The Illa del Rei. British Menorca — The Illa del Rei ©Fundació Destí

Military hospital of Illa del Rei

The old military hospital on the Illa del Rei, currently under restoration, has the peculiarity of being on an island in the harbor of Maó.

The Illa del Rei

The island, also known as The Bloody Island, is in the middle of the Maó harbour, between Maó and Es Castell villages. Its name comes from the legend that Alfonso II of Catalonia and III of Aragón – known as “The Liberal” – came ashore here for the first time when he took Menorca from the Muslims in 1287. The island has two very interesting architectural sites: the remains of the Early Christian era basilica, which once contained a mosaic now preserved in the Museum of Menorca, and the old military hospital.
Built by the British, the old military hospital was based here from the 18th century up until the 1960s. It occupies a large part of the island and stands on its highest point. It is a U-shaped building that faces east. It was abandoned in 1964 when the new military hospital was built in the city of Maó. In those days, the hospital had 40 patient wards, various rooms for doctors, nurses and other hospital staff plus all the services required for running a hospital, including laundry, pharmacy and kitchens, as well as three water tanks and bathing facilities. In 1784, the Spanish built a chapel dedicated to Sant Carles.

How to get there, prices and opening times

Transfer and guided tour to the Illa del Rei
• Season: April – October
• Day and time: Sunday at 8:45 h (from 15/06 to 15/09 there is a second transfer at 10:45 h)
• Departure: From the port of Maó with the Yellow Catamaran
• Price: 10 euros adults (children under 12, free).
• Includes: Direct transfer to Illa del Rei and guided tour of the site.

Tour around the Maó harbour and Illa del Rei guided tour
• Season: May – October
• Day and time: Friday at 10:30 h.
• Departure: From the port of Maó with the Yellow Catamaran
• Price: 18 euros adults, 9 euros children (3 to 12 years).
• Includes: Tour around the Maó harbour and Illa del Rei guided tour.

November – March
• Day: Sunday
• Departure point: from Cala Fontanilles (Es Castell)
• Departure time: from 8:45 h to 11 h
• Boat transport, guided tour and picnic: Donate to the will.

More information: 609 161 662

Nearby sites of interest

• Fort Marlborough: Fortress carved out of the bare rock by the English between 1710 and 1726 to defend the castle of Sant Felip. Open to the public. Tel.: 971 360 462.
• Saint Philip’s Castle: Remains of what was once one of the most important fortifications in the Mediterranean. Started by the Spanish in 1555 and enlarged by the English during their first period of domination (1708-1756). Charles III, after conquering Menorca in 1782, ordered it to be destroyed. Open to the public. Tel.: 971 362 100. More information.
• Calesfonts: Old fishing village belonging to Es Castell, where the old warehouses have been turned into bars and restaurants.

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The big legacy of British Menorca

The British presence in Menorca lasted for almost all of the eighteenth century in three consecutive periods lasting from 1708 to 1802, the year in which the island was returned to the Spanish crown. The British legacy remains in the Anglicisms found in the local language, the characteristic bow windows seen on many Menorcan houses, the typical British-style furniture, the taste for gin and, above all, the wonderful architectural legacy in the shape of defensive military structures that dot the whole of the island’s coastline.
Fort Marlborough

Fortress carved out of the bare rock by the English between 1710 and 1726 to defend the castle of Sant Felip, stands on the southern side of the entrance to Maó harbour, in the cove Cala de Sant Esteve.
Saint Philip’s castle

Sant Felip Castle stands on the southern side of the entrance to Maó harbour. Over the course of successive British occupations the castle was extended until the Spanish siege in 1782.
Fornells tower

A coastal defence tower built by the British in the early 19th century to guard the entrance to Fornells harbour and protect the nearby Sant Antoni Castle