CAMÍ DE CAVALLS – Stage 12Cap d’Artrutx – Cala en Turqueta
walking by the Camí de Cavalls
The stage
This stage begins 1 km from Artrutx lighthouse along the coast road through the residential area, although you could also begin at the lighthouse itself. This is where the southern coast proper begins. The first 2 km of the stage are along roads through the residential areas of Cap d’Artrutx, Son Bosch (where you will have to cross the bridge over the canal to the port) and Son Xoriguer. After this final beach, you leave the built-up area behind and for 4 km you walk a flat but somewhat rocky path along the low-lying coast, passing by small coves until you reach the beaches of Son Saura del Sud. Once past these beaches, the path brings you to Cala des Talaier. From here, the path begins to gain height, the forest begins to thicken and you pass near a look-out tower (Talaia d’Artrutx), before dropping down through the woods to the much-loved Cala en Turqueta, where the stage ends.
Distance: 13.3 km • Difficulty: Easy • Estimated walking time: 4 h
Be sure to shut all gates after you since they are used to control the cattle • Help the regeneration of the dunes at Son Saura del Sud by NOT walking there • At the end of this stage (Cala en Turqueta) there are no facilities; the next facilities are at the end of the following stage (Cala Galdana).
SHORTER ALTERNATIVES AVOIDING ROADS
Son Xoriguer – Cala en Turqueta
If you start at the beach of Son Xoriguer you will avoid the first stretch of road in the residential area. Very recommendable.
Distance: 8.5 km • Difficulty: Easy • Estimated walking time: 3 h
Son Saura – Cala en Turqueta
This short stroll will take you to the stage’s three unspoilt beaches: Son Saura, Es Talaier and En Turqueta. A true privilege.
Distance: 3 km • Difficulty: Easy • Estimated walking time: 1h 30 min
The surroundings
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. For most of the walk you will be amongst vegetation influenced by the proximity of the sea, with plants such as winter heath, rock-roses and rosemary. Behind the beaches at Son Saura del Sud there is a small pinewood and behind that a small wetland. From here on the landscape begins to change, and the Camí de Cavalls enters the woodland dominated by wild olive, Aleppo pine and holm oak that is so characteristic of the central part of Menorca’s southern coast as, for example, around Cala en Turqueta.
Don’t miss
• Prat de Bellavista: Small marshland associated with the beaches of Son Saura del Sud. Home to wetland birds and an area of great ecological value. Please respect it.
• Artrutx lighthouse: Built in 1858 and automated in the 1980s, this lighthouse is an excellent place to enjoy the sunset with the island of Mallorca as a backdrop. Today, a bar-restaurant operates in the lighthouse during the high season. More information.
NEARBY SITES OF INTEREST
• Talaia d’Artrutx: Old defence tower located between Cala en Turqueta and Cala des Talaier. Excellent views along the southern coast of Menorca.
Services
• Cap d’Artutx: Plenty of bars, restaurants and other facilities are on offer in the residential area around the lighthouse and in Cala en Bosch and Son Xoriguer during the high season.
• Cala Turqueta: No facilities.
How to get there
Both ends of the stage are accessible by car (Cap d’Artrutx and Cala en Turqueta) and both have plenty of space for parking. If you want to have a shorter walk, drive to Son Saura. In the summer, information boards on the roads from Ciutadella to the south coast beaches will tell you which car-parks still have space.
Cap d’Artrutx is 12 km south of Ciutadella if you follow the town’s southern ring-road and take the road all the way to Cala Blanca, until the end of the road.
Cala en Turqueta is 14 km from Ciutadella. From the southern ring-road, take the road Camí de Sant Joan de Missa that heads towards the southern beaches. Ignore the turn-off to Son Saura and at the little church of Sant Joan de Missa, turn right towards Cala en Turqueta. Four kilometres further on, turn right again along a dirt track that leads to the beach car-park. The beach lies just 10 m beyond the car-park through the thick holm-oak wood.
In the high season a bus runs from Ciutadella to Cap d’Artrutx and Cala en Bosch. There is also a bus that runs from Ciutadella via Son Catlar to Son Saura, which will also enable you to shorten this stage somewhat. 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 specialised 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
See all stages of the Camí de Cavalls
GUIDEBOOK RECOMMENDED
The Camí de Cavalls. The tour of Menorca in 10 days. Triangle Postals
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