Things To Do in Ciudadela

Since the days of Jaume I, the center of Ciudadela has been Plaça d’es Born, which overlooks the port to the north. The square was built around an obelisk commemorating the town’s struggle against the Turks, who sacked the city in 1558. The Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) anchors the west side of the square. On the southwest corner of the square, the 14th-century Gothic Església de San Francisco has some excellent carved-wood altars. A once-splendid palace, Palacio de Torre-Saura, stands on the square’s northwest corner. Still owner-occupied, it was constructed in the 1800s.

In the Middle Ages Ciudadela was completely walled to protect against pirate incursions, which were a serious threat from the 13th century on. A short walk east of Plaça d’Es Born, the town’s fortresslike cathedral was ordered built by the conquering Alfonso III on the site of a former mosque. The church’s neoclassical facade was added in 1813. The church suffered damage during the Spanish Civil War but has been restored. The Moorish influence lingers in a block of whitewashed houses in Ses Voltes, just east of the cathedral.

Ciudadela is at its liveliest at the port, with an array of shops, bars, and restaurants. Sailboats and yachts dock here in summer. Carrer Quadrado, lined with shops and arcades, is another street worth walking. Off the broad Avinguda de la Constitució, local people still meet at Plaça d’Alfons III, the square honoring their long-ago liberator.

Beaches Near Ciudadela

Buses depart from Ciudadela’s Plaça d’Artrutx for most coastal destinations, including the best beaches. Known for its white sands, Cala Santandria, 3km (1 3/4 miles) to the south, is a sheltered beach near a creek, with nearby rock caves that were inhabited in prehistoric times.  Tall bare cliffs rise in the background, and the air is perfumed with the scent of pine trees. The coves of En Forcat, Blanes, and Brut are also near Ciudadela.

Cala de Santa Galdana, not reached by public transport, is the most stunning bay in the area, lying 23km (14 miles) south of Ciudadela. The tranquil bay is ringed with a beach of fine golden sand. Tall, bare cliffs rise in the background. The road to this beach, unlike so many others on Menorca, is a good one.