THE CAMÍ DE CAVALLS; A PATH THAT LINKS AN ENTIRE ISLAND!

The Camí de Cavalls; a path that links an entire island!

The Camí de Cavalls (Horse Trail), is a path that circles the whole of Minorca along the coast. It is 185 kilometres long with a great variety of geology and landscapes, passing through all the beaches and some inland areas, whether they are pastureland, woodland, ravines, crop or livestock areas, as well as some urban sections such as Mahon, the current capital of the island in the eastern area, and Ciutadella de Menorca in the west (the former capital). In future blogs we will talk about the towns of Menorca and their history. 

Although its maximum height is only 125 metres, the accumulated difference in height is as much as 4000 metres. As it is a circular route, you can start at any point, but km 0 is located at the end of the port of Mahon (Sa Culárssega) from where the first stage starts. The Camí de Cavalls is not simply a path made up of paths, which goes around the island, but a historical-cultural heritage that forms part of the history and culture of the island of Menorca.

A brief explanation of its origins and history

The origin of the Camí de Cavalls is little known, but what we do know is that, in the 14th century, there were already some sections whose main objective was to defend the island. In the year 1330 King Jaume II established the obligation, on the part of the new settlers after the conquest, to maintain each "lloc" (we will also talk about them at the time) an armed horse to defend Minorca and to watch over the coast in the face of the possible arrival of invaders. This Camí de Cavalls, during the 18th century, received this name because of the constant movement of British soldiers on horseback who watched over the coast during the time of the English domination of the island, and it was also used by the French troops during the period in which they were the dominators.  The main objective was to sight possible ships from the coast. During this period, coastal watchtowers were also built to prevent possible incursions by pirates, which made the existence of this perimeter road around the island more necessary. During this same 18th century, the English administration considered it to be a Royal Road and, at the same time, it was already being used by Menorcans as a public road. Since 2010, after many difficulties, it has become a public road that can be enjoyed by everyone (always respecting its information panels, its markers and the private properties it passes through). It is signposted with square stakes every 50-100 metres and information panels at the beginning of the stages. The more than 100 barriers that have to be crossed are a reflection of the fact that traditional activities, such as livestock farming, are still active in the area surrounding the route. That is why we insist on respecting these signs, panels and very importantly, when a barrier is crossed, we ask that it be closed again out of respect for our farmers whose activity is so important for the maintenance of our territory and the path. In this way we avoid that the cattle can get lost and above all that any kind of accident can be caused.

The path is divided into 20 sections that can be subdivided into three main stages (the east, north and south coast) completely differentiated by their landscapes.

Below is a table showing all the stages and some basic characteristics:

Wake up your adventurous spirit and cheer up!  

Come on holiday to Ca s'Arader - www.casarader.com - we will be happy to tell you more about the Camí de Cavalls. If you decide to travel along the history of this path you will be able to savour the pleasure of walking on an island that is all about nature, beauty, peace and relaxation. We are waiting for you!

Pedro Pons Casasnovas

reservas@casarader.com