Ciutadella

Municipality of Menorca

Ciutadella

Municipality of Menorca

Ciutadella

Municipality of Menorca

Ciutadella

Municipality of Menorca

Ciutadella (Menorca)

The monumental Ciutadella was the ancient capital of the island, the bishop’s see and the city in which the old island nobility lived. It is at the western end of the island and is, together with Maó, the most populous urban centre. In fact, this corner of the island has been inhabited since time immemorial, as can be seen, for example, in the monumental settlement of Son Catlar or the spectacular Naveta des Tudons.

As its name, the citadel, suggests, Ciutadella was an ancient walled city, the only visible remains of which separate the picturesque fishing port from the Plaça des Born, the central square on which the town hall and several stately homes owned by the city's former nobility stand. Strolling through the labyrinthine cobbled streets of the old quarter is a brief reminder of the Muslim presence on the island. Menorca Cathedral was in fact built in the 14th century on the site of a former mosque.

Ciutadella is a coastal city and within its municipal boundaries you will find some of the most famous virgin coves on the Balearic Islands, such as Cala Macarella and Macarelleta, Cala en Turqueta or Son Saura, all of them with fine white sand and turquoise blue waters. However, the north coast is not to be outdone when it comes to beauty. In fact, many people gather at sunset near the Punta Nati lighthouse to admire the way the sea drinks up the sun.