Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Balearic Islands

The road of dry stone is a departure from Pollensa travelling through the Sierra de la Tramuntana. The road is currently over 167 km, and is divided into several stages to discover places of extreme beauty: many historical remains, walls dividing the cultivables terraces, cottages… At each stage, hikers are replenished and housed in a shelter such as a former monastery or a former mansion. Travel passes near the highest peaks (1 000 m) and can, of course, be carried out partly according to the level and time of each group. Some journeys last a few hours and the longest can last up to 5 days.

Halfway between Lluc and Pollença, high up in the northern part of the Tramuntana mountain range, you'll find this winery like no other. In fact, the vines here are grown at altitude! Of course, the texture and flavor are not the same as for a lowland or seaside wine, but the product is so singular that it's well worth a dip. What's more, the location itself is sumptuous: the vines thrive in the hollow of characterful hills, surrounded by pastures for sheep.

The remains at So na Caçana tend to be considered those of a group of religious sanctuaries (a taula and two talayots) linked to several surrounding talayotic villages. However, there are indications that the site may have been a village in its own right: a few dwellings, two stone circles and a necropolis comprising a large number of funerary hypogeums. The site was occupied right up to Roman times, as demonstrated by the archaeological finds in some of its monuments.

Covering an area of 42,420 m², the ancient talayotic village of Son Catlar, located on the road between Ciutadella and Son Saura, was occupied until Roman times (123 B.C.) and features circular talayots (the site's oldest structures) and a cyclopean wall almost 900 metres long. The latter is the only prehistoric wall preserved in its entirety in which the talayotic construction system and the later square towers attached to it can be distinguished.

Talatí de Dalt is one of the island's most remarkable prehistoric villages. It is home to a number of monuments: a talayot with an elliptical plan and truncated cone-shaped profile, a taula enclosure, a housing area and a number of excavated caves. A column and its capital rest on the side of the central T, probably because they fell off by accident. During excavations, several ritual objects were found here, including the bony remains of lambs and goats, and amphorae for wine.

Nestling in the cliffs of Cales Coves, which form two coves, are some ninety caves carved out of the rock: this is Menorca's most important Talayotic necropolis. While the earliest caves date back to the Bronze Age, the most recent date back to the Iron Age (when funerary rites were combined with cremation). The objects found here are now housed in the Menorca Museum. During Roman times, the site was the object of religious pilgrimages.

Grahame Pearce is THE brewer on Menorca. Winner of the Best Beer Award in 2022, Grahame Pearce's six varieties of beer have been produced for a decade in Sant Climent's vats, making the brand the island's oldest in the category! The brewmasters here specialize in award-winning bottom-fermented beers, but don't hesitate to experiment with ingredients found in the Menorcan countryside to flavor their beers!

The La Reserva La Concepció salt marshes are a nature reserve populated by a wealth of plants (saltwort, socarrell and sea rush) and birds (a safe wintering area for herons, flamingos, great cormorants and various duck species). The estate was also used as a salt works from 1853 to 1984. In 2018, the estate was reopened, producing high-quality salt. A salty place to visit!