Camí de Cavalls. Stage 4:
Arenal d’en Castell – Cala Tirant
Stage of the Camí de Cavalls between Arenal d’en Castell and Cala Tirant that crosses the most developed area of Menorca’s north coast before heading inland, combining tourist resorts, countryside and pine forests.
This stage of the Camí de Cavalls begins at the far western end of the built-up area of Arenal d’en Castell. Walk for 10 minutes along the cliff-top path as far as Son Parc, another built-up area that you then have to walk through for 20 minutes as far as the car-park behind the beach of Son Saura del Nord (not to be confused with Son Saura on the southern coast). The path continues along the edge of the Son Saura wetland and then enters a pinewood, which you walk through for almost an hour to the southern inland of Fornells Bay. On this stretch, you will pass by the paleochristian basilica of Cap des Port and La Concepció saltpans before reaching the road to Fornells. From here, you have to walk the final 3.5 km along the road to Fornells and then to the resort of Platges de Fornells and Cala Tirant, the end of the stage.
Distance: 10,8 km • Difficulty: Easy • Estimated walking time: 3 h
Please close all the gates you might have to open. They essential for controlling the cattle.
Keep an eye out for cars, as quite a lot of this stage runs along busy – above all in summer – roads that have no facilities for pedestrians.
SHORTER ALTERNATIVES AVOIDING ROADS
Son Saura del nord – Salines de la Concepció
If you want to avoid walking through both the built-up area of Son Parc and also the road to Cala Tirant, you can begin this stage at the car-park behind the beach at Son Saura and walk the 5 km through the forests that stretch as far as the road to Fornells. This will enable you to visit both the paleochristian basilica of Cap des Port and La Concepció saltpans.
Distance: 5 km • Difficulty: Easy • Estimated walking time: 1 h 30 min
The surroundings
The first part of this stage passes along the cliff between the built-up areas of Arenal d’es Castell and Son Parc on a stony path that runs amidst bushes of rosemary and winter heath. However, much of this stage of the Camí de Cavalls passes through a forest with undergrowth dominated by strawberry-tree. This means you might see the two-tailed pasha butterfly, one of the largest and most spectacular butterflies on Menorca, whose larva feed on the strawberry-tree.
Don’t miss
• Arenal de Son Saura: Large beach near Son Parc with large sand dunes of coarse white sand. The Camí does not actually go by the beach and so you will have to make a detour if you want to make a visit.
• Son Saura del Nord wetland: Interesting wetland for wintering, breeding and migratory birds. There are no visitor facilities and to visit you will have to make a detour from the route.
• Paleochristian basilica of Cap des Port: Remains of a paleochristian basilica dating from the end of the fifth–beginning of the sixth centuries AD. Visible are the central nave, a crypt in the form of a Greek cross, a baptistery and a perfectly preserved baptismal font.
Nearby sites of interest
• Fornells tower: Defence tower built by the English in 1801 during their third period of occupation (1798-1802). It stands at the entrance to Fornells Bay, from where there are excellent views of Cap de Cavalleria.
Services
• Arenal d’en Castell, Son Parc (arenal de Son Saura) i Platges de Fornells (cala Tirant): Resorts with all types of facilities for beach-users.
How to get to Arenal d’en Castell
L’Arenal d’en Castell is 17 km from Maó, 11 km from Alaior and 16 km from Es Mercadal. From Maó, take the road to Fornells from the roundabout at the end of Maó Harbour. After around 14 km, you reach the roundabout/ junction with the road to Camí d’Addaia, where you should turn right. Continue to the end, ignoring the turn-offs to the right to Addaia, Cala Molí and Na Macaret. Both Es Mercadal and Fornells are around 16 km from Arenal d’en Castell. Follow the road to Maó from where it joins the Es Mercadal-Fornells road and turn left after 7.5 km to Addaia at the aforementioned roundabout.
From Alaior, take the Carretera de Subaida towards the beaches on the north coast and to L’Arenal d’en Castell.
How to get to Arenal de Son Saura
Arenal de Son Saura is 20 km from Maó, 14 km from Alaior and 13 km from Es Mercadal. From Maó, take the Fornells road from the roundabout at the end of Maó Harbour. After 16 km, turn right to the built-up area of Son Parc and Arenal de Son Saura. Both Es Mercadal and Fornells are around 13 km from Arenal de Son Saura. Follow the road to Maó from where it joins the Es Mercadal-Fornells road and turn left after 4.5 km to Son Parc.
How to get to Cala Tirant
Cala Tirant is 20 km from Maó and 8 km from Es Mercadal. To get there, turn right along the road 2 km before reaching Fornells.
Public transport
A number of different buses run between the island’s main towns and Arenal d’en Castell, Son Parc and the beaches of Fornells. Check out bus times and frequencies (that vary according to the season).
