Side Trips in Mahon

One of Menorca’s surprising assets is a number of easily accessed prehistoric relics. A quick excursion from Mahón, marked off the Mahón-Villacarlos highway, is Trepucó, where you’ll find both a 4m (13-ft.) taula (huge T-shaped stone structure) and a talayot (circular stone tower). The megalithic monuments stand on the road to Sant Lluís, only about 1.6km (1 mile) south of Mahón. Of all the prehistoric remains on the island, this site is the easiest to visit.

Yet another impressive prehistoric monument, Torre d’en Galmés lies 15km (9 1/3 miles) west of Mahón off the route to Son Bou. (The path is signposted.) You can take a bus from Mahón to Son Bou if you don’t have a car. This megalithic settlement spreads over many acres, including both taulas and talayots, along with ancient caves in which people once lived. The exact location is 3km (1 3/4 miles) south of Alayor off the road to Son Bou.

The island’s best-preserved and most significant collection of prehistoric megalithic monuments, however, is the restored Naveta d’es Tudons, accessible 5km (3 miles) east of Ciudadela, just south of the road to Mahón. Its naveta (pictured above, a boat-shaped monument thought to be a dwelling or a burial chamber) is said to be among the oldest monuments constructed by humans in Europe. Archaeologists have found the remains of many bodies at this site, along with a collection of prehistoric artifacts, including pottery and decorative jewelry (now in museums). The site is more easily visited if you stay in Ciudadela.