Sights in Balearic Islands
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D'Alt Vila
D'Alt Vila is the old walled town; a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1999. The Romans were the first to fortify this hilltop, but the walls you see were raised by Felipe II in the 16th century to protect against invasion by French and Turkish forces. A ramp leads from Plaça de sa Font in Sa Penya up to the Portal de ses Taules gateway, the main entrance.
Above the entrance hangs a commemorative plaque bearing Felipe II's coat of arms and an inscription recording the 1585 completion date of the fortification - seven artillery bastions joined by thick protective walls up to 22m (72ft) in height.
Immediately inside spreads Plaça de la Vila, with its upmarket restaurants, g…
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Monestir de Lluc
The present monastery, the Monestir de Lluc, a huge austere complex, dates mostly from the 17th to 18th centuries. There's also a museum and modest gardens and, if you're lucky, you might hear the Els Escolanets (also known as Els Blauets, the Little Blues, because of the soutane they wear), the monastery’s boarding school boys choir. This institution dates to the early 16th century.
Off the central courtyard is the entrance to the rather gloomy, late-Renaissance Basílica de la Mare de Déu (built in 1622–91 and bearing mostly baroque decoration), which contains a fine retablo (altarpiece) done by Jaume Blanquer in 1629, and the statuette of the Virgin Mary.
Outside, …
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Stone Quarries
You’ll get butterflies simply gazing down into the depths of these vast stone quarries, exploited until 1994. The bleached marés, a variety of sandstone extracted here and in other quarries around the island, has historically been Menorca’s main building material. Over decades, powerful machines gouged out huge hollow, inverted cubes. In these deep pits with their superb acoustics, concerts are sometimes organised. In an earlier age, human muscle and sinew hacked away the rock, leaving bizarre shapes and formations. Here, in the older quarry, where nature has resumed possession, Lithica, the association of volunteers that has recovered this monument to human endeavour,…
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Fort Marlborough
Great Britain occupied Menorca principally to gain possession of Maó’s deep natural harbour. It built Fort Marlborough to defend the sound and protect Castell San Filipe, which it had also overrun. Most of the fortress is excavated into the rock beside the charming emerald-green inlet, Cala de Sant Esteve (2.5km beyond Es Castell – known historically as Georgetown to the Brits). A short video sets the historical background to a walk through the tunnels, elivened by figurines, explosions and a well-produced recorded commentary (including an English version). From the central hillock there’s a fine view of Cala de Sant Esteve, the scant above-ground remains of Castell Sa…
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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'.
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Necròpolis del Puig des Molins
The earliest tombs within this ancient burial ground date from the 7th century BC and Phoenician times. Follow the path around and peer into the burial caverns, oriented north to south, cut deep into the hill. You can descend into one interlocking series of these hypogea (burial caverns). The site museum displays finds such as amulets and terracotta figurines discovered within the more than 3000 tombs that honeycomb the hillside. Both museum and site were closed for restoration work at the time of research.
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Sa Penya
There's always something always going on portside. People-watchers will be right at home - this pocket must have one of the highest concentrations of exhibitionists and weirdos in Spain.
Sa Penya is crammed with dozens of funky and trashy clothing boutiques and the intense competition between the locally made gear and the imports keeps a lid on prices.
The so-called hippy markets, street stalls along Carrer d'Enmig and the adjoining streets, sell everything under the sun.
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Platja de Migjorn
East of Sant Ferran de ses Roques, towards Es Caló, a series of bumpy roads leads to the south coast beaches, known collectively as Platja de Migjorn. They are secluded and popular, despite their sometimes rocky and seaweed-strewn shorelines (especially towards the western end). The best are at the eastern end around Es Arenals. Most of these beach settlements consist of a handful of houses and apartments, a couple of bar-restaurants and the odd hostal.
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Cova d’en Xeroni
On the main road east of Sant Ferran just beyond Km6, turn right at the Spar supermarket for the Cova d’en Xeroni. This underground cavern rich in stalactites and stalagmites was revealed in 1975 when the landowner was digging a well. It’s a one-man band, so treat opening times with a grain of salt. How many visits are organised each day (the most likely times are 1pm and 6pm) depends on demand and whether or not the discoverer’s son is around.
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Illa s'Espalmador
A 4km walking trail leads from the La Savina-Es Pujols road to the end of the narrow promontory stretching north towards Ibiza. From here you can wade across a narrow strait to Illa s'Espalmador, a tiny uninhabited islet with beautiful, quiet beaches and mud baths. The promontory itself is largely undeveloped. Be careful when wading out - you can easily be caught by incoming tides. Or better, take the Barca Bahia boat from La Savina ferry port.
