CAMÍ DE CAVALLS – Stage 1

Maó – Es Grau walking by the Camí de Cavalls

The stage

This stage of the Camí de Cavalls begins in Maó Habour, at the beginning of the road to La Mola de Maó and to Sa Mesquida. The first 5 km of the stage follow the road as far as the small resort of Sa Mesquida, which you reach after passing the turn-offs to the right to Cala Rata, La Mola de Maó and Es Murtar. Once at Sa Mesquida, continue through the settlement to the eponymous beach, overlooked by a eighteenth-century defence tower. A wooden boardwalk takes you across the small wetland that lies behind the beach and onto a path that skirts the military area. From here, climb quite steeply for excellent views of this stretch of coast and continue onto the beach of Macar de Binillautí. From this bay, the path turns inland as far as the road to Es Grau; turn right and follow this road for almost a kilometre to the end of the stage at the entrance to S’Albufera des Grau.
Distance: 10 km • Difficulty: Average • Estimated walking time: 3 h

Be sure to shut all gates after you since they are used to control the cattle• Take care when walking along the roads as they can be quite busy, especially in summer; there are no paths or pavements for pedestrians.

SHORTER ALTERNATIVE AVOIDING ROADS

Sa Mesquida – Es Grau
It is worth shortening the route to avoid having to walk along the road between Maó and Sa Mesquida. If you don’t have access to a car, you will have to take the bus to Es Grau because there is no public transport to Sa Mesquida. Check out bus times and frequencies (that vary according to the season).
Distance: 5,4 km • Difficulty: Average • Estimated walking time: 1 h 5 min

Sa Mesquida beach. Camí de Cavalls. Menorca — Sa Mesquida beach

The surroundings

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. Here, the vegetation is low and patchy, and includes important extensions of the socarrell – compact, cushion-like spiny bushes, some of whose species are endemic to the island – plant communities. The final part of the stage heads inland through farmland with scattered wild olive trees. Of note is the beach of Sa Mesquida, with its dune vegetation and a small wetland that floods in winter characterized by salt-resistant plants such as tamarisks and goosefoots.

Sa Mesquida tower. Camí de Cavalls. Menorca — Sa Mesquida tower

Don’t miss

• Sa Mesquida tower: Defence tower constructed by the English in 1799 during their third period of occupation.

NEARBY SITES OF INTEREST
• S’albufera des Grau Natural Park: This stage ends right at the entrance to S’Albufera des Grau, a coastal lagoon of great interest to birdwatchers and nature-lovers in general that gives its name to Menorca’s only natural park. A number of different trails cross the park – more details from the information centre (Tel: 34 971 17 77 05 / 609 601 249). Road Maó – Es Grau Km 3,5.
• Es Grau: Summer resort backing onto S’Albufera des Grau, the beach of Es Grau and L’Illa de Colom. A good starting point for interesting excursions through S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park, either on foot or by kayak. Go to Es Grau – Cala sa Torreta by kayak.

Services

• Maó: As the capital of Menorca, Maó has all the services that a visitor might need.
• Es Grau: Small summer resort where there are bars, restaurants and a small supermarket. Kayaks can be rented on the beach if you wish to explore the nearby coastline.
• Sa Mesquida: Small summer resort where there is a bar/restaurant and a small supermarket.

How to get there

Sa Mesquida is 4.5 km from Maó. To get there, leave Maó from the roundabout at the end of the harbour along the road to La Mola de Maó. Ignore the turn-offs to the right to Cala Rata, La Mola de Maó and Es Murtar until you reach Sa Mesquida. Just 500 m further on you will come to the beach car-park.

Es Grau is 7 km from Maó and to get there leave Maó from the roundabout at the end of the harbour on the road towards Fornells. After just over 500 m, turn right towards Es Grau. You can park in one of the two car-parks behind the beach of Es Grau.

During the high season a bus runs from Maó to Es Grau. 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

GUIDEBOOKS RECOMMENDED
Menorca. Camí de Cavalls. GR-223. Editorial Alpina
The Camí de Cavalls. The tour of Menorca in 10 days. Triangle Postals

The Camí de Cavalls guide, stage by stage

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 stretc...

Es Grau – Cap de Favàritx

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...

Cap de Favàritx – Arenal d’en Castell

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.

Arenal d’en Castell – Cala Tirant

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...

Cala Tirant – Binimel·là

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...

Binimel·là – Cala Pregonda – Els Alocs

This is the longest and hardest of all the stages of the Camí de Cavalls and, unsurprisingly, also one of the most spectacular.

Els Alocs – Cala Pilar – Algaiarens

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...

Platges d’Algaiarens – Cala Morell

This stage of the Camí de Cavalls leaves behind the fertile fields and woods of La Vall d’Algaiarens and heads into a dry scrubby landscape dominated by low scattered plants.

Cala Morell – Punta Nati

The whole of this stage of the Camí de Cavalls runs through what is known as ‘Dry Menorca’, an area characterized by its sparse vegetation and long lines of dry-stone walls only interrupted by stone huts...

Punta Nati – Ciutadella

This stage of the Camí de Cavalls can be divided into two very different parts. The first runs through what is known as ‘Dry Menorca’, an area characterized by its sparse vegetation and long lines of dry-stone walls...

Ciutadella – Cap d’Artrutx

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.

Cap d’Artrutx – Cala en Turqueta

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.

Cala en Turqueta – Cala Galdana

One of the most attractive elements of this stage of the Camí de Cavalls are the unspoilt beaches of its coves: En Turqueta, Macarella and Macarelleta are three of the best-loved of Menorca.

Cala Galdana – Sant Tomàs

This stage of the Camí de Cavalls is an excellent way of getting to know the woods and forests of the southern coast of Menorca. Most of this part of the long-distance footpath runs through...

Sant Tomàs – Son Bou

This stretch of the Camí de Cavalls is flat and, with very little uphill, is easy to walk. Nevertheless, it passes through a series of different habitats that include inland gullies, dunes, pastures...

Son Bou – Cala en Porter

This stretch of the Camí de Cavalls connects two of the most important gullies on the southern coast of Menorca, the Barranc de Llucalari to the west and Barranc de Cala en Porter to the east.

Cala en Porter – Binissafúller

Despite following the coastline for the most part, along this stretch of the Camí de Cavalls you will only see the sea at Es Canutells and Calescoves (if you make a short detour).

Binissafúller – Punta Prima

This part of the Camí de Cavalls crosses a flat but rocky section of Menorca’s southern coast that is currently very built-up. The rocky islands of Binissafúller and the Illa de l’Aire remain in sight for most of the walk.

Punta Prima – Cala Sant Esteve

This stage of the Camí de Cavalls runs along a rocky stretch of low-lying coast dominated by shrubs such as lentisc and Phoenician juniper as far as the defence tower of Alcalfar.

Cala Sant Esteve – Maó

Despite walking almost the whole length of the Port de Maó, you will not get much of a chance to enjoy it if you don’t combine it with some alternative route that links the port and the centre of the town.

The 16 best stretches of the Camí de Cavalls

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.

Map of Camí de Cavalls

The Menorcan interactive map with the 20 stages of the Camí the Cavalls (GR 223) and much more...