Fornells Menorca
When you are planning your holiday on the island of Menorca, you should
really remember to include a visit to Fornells on your itinerary. This is a
lovely little village which is situated on the north of the island, tucked away
in a peaceful bay. Currently part of the municipality of Es Mercadal, this
village is striving to become the ninth municipality of Menorca.
The village boasts a population in the region of a thousand inhabitants, who
are known locally as Fornellers in the Catalan dialect spoken by the natives of
the island. However, during the summer season the number of people around and
about increases quite alarmingly due to the many tourists either visiting from
the neighbouring Balearic Islands or from those actually taking their holidays
on the island of Menorca itself.
The village of Fornells has an interesting history. It was originally founded to
serve the 16th century castle which was used as a defence with regard to the
Barbary pirates who were encouraged to raid the land by the safe haven provided
by the bay. During the 18th century the castle was put to the ground and all
that is left in these modern days is the watch tower on the headland just
outside of the village. From this point you can see the Cavalleria Cape to the
west and the huge form of Sa Mola to the east. It does not take much to put your
imagination to work and picture the pirates landing in the bay and pillaging the
houses of the locals.
The bay itself is five kilometers long and two kilometers wide. In comparison to
the overall size of the island of Menorca, Fornells Bay could best be described
as an inland sea. The water is usually calm as there are no waves in the bay
making it a perfect spot to have a go at some water sports. However, the winds
are sometimes quite strong and as the nearby hills are not high enough to offer
protection from the winds, many of the trees are bent over to the point where
their branches are almost trailing on the ground. You can also take a
sightseeing tour of Fornells Bay and the local area by boat taxi if you wish.
The village depends on the fishing industry and the fishing boats are dotted
around in the bay going about their usual catch to supply the local restaurants
where fish and seafood are the order of the day. Fornells is famous most of all
for its lobster fishing and although the village is still quite modest, without
any high rise buildings or large modern apartment blocks you will have to travel
a good distance to sample better food than you can find right here under your
nose.
There are many super beaches in close proximity to Fornells Bay where the hotels
and apartments of the area can be found but Menorca in general, although popular
amongst holiday makers has managed to successfully escape the hoards of tourist
who visit other Spanish islands as destinations for their holidays. Fornells Bay
is a perfect example of the ideal place to experience a relaxing and peaceful
time away from it all and forget about everything going on back at home.
It is easy to reach this pretty village and spectacular bay by following the
coast road from the capital city of Mahon or via Mercadal. With so many other
places of interest close by, why not stop off for a bite of lunch and a
something to drink in one of the many restaurants – you will be so glad you did!
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