Accommodation and logistics on Camí de Cavalls
If you want to go through the Camí de Cavalls in stages, either a part or all of it, you have to plan your trek well. There are no accommodation for trekkers on the path, so you will have to make use of the touristic accommodations you will find on the route. That is the reason why making the route outside the tourist season could be somewhat complicated.
It is important to adapt the route plan to your physical condition and your experience as a trekker. In many cases, the ideal choice is to hire a logistic service for you to resolve those shortcomings. This way, you will be able to get the most out of the experience.
Camí de Cavalls 360º is a specialized travel agency that helps you to make the route in stages, in a self-guided manner and with a series of related services (among others, accommodation and logistics). Camí de Cavalls 360º offers you different choices to traverse the Camí de Cavalls with autonomy, always adapting to your needs.
Map of Camí de Cavalls. Stage 4: Arenal d’en Castell – Cala Tirant
See all stages of the Camí de Cavalls
The Camí de Cavalls is divided up into 20 stages that can be walked as a single long hike or individually in sections, or can be used simply as somewhere go for a stroll. Discover Menorca here describes the official stages as 20 separate day-long walks, using the morning for the outward bound stretch and the afternoon for the return.
This stage of the Camí de Cavalls passes through a fine example of a windswept coastal landscape, especially between Sa Mesquida and the Macar de Binillautí.
All of this stage of the Camí de Cavalls runs through S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park. It is an excellent walk for getting to know a variety of different habitats…
Much of this stage of the Camí de Cavalls runs through the S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park and many of its very diverse landscapes.
This stage of the Camí de Cavalls begins at the far western end of the built-up area of Arenal d’en Castell. Walk for 10 minutes along the cliff-top path as far as Son Parc…
This stage of the Camí de Cavalls passes through one of the best-preserved parts of the Menorcan coastline. The EU has declared it to be an Area of Community Importance and and a Special Protection…
This is the longest and hardest of all the stages of the Camí de Cavalls and, unsurprisingly, also one of the most spectacular.
This stage of the Camí de Cavalls is characterized by the number of different habitats it visits. Around Cala Pilar a large number of endemic plants thrive alongside the more typical plants of…
This stage of the Camí de Cavalls leaves the fertile and wooded area of La Vall d’Algaiarens to enter a landscape dominated by low, scattered vegetation and ends at Cala Morell, one of Menorca’s geological jewels.
This stage of the Camí de Cavalls runs entirely through what is known as dry Menorca, characterized by sparse vegetation and endless rows of dry stone walls, ending near the Punta Nati lighthouse.
This stage of the Camí de Cavalls, between Punta Nati and Pont d’en Gil runs through what is known as “Dry Menorca”, characterized by sparse vegetation and endless rows of dry-stone walls. It then passes through several residential areas before reaching Ciutadella de Menorca.
From Cala Blanca onwards and as far as the end of the stage, the flat path follows low coastal cliffs that harbour an interesting plant community.
This stretch of the Camí de Cavalls is flat and climbs very little. The landscape over much of this stage is dominated by a rocky coastline alternating with small coves.
One of the great attractions of stage 13 of the Camí de Cavalls are the unspoilt beaches of Cala en Turqueta, Macarella and Macarelleta, some of the most iconic — and also overcrowded — beaches on the southern coast of Menorca.
If you want to discover what the forests of Menorca’s southern coast are like, this stage of the Camí de Cavalls is a great opportunity, taking you through Cala Mitjana, one of the unspoilt coves on the southern coast that draws the most visitors during the summer months.
The route of stage 15 of the Camí de Cavalls is flat and not very rugged, never reaching any significant elevation. Even so, it passes through quite varied habitats, such as urban areas, inland ravines, low rocky coastline, coastal dunes, fields and pastures.
The route of stage 16 of the Camí de Cavalls runs almost entirely inland, connecting two important ravines on the southern coast of Menorca: the Llucalari ravine and the Cala en Porter ravine.
Stage 17 of the Camí de Cavalls runs almost entirely through the interior, crossing ravines along the southern coast, alternating with the typical Menorcan mosaic landscape of croplands, pastures and small wild olive groves.
Stage 18 of the Camí de Cavalls runs almost entirely through streets and paved roads of numerous residential developments, with the exception of two small remaining dirt path sections at the beginning and end of the route.
Stage 19 of the Camí de Cavalls covers part of the eastern coast of Menorca and crosses the Rafalet ravine. Along the way, it passes important vestiges of the island’s military history, such as the Alcalfar tower and Fort Marlborough, in Cala Sant Esteve, at the end of the stage.
A 100% paved and mainly urban stage that connects and crosses the towns of Maó and Es Castell, walking parallel to the Port of Maó.
The best walks and excursions around the coast of Menorca along the Camí de Cavalls (GR-223), an ideal way of exploring the island’s coastline at your leisure. Unspoilt beaches, rocky outcrops, pinewoods and sea-cliffs step-by-step.
The Menorcan interactive map with the 20 stages of the Camí the Cavalls (GR 223) and much more…