Calma Society · Menorca

Culture

History, language, craft and Talayotic Menorca. The island's identity.

The harbour of Mahón, the capital the British chose in the eighteenth century, with its waterfront.

Mahón's British Heritage: A Century You Can Still See

Why Menorca's capital is in Mahón, what the boínders are and where the gin came from: the trail of the British eighteenth century across the island.

the turquoise bay of Cala Galdana, with sailing boats and pine woods, in the municipality of Ferreries, Menorca

Ferreries: living crafts and the gateway to the ravine

The inland town where the trades survive: leather, wicker and ceramics. And the green gateway of the Barranc d'Algendar, which drops down to the sea at Cala Galdana.

Aerial view of Illa del Rei, with the former military hospital, in the middle of the natural harbour of Maó, Menorca.

Illa del Rei: the harbour island of Maó with three lives

A sixth-century basilica, a British military hospital and, since 2021, an international art gallery. A calm guide to Illa del Rei, the little island in Maó harbour where sixteen centuries of history pile up.

Cobbled ramp and stone barracks inside the Fortalesa Isabel II (La Mola), at the entrance to Maó harbour, Menorca.

La Mola: the fortress that guards Spain's easternmost point

One of the largest European fortresses of the 19th century, built to defend the mouth of Maó harbour. A calm guide to the Fortalesa Isabel II, at the easternmost point of Spain.

The monumental marès sandstone walls and a pool in the former quarries of Líthica (Pedreres de s'Hostal), Ciutadella, Menorca.

Líthica, the s'Hostal Quarries: Menorca's cathedral of stone

Former marès sandstone quarries reborn as a cultural space just outside Ciutadella: monumental walls, vertical shafts, a garden, a maze and summer concerts. An unhurried guide to Líthica.

Bowl of homemade mayonnaise beside eggs, garlic, lemon and a whisk on a pale background.

Mayonnaise: the sauce that Mahón (perhaps) gave the world

The most widely held theory places the origin of mayonnaise in Mahón. We set out what can be stated, what is legend, and why the world's most universal sauce may carry a Menorcan name.

A pair of tan artisan leather sandals on a wooden surface in soft light.

Menorcan avarcas: the sandal born in the fields

From farmhand's footwear to summer icon. What a real avarca is, how to spot the authentic one by its guarantee mark, and where to buy it on the island.

A black Menorcan horse rearing up (the bot) amid the crowd during the jaleo at the Ciutadella festivals.

The Menorcan horse, the island's dark soul

Jet black, with a baroque bearing and a starring role in the festivals. A portrait of a native breed that rears up on its hind legs in the middle of the crowd.

A black Menorcan horse rearing up on its hind legs amid the crowd during the jaleo of Sant Joan, in Ciutadella.

Sant Joan in Ciutadella: Menorca on Horseback

Menorca's most emblematic festival: horses rearing among the crowd, caixers, pomada and centuries of tradition in the streets of Ciutadella, every 23 and 24 June.

View of Ciutadella, Menorca, with its historic centre by the harbour.

Ciutadella, the city of palaces

Menorca's former capital: a historic old town, noble palaces, a Gothic cathedral and a harbour made for sunsets.

Menorca's rugged rocky coast at sunset, near Punta Nati.

Talayotic Menorca: 4,000 years of history

Navetes, talaiots and taules: the prehistoric culture that made Menorca a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.