintain the Menorca hiking trails. They graze animals there to ensure that the trees and shrubs do not become too dense.

Want to see more of Menorca? Check out this guided day trip with walking tour that takes you to Menorca’s ancient capital of Ciutadella and other sites around the island.

Gorgeous clifftop views

As I walked, I breathed in the scent of pine needles crushed underfoot. I noticed the splash of pink flowers on the cistus and the vibrant green clumps of pine seedlings, pushing up beside the rocks covered with yellow lichen.

From the broad path, there were other paths that took us to viewpoints on the cliff. Here only the twisted olive wood fences protected us from a sheer drop down to the sea below.

A white speedboat passed below us. I imagined myself to be the girl at the wheel, wind in my hair, speeding to one of the secluded coves along this coast.

We reached a boardwalk which took us down to Macarella beach, with broad wooden steps leading down through the pine trees. The beach is a very popular one.

Macarella Beach

Due to all the ravines that run down to the coast, it can’t be easily reached by car, which is one of its charms for walkers. The normal bridle path continued alongside although it was so steep that I wouldn’t have fancied riding a horse down it.

Although the Cami de Cavalls encircles the whole island, there are some sections that are better for walkers. Other secions are more flat and open for horse-riding.

Many farms have stables near the trail and offer horse-riding. My friend Zoe tried while we were doing the walk – read her article about horse-riding on the Cami de Cavalls.

Macarella beach is broad and sandy, with some shady pine trees offering shade at the back and sides of the beach. This would be a lovely place to spend an afternoon with the family. Despite having no public road access, there was a large cafe at the back of the beach serving drinks and meals.

Some of our group stopped to relax at the cafe. I decided to walk a little further round the headland to the smaller Cala Macarelleta (the name means little Macarella).

This stretch of the south coast path certainly offers some of the best Menorca walking on the Cami de Cavalls if you enjoy beaches and swimming. Set into the cliff face beside the steep path were some caves, probably used in the past as an ancient burial site by Menorca’s Talayotic culture.

Unspoiled and natual scenery

The walk around to Macarelleta was idyllic, the sea coloured intense turquoise with patches of deep blue. The path led down through the dunes and over the rocks with a few sunbathing spots on the rocky ledges.

As I came down, I realised that this is a nudist beach. Although in May most people seemed to be keeping their swimsuits on, still I had to be a bit careful where to point my camera.

If you want to discover Menorca’s south coast beaches by boat, check out this sightseeing boat trip from Cala’n Bosc

The beach was backed by sand dunes and a covering of pine trees, with a rattan fence to protect the dunes. Once again this idyllic spot is only accessible by walking, with the nearest car park being at Cala en Turqueta, which is the next beach if you continue along this Menorca coastal path.

As for us, it was time to return by the same route, clambering up the path through the dunes and around the headland to Macarella, then along the broad path back to Cala Galdana. It’s an easy and popular walk, all the nicer because the lack of car access means the beaches are natural and unspoiled, and certainly one to include in your Menorca walking holidays. 

Where to stay in Menorca

I stayed in Hotel Artiem Audax in Cala Galdana overlooking the marina, which was right opposite the start of the coastal walk I’ve described. The hotel is Adults Only with bright, modern decor and delicious food with breakfast and dinner served buffet style.

The hotel is part of the Artiem Hotel group which has many excellent hotels around the island including the Hotel Artiem Capri in Mahon where I also enjoyed staying.

Read Next

A guide to the Cami de Cavalls in Menorca

More articles about Menorca

Discover where and what to eat and drink in Menorca from Travel With Kat

Visitor Information for Menorca

To plan your holiday in Menorca visit the Menorca Tourism website or follow them on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

For holidays in other parts of Spain you can find more information at Spain’s official tourism site or follow them on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Need somewhere to stay? Check out Hotel Artiem Audax in Cala Galdana where we stayed or if this doesn’t suit you look at these other hotels in Menorca

Looking for a guidebook for Menorca? We recommend the Rough Guide to Mallorca and Menorca to help you plan your trip. If you plan to do more walking in Menorca, we recommend the Cicerone Trekking Through Mallorca guidebook which covers the Cami de Cavalls and other walks around the island.

Looking for boat trips and activities on Menorca? Check out these guided tours and excursions.

If you need a guide to show you the sites of Mahon and Menorca, I can highly recommend Luis Amella of Menorca Guides

Map of Menorca

Use my map of things to do on Menorca to plan your walking holiday.

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Thanks to Menorca Tourism for hosting* my stay in Menorca, in a project in partnership with Spain Tourism, Menorca Tourism and Travelator Media

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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