The island of Menorca has an extension of just over 700 km2, it is the second island of the Balearic Islands, it presents a predominantly horizontal landscape, its highest being Mount Toro, 350 meters of altitude and its coast is generally high and cliff presenting the important bays of Fornells, Ciudadela and mahón. From RideOn we encourage you to visit Menorca with the Menorca motorcycle rental.
One of the most wonderful ways to enter the island is by boat, entering through the port of Mahón, one is surprised by the enormous piece of sea that enters into this fantastic bay. Throughout the history of the entire island of Menorca, the importance of the strategic location of the port of Mahón is perceived. Since 3,000 BC, many civilizations have come to Menorca. Los pretalayoticos, is the name of the society corresponding, approximately, to the Iron Age in the Gimnesias islands (Mallorca and Menorca in the Balearic archipelago). Its origins date from the end of the 2nd millennium BC. C., when the badly called Pre-Talayotic Culture entered into crisis and lived its consequent evolution. Its name comes from the Talayotes, which are the most emblematic and abundant buildings in Balearic prehistory.
Talayotes in Menorca
Around 1,200 the talayotics that made the megalithic constructions of the island appeared, such as the Talayots, the Taulas, unique religious monuments in the world. And then even the cyclopean city with the mortarless stone walls of son catlar in Ciudadela. A corner worth visiting, especially if you enjoy a Menorca motorcycle rental.
Upon entering the port of Mahón, you can see the old Spanish castle of San Felipe, a castle created with the purpose of neutralizing the attacks of Barbarossa in Mahón. Felipe II ordered the construction of a castle to avoid further assaults by the Ottomans. At Rideon we offer motorcycle rentals in the port of Mahón, to enjoy Menorca on a motorcycle.
The English arrived with the mentality of using the port, since they needed to support their base in Gibraltar, which had no chance of maintaining a port, maintaining an arsenal that would allow their squadron once winter had not to go to England.
Crossing the junction channel between mahón and the fortress of la mola, you can see how maritime contact was established between these two important points to avoid the passage through the mouth of the port that the eastern storms made it a prohibitive navigation. The English occupied Menorca with the firm idea of sitting in the Mediterranean in the early eighteenth century.
Legend has it that Admiral Nelson, famous for his victories in the Napoleonic Wars and in Trafalgar, arrived on the island of Menorca on October 12, 1799 aboard the Foudroyant. It is known that he stayed at the Sant Antoni estate, a beautiful estate in the port of Maó better known as the Golden Farm, and that six days later he set sail for Sicily and Malta.
admiral nelson house
Tourism is what has given life to the island, since the 19th century the island’s economy began to resurface but never reached high levels, currently tourism has complemented the other riches of the island and really the island at the end of the S.XX has reached a very high economic level.
From the port and up the Ses Voltes hill the ascent towards the city center begins, you can see the perspectives of the modernist area, the one where its buildings were made at moments of maximum economic splendor and in the plaza de la conquesta it was it elevates the statue of Alfonso III of Aragon, the reconquerer of the island, and behind it the mercantile palace now houses the Mahón public library.
admiral nelson house
In the streets of the city the terraces are filled with people, everywhere there is a laxity of tranquility. In the Plaza de Colón a statue of romantic forms honors the figure of a local cupletista.
Menorcans say that one of the few inheritances left by the English on the island is the word bottle instead of ampoule, which is the Catalan way of referring to bottles.
Visit the center of Menorca
But there are features in the buildings, especially in the windows and in the galleries that sometimes if it were not for the dazzling sun, one could think that they are walking through some London neighborhood.
For more information visit our Menorca motorcycle rental Blog and enjoy the best corners of the island.