href="http://www.iberia.com">www.iberia.com, Spanair www.spanair.com and Vuelair www.vuelair.com. It is possible to start walking directly from the airport arrivals hall, to see an amazing prehistoric site and then head straight onto quiet country lanes, simply by following Walk 6.
By road or rail
Few travellers consider an overland journey to Menorca, but the Mediterranean ports of Barcelona and Valencia are served by trains and buses. For coach travel check Eurolines, www.eurolines.com, or for trains check www.renfe.es. Driving overland is a very time-consuming approach, but might suit those living in southern Spain.
By sea
The little city of Maó (Mahón) offers the biggest range of services on Menorca
There are two main sea approaches to Menorca: the shortest are ferries from Mallorca, and the longest are from mainland Spain. The most regular are from Alcúdia (Mallorca) and Barcelona (Spain) to Ciutadella, operated by Baleària www.balearia.com. The Alcúdia to Ciutadella route is also served by Iscomar www.iscomar.com. Acciona Trasmediterránea serves Maó from Palma (Mallorca), Barcelona and Valencia (Spain).
Getting around Menorca
An impressive network of footpaths and cycleways has been developed around Menorca
Taking or hiring a car
Taking a car to Menorca may not be a good idea. However, some walkers may wish to use a car in order to have a personalised backup service. If so, choose a good navigator to meet you at intervals along your chosen routes. Some of the one-day walks in this book are linear, rather than circular. The GR223, or Camí de Cavalls, is linear too, and returning to a parked car is inconvenient. Cars can be hired in advance, or on arrival at the airport, or it can be arranged through most hotels.
Bus services
Menorca has a splendid bus service between 1 May and 31 October, covering the peak summer period, when most settlements and resorts can be reached. During the low season, a reduced bus service operates, but this is perfectly adequate as long as you study the timetables carefully.
Winter buses run regularly between Maó, Alaior, Es Mercadal, Ferreries and Ciutadella. The airport, Es Castell, Sant Lluís, Sant Climent, Cala en Porter, Es Migjorn Gran and Fornells can all be reached from Maó. Cala en Bosc, Cala Blanca, sa Caleta, Cala en Forcat and Es Migjorn Gran can all be reached from Ciutadella. There are also buses running between Es Mercadel and Fornells, and between Fornells and Arenal d’en Castell.
Different bus companies operate along different routes, and most timetables can be checked at the bus station in Maó. Transportes Menorca (TMSA) www.tmsa.es, Torres www.e-torres.es and Autos Fornells www.autosfornells.com all post timetables online, and up-to-date bus timetables for the whole island are also printed in the local newspaper, Menorca Diario Insular, on the Transportes Autobuses page.
The only real bus station on Menorca is in Maó. When leaving it to access walking routes in the city, simply follow pedestrian signposts from the Plaça de S’Esplanada to the ‘Port’ or ‘Centre Històric’. To return to the bus station from the city centre, follow signposts for ‘Estació d’autobusos’. Buses from Ciutadella operate from two different locations so, if changing there, be sure to ask the driver from where the next bus departs. In other towns and villages, if the bus stop isn’t evident, ask someone for directions to the parada (bus stop).
Taxis
Taxis are available in all towns and most villages throughout Menorca, usually close to the main squares. Cars operate under the aegis of the Asociacion Menorquina De Radio Taxis (tel 971-367111). The telephone number covers the whole island, and all you need to do is to state where you are and where you want to go, and leave it to the operator to locate an available car. The green sign Lliure/Libre means ‘free’ and any taxi displaying this can be flagged down. In case of difficulty ask your hotel, or a roadside bar, to call one for you. Offer a couple of Euros if they demur. A general rule of thumb is that a long taxi journey will cost five times more than the bus fare. If three or four walkers share a taxi, the individual cost is close to the bus fare for the same journey. Tips of ten per cent are customary.
What to take
Even in winter on Menorca, walkers need take no more than they would take for a summer trip in Britain. The weather will probably be warm, and might be very hot and sunny, so take clothing that will protect against sunburn, as well as sunscreen and a hat. On the other hand, if it rains, be prepared with lightweight waterproofs. Footwear is a personal choice, and walkers wear everything from heavy boots to lightweight sandals. However, bear in mind that the ground can sometimes be rocky or stony underfoot and occasionally steep, and after a spell of rain some parts can get quite wet and muddy.
Waymarking and access
(Left to right): signs on the PR-IB-Me 2 trail (Walk 7); marker post on the Camí de Cavalls; signs at a junction of the Camí de Cavalls
Most routes available for public use around Menorca are exceptionally well waymarked and signposted. The long-distance GR223, or Camí de Cavalls, is particularly well-marked. GR stands for gran recorrido, and the route is flashed red/white in the usual European fashion. The waymarking is particularly helpful where the route passes through woods or scrub, where it is not possible to see far ahead; however, it is easier to lose the route in towns and villages where there are lots of distractions. There are also two waymarked PR (pequeño recorrido) routes, PR-IB-Me 1 and PR-IB-Me 2, which are flashed yellow/white, with a particular emphasis on archaeology.
Many walking routes are also marked as cycleways, so keep your eyes and ears open, and hope that any mountain bikers on the trails also have your well-being in mind! Only a couple of routes cross private property, where walkers have been tolerated for many years, but bear in mind that the landowners could withdraw access at any time. Walk 10, through the Barranc de sa Cova, and Walk 15, around Sa Torreta, are examples.
Maps
The best map for exploring Menorca on foot is the Editorial Alpina Menorca sheet, at a scale of 1:50,000 (www.editorialalpina.com). This highlights the long-distance Camí de Cavalls (in green) and many other walking routes, as well as showing the intricate network of roads and farm tracks around the island. Its detail is equal to what walkers would expect of the Ordnance Survey Landranger series of maps in Britain.
Extracts from the Editorial Alpina map have been reproduced in this guidebook by kind permission of the publishers. These are fine for each of the walking routes, but if you want to see how all the routes relate to each other, then either obtain the complete map in advance of a visit, or look out for it on Menorca, where it is widely available and widely used by walkers. UK stockists include Stanfords (12-14 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9BR, tel 020 7836 1321, www.stanfords.co.uk) and The Map Shop (15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn,
