Wednesday 19 June 2019

We have heard about the Camí de Cavalls, (literally: ‘Way of Horses’), a 185 km path that circles around Menorca, and today we set off early, before it got too hot, to explore a part of it.

it is believed that the Camí de Cavalls was built in order to connect the watchtowers, fortresses and cannons distributed along the coast of the island and to make the transport of troops and artillery easier. The date of its origin is not clear, although the most accepted theory attributes it to the French invaders during the different periods they lived in the island. Others think it may date back to the 14th century.

Since its original function was the defence and the control of the island, it was patrolled by soldiers mounted on Menorquin horses, hence the word “cavalls” (meaning "horses" in Catalan) in the name of the path.

The Cami de Cavalls survived for centuries and was used for defence from numerous enemies. But it was also used by residents for communication between coastal communities and for trade and other business.

The route is well signposted, once you work out what to look for

However, eventually it became less necessary and fell into disrepair. Private landowners put up fences and gates, making it inaccessible.

The trail was lost for many years and it might have faded away completely had it not been for a campaign in the 1990s by some local residents to protect it. It has now been fully reopened, and it is possible to walk, bike or ride around the full length.

The trail is officially broken up into 20 different stages that are between 5 and 14 kilometres in length. We were not able to contemplate the fully journey, but found a section that passed through the village of Addaya. It was stunning.  Even in the space of the few kilometres that we walked, we saw many different types of scenery from forest tracks, to coastal paths past the inland lagoon and a nature reserve passing age old salt pans.

Anyone who enjoys hiking or longer distance walks, I would recommend it to you. We saw people who were clearly carrying equipment to camp and there are also hostels along the way for those that need them.

Distance covered today	0	nautical miles
Trip distance covered	885	nautical miles
Distance covered 2019	885	nautical miles
Steve (and Tricia)