Camí de Cavalls. Stage 12:
Cap d’Artrutx – Cala en Turqueta
The route of stage 12 of the Camí de Cavalls is flat and largely even. The dominant landscape consists of wide stretches of coastal rocky terrain, interspersed with the beaches of Son Saura del Sud, Cala es Talaier and Cala en Turqueta at the end of the route
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, Cala en 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: An old defensive tower built in 1617, located between Cala Turqueta and Cala es Talaier, which offers fine views over the southern coast of Menorca. Unfortunately, it lies within private property and cannot be visited. These towers were built with the aim of keeping watch and defending against pirate or military raids.
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 minutes beyond the car-park through the thick holm-oak wood.
During the tourist season, several bus lines from Ciutadella allow you to plan the excursion using public transport: Ciutadella – Cala en Bosch – Son Xoriguer (L65), Ciutadella – Son Catlar – Son Saura (L65) and Ciutadella – Cala en Turqueta (L67). Check out bus times and frequencies (that vary according to the season).
Accommodation and logistics on Camí de Cavalls
Find accommodation in Ciutadella.
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 stage 12 of the Camí de Cavalls
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…