Pedreres de s'Hostal

About 2km east of the town centre is an original 'monument'. The Pedreres de s'Hostal is an extensive series of stone quarries. The bleached marés stone, extracted here and in other quarries around the island, has historically been Menorca's main building material. This quarry was in action until 1994. The bizarre shapes cut into the rock were first hewn by strong men with picks (as long as 200 years ago) and later with machinery.

In the latter - which are a series of giant, deep pits - concerts are organised (the acoustics are great). In the older quarry a botanical garden, with endemic Menorcan species, grows amid the weird 'sculpture'.