Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Fornells
On the north coast of Menorca, in Fornells Bay, the second largest bay on the island, you will find this fishing village.
Although there is evidence of the presence of a population from at least the 5th century AD, as evidenced by the early Christian church in the port, the origin of this village is related to the construction of Sant Antoni Castle in 1625, following pirate attacks. A suburb grew up around the fortress, which today forms the town's historic centre. Years later, between 1630 and 1640, the construction of the first houses in Fornells began.
Apart from the castle ruins, there are also Mediterranean-style houses with decorative elements of English influence, such as sash windows, curtains, and gridded windows. At the mouth of the harbour you can visit Fornells Tower, one of the largest on the island, built by the British between 1801 and 1802 to protect the entrance to the harbour.
Other heritage sites in the town that you can visit include the Roman archaeological site of Sanisera, the tower on Ses Sargantanes Island and the house of the boatswain of Fornells, as well as Cavallería Lighthouse and Lourdes Chapel.
The bay is also home to Ses Salines salt flats and several bays including: Cabra Salada Bay, S'Arenalet, Blanca Bay and Roja Bay. You can also see three islets: Ses Sargantanes Island (Las Lagartijas Island), where there is a defence tower built by the British, Rovells Island (Yemas Island) and Escull des Corb Marí (Bajo de los Cormoranes Island) and two salt flats, one next to the town of Ses Salines and the other located at the southern end of the bay called Salines Noves (Noves Salt Flats).
Apart from its delicious gastronomy, which includes lobster stew, Fornells offers numerous nautical and land-based activities.