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Torre d'es Cap de Barbaria
A narrow sealed road heads south out of the capital through stone-walled farmlands to Cap de Barbaria, the island's southernmost point. It's a pleasant ride to the lonely white lighthouse at the road's end, although there ain't much to do once you get there, except gaze out to sea. From the far (lighthouse) a track leads east (a 10-minute walk) to the Torre d'es Cap de Barbaria, an 18th-century watchtower.
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Castell de Bellver
Further south of the city, the circular Castell de Bellver is an unusual 14th-century castle (with a unique round tower) set atop a pleasant park. Parts of the castle are shut on Sunday. It is the stage for a summer classical music festival in July.
Constructed by King Jaume II of Mallorca between 1309 and 1311, the castle has been used more for defence and imprisonment purposes than as a royal residence.
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Ecomuseu Cap de Cavalleria
Ecomuseu Cap de Cavalleria is a small, private museum 1km north of Platja Cavalleria’s car park. Panels and videos illustrate the north coast, its fauna, the lighthouse, ancient inhabitants and Roman occupation. Borrow the booklet with full English translations of the captions. The museum’s Les 7 Rutes is a detailed multilingual map showing every feature of the peninsula.
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Torre d’en Galmés
If you only visit one Talayotic site, let it be Torre d’en Galmés, southwest of Alaior. Stop by the small information centre, which has an instructive 10-minute video presentation, then wander at will over the site with its three hilltop talayots, rambling circular dwellings, deep underground storage chambers and sophisticated water collection system.
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Cala de Deià
On the coast, Cala de Deià has some popular swimming spots and a couple of bar-restaurants. The steep walking track from town takes about half an hour; you can drive down, but in the high season this might take almost as long. Some fine walks criss-cross the area, such as the gentle Deià Coastal Path to the pleasant hamlet of Lluc Alcari (three hours return).
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Fornells
This whitewashed village is on a large shallow bay popular with windsurfers. Fornells has been made famous by its waterfront seafood restaurants, most of which serve up the local (and rather pricey) specialty langosta, a lobster stew. The most famous of these restaurants, Es Pla on Pasaje des Pla is said to be a favourite of the Spanish royal family.
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Cova de Can Marçà
A turn-off to the right just before Port de Sant Miquel takes you around a headland to the Cova de Can Marçà, underground caverns spectacularly lit by coloured lights. Tours in various languages take around 30 to 40 minutes. After resurfacing, pause for a drink on its terrace and savour the panorama of sheer cliffs and deep blue water.
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Church
Sant Miquel is overlooked by its shimmering white, boxlike 14th-century church. The restored early-17th-century frescoes in the Capella de Benirràs are a swirl of flowers and twisting vines. Each Thursday from June to September, there’s traditional island dancing on the pretty patio at 6.15pm.
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Església de San Bartolomé
The large Església de San Bartolomé's Modernista facade was designed by a student of Antoni Gaudí, who is also responsible for the even more strikingly Modernista frontage of the Banco de Sóller (nowadays Banco de Santander), right beside the church.
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Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró
Inland from the waterfront is a major art stop, the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró. Top Spanish architect Rafael Moneo designed the main building in 1992, next to the studio in which Miró had thrived for decades. With 2500 works by the artist (including 100 paintings), along with memorabilia, it's a major collection.
No doubt influenced by his Mallorquin wife and mother, Miró moved to Palma in 1956 and remained there until his death in 1983. His friend, the architect Josep Lluís Sert, designed the studio space for him above Cala Major.
A selection of his works hangs in the Sala Estrella, an angular, jagged part of Moneo’s creation that is the architect’s take on the arti…
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Miramar
Miramar, 5km north of Valldemossa on the road to Deià, is one of Habsburg Archduke Luis Salvador’s former residences, built on the site of a 13th-century monastery. The views from here are splendid.
The evangelist and patron saint of Catalan literature, Ramon Llull, founded the monastery, where he wrote many of his works and trained brethren for the task of proselytising among the Muslims. Walk out the back and enjoy the clifftop views.
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Museu d’Art Contemporani
Its normal home is within an 18th-century powder store and armoury. While it undergoes lengthy refurbishing, elements of the collection are on show in the Casa Consistorial (Town Hall) on Plaça d’Espanya.
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Molí de Dalt
The Molí de Dalt is Sant Lluis's last surviving working windmill, constructed during the French era. Within it, there’s a small museum of rural implements and tools.
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Can Marroig
Can Marroig is one of the archduke’s residences. It’s a delightful, rambling mansion, crammed with furniture and period items. The views are the stuff of dreams.
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Ses Voltes
Ciutadella's pedestrian walkway, Ses Voltes (The Arches), has a vaguely North African flavour, and is lined with glamorous shops and boutiques, restaurants and smoky bars.
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