Stage 12: Cap d'Artrutx – Cala en Turqueta

You will start this stage at the westernmost point of Menorca, specifically on the coastline that leads to the Paseo Marítimo street of the Cap d'Artrutx residential complex, from where, on a clear day, the island of Mallorca can be seen. It runs along the last kilometre of the west coast of the island following the Paseo Marítimo street until it reaches the Artrutx lighthouse. At this point the Camí de Cavalls turns eastwards towards the southern coast of the island.

Following the Paseo Marítimo street, the stage runs through the Son Bosch housing estate where, a few metres after crossing the port bridge, it reaches the Cala en Bosch, the first beach in the southern sector. Once you have left this cove behind, the stage continues towards Platja de Son Xoriguer, beginning to show some of the characteristic features of the route, as it continues along a path next to the sea, on a low limestone cliff with hardly any slope, where you will find the first of the many bunkers that were built along the coast during the Spanish Civil War. After walking for 3.8 kilometres and crossing Platja de Son Xoriguer, the Camí de Cavalls leaves the urbanised area and enters the Red Natura 2000 space, where it is advisable to avoid to walk without leaving the signposted path.

The stage advances along an uneven and rocky path over the cliffs of marés (sandstone) or limestone rock, crossing small pebble or sandy coves, or passing over caves and cavities carved by the action of sea and wind. In this stretch, approximately 5.3 kilometres to Son Saura, the slight altitude of the cliffs and the clarity of the sea make it possible to make out the seabed. Weather permitting, we can see rustic limpets (Patella rustica), sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus), snakelocks anemone (Anemona viridis) and various crabs. As well as small shoals of fish or underwater algae or plant formations such as Neptune´s grass (Posidonia oceanica). Neptune’s grass is washed ashore and that is important to retain the sand.

On the other hand, on the surface, there is hardly any vegetation. The only vegetations are the small thorny shrubs known as socarrells, as well as other species such as sea fennel (Crithmum maritimun), and formations of Menorcan labiénago (Phillyrea latifolia var. rodriguezii), lentisk trees (Pistacia lenticus) and savin junipers (Juniperus sabina). However, once the stage approaches the Platjas de Son Saura del Sur beaches, a slight change of scenery can be seen.

Son Saura del Sur is a spot made up of two beaches, Banyul and Bellavista, separated by a slight elevation of limestone rock and immersed in an extensive pine forest dotted with evergreen oaks and junipers. Both beaches cover an extensive stretch of sand almost a kilometre long, along which the trail runs. In Bellavista, you will walk along a wooden walkway to protect the dune system and the plant communities, composed, among others, from sea holly (Eryngium maritimum) or the European beachgrass (Ammophila areanaria). Furthermore, Bellavista beach is located at the mouth of the Ses Abelles Canal, which means that next to it there is a small wetland which is usually home to water birds.

Past Son Saura del Sur, the stage continues for just over a kilometre along a rocky path between pines and scrubland. It does so by skirting the Punta del Governador cliffs, which rise some 20 metres above the sea, until it reaches Des Talaier Cove, a small sandy cove on a sea inlet with an adapted rest area with tables and chairs at the entrance. From here, the stage covers its last 2.2 kilometres until it reaches En Turqueta Cove. This last stretch of the stage is the steepest. Once it ends, you will return once again to an uneven and stony path ascending over a cliff in which low scrubland is interspersed with the odd pine or wild olive tree(Olea europaea var.sylvestris), which become more lush as the end of the stage approaches.

It is interesting to note that the south coast of Menorca is made of carbonate materials from marine organic deposits that were formed more than 20 million years ago and which subsequently emerged to the surface, creating a progressive slope. This stage of the trail runs over the slope created by these deposits. This slope can be seen in an elevation along the course of the trail, since at the beginning the cliffs are no more than 10 metres high. However, in this last stretch, barely one kilometre from En Turqueta Cove, in front of the Talaia d'Artrutx watchtower, cliffs are up to 40 metres high.

In the last few metres the stage goes down, among pine trees, towards the small gorge where the En Turqueta Cove is located, skirting it slightly access it through the car park, where there is a resting area an the information board that marks the end of the stage.