CAMÍ DE CAVALLS – Stage 1Maó – 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
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.
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
GUIDEBOOK RECOMMENDED
The Camí de Cavalls. The tour of Menorca in 10 days. Triangle Postals
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