Camí de Cavalls hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Camí de Cavalls (GR 223) is the old "horse path" that runs all the way round Menorca, the most easterly of Spain's Balearic Islands. It is a loop of about 185 km along the coast, through pine woods, farmland, dunes and wetlands, past dozens of beaches and coves. For centuries riders used it to watch and defend the coast. A Balearic law of 2000 (Llei 13/2000) made it a free public path again; the Consell Insular de Menorca (the island council) manages it and marks it with wooden posts and more than 2,000 numbered markers. Menorca has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1993.

The route

This guide follows the 20 official stages, numbered as the Consell numbers them. The loop starts at the head of Maó harbour (sa Colàrsega) and heads north to sa Mesquida and the fishing village of Es Grau, at the edge of the s'Albufera des Grau natural park. The north coast comes next: dark, very old rock, red and ochre cliffs, wind-shaped scrub, the lighthouse at Favàritx, the resorts of Arenal d'en Castell and Platges de Fornells, the wild coves of Binimel·là, Pregonda and Els Alocs, the pine valley of Algaiarens and the flat, stony headland of Punta Nati before Ciutadella. The south coast is limestone: lower cliffs, deep wooded ravines and the white-sand coves of Cala en Turqueta, Macarella and Cala Galdana, then the long beaches of Sant Tomàs and Son Bou, Cala en Porter, Binibeca and Punta Prima, and finally Es Castell and the harbour back into Maó.

The 20 stages average about 9.2 km. The highest point is only about 130 m, but the path climbs in and out of almost every cove, so the profile shows about 1,900 m of climbing in total; the official stage pages, measured in more detail, add up to about 3,500 m.

Highlights

• S'Albufera des Grau: the lagoon and dunes at the core of the biosphere reserve
• Favàritx: the lighthouse on bare black slate on the north-east coast
• Cala Pregonda and Binimel·là: red sand and rock on the wildest part of the north coast
• Ciutadella: the old capital, with its cathedral and narrow harbour
• Cala en Turqueta, Macarella and Cala Galdana: the famous turquoise coves of the south coast
• Son Bou: the longest beach on the island, with an early Christian basilica

When to walk

The trail is open all year. The best months are April to June and mid-September to October: warm, with long days and fewer people. July and August are hot, the south-coast coves are crowded, and there is little shade. From November to March it is mild, but the north wind (tramuntana) can be strong and most resort hotels, beach bars and summer buses close. After heavy rain, parts of the north coast can be closed; check the notices on camidecavalls.com.

How many days?

The official plan has 20 stages, from about 5 to 15 km. Few people walk them one by one, because several stage ends have no beds. Common plans take 10 to 13 days, joining stages such as Es Grau to Arenal d'en Castell (21 km), Cala Morell to Ciutadella (18 km) and Cap d'Artrutx to Cala Galdana (19 km). Fit walkers do it in 7 to 9 days. Others walk a few stages from one base: the island is small and taxis are quick.

Where to sleep

There are no huts. You sleep in hotels, hostales, rural hotels (agroturismes) and one campsite (Son Bou) in the resorts and towns. Es Grau, Favàritx, Binimel·là, Els Alocs, Algaiarens, Punta Nati and Cala en Turqueta have no beds, and Cala Morell has only restaurants. Plan a longer day, or book a taxi from the stage end to Maó, Fornells, Es Mercadal, Ferreries or Ciutadella and back the next morning. Camping with a tent is banned on the whole island outside campsites. Sleeping out without a tent is tolerated on beaches, but not in dunes, and no fire or stove is allowed.

Permits and booking

No permit or fee is needed to walk. Groups of 25 or more walkers need an authorisation from the Consell Insular. In summer, book rooms early and choose places close to the trail; several companies offer self-guided trips with baggage transfer.

Getting there and away

Menorca airport is just outside Maó, and ferries from mainland Spain and Mallorca arrive in Maó and Ciutadella. Bus line 1 links Maó and Ciutadella all year, through Alaior, Es Mercadal and Ferreries. Buses to the resorts (Es Grau, Arenal, Fornells, Cala Galdana, Son Bou, Cala en Porter, Punta Prima, Cala en Bosc) run mainly in summer; outside the season you will need taxis. Book remote pick-ups the day before.

Money, water and phone

Spain uses the euro, and cards are accepted in most hotels and restaurants. ATMs are in the towns and big resorts only. Carry all your water for the day: there are long stretches, especially on the north coast and between Cap d'Artrutx and Cala Galdana, with no shop, bar or tap, and many beach bars close in winter. Mobile coverage is missing in many coves and valleys; the new stage-start panels show where there is signal.

Difficulty

The Camí de Cavalls is moderate. There is nothing technical and no high ground, but the surface is often rough: loose stones, bare rock and steep, short steps into and out of coves, especially between Cala Tirant and Algaiarens and on the south-coast ravines. Some stretches follow road verges (out of Maó, and the Es Canutells road on stage 17) or resort streets. Sun, heat and wind are harder than the climbing. Good shoes, a hat, sun cream and at least 2 litres of water a day are essential in summer.

Safety

In an emergency call 112 (or 061 for medical help). Give the stage, the nearest beach and the number on the nearest marker post. The island fire service carried out 244 rescues in 2021, most of them on the Camí de Cavalls, for falls and lost walkers. Stay on the marked path, keep away from cliff edges in wind, and do not try closed sections. The public hospital is Mateu Orfila in Maó; Ciutadella has a private 24-hour hospital and a public 24-hour urgent-care centre.

History

The path goes back to the Middle Ages: King Jaume II ordered the knights of Menorca to keep an armed horse to defend the island, and the coastal path is said to date from 1331, so that riders could quickly reach any beach where an enemy landed. In the 18th century the island changed hands between Britain, France and Spain; the British governor Richard Kane called it a "royal road" in 1736 and ordered it kept clear, and the British built towers such as the one at sa Mesquida (1799). Civil War trenches and bunkers still guard many coves. Later, much of the path was closed off by private estates. A civic campaign from 1987, with more than 3,000 signatures, led to the 2000 law. The route was fixed in 2002, rebuilt with state funding between 2009 and 2011, and approved as the long-distance path GR 223 in 2012.