23 April 2016
Porto Mahon, Menorca: Location, Location, Location


By Corey Sandler, Destination Consultant Silversea Cruises

As real estate agents love to say, it’s all about location, location, location. The Balearic Islands of Spain are right there in the tides of history of time…in the Mediterranean between Europe and Africa.

They have been occupied since ancient times, and also saw most of the major migrations and tides of war of human history.

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Menorca is known for its megalithic stone monuments: navetes, taulas, and talaiots. They were built by what is known as the Talayotic culture between about 1800 and 1000 BC.

A naveta is a chamber tomb unique to Menorca. It has two vertical and two corbelled walls giving it the form of an upturned boat, the source of its name. While some certainly had a defensive purpose, others may have served as lookout or signaling towers.

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Silver Cloud at the dock in Porto Mahon today

And then there are the taulas, which are usually found nearby. The word, which means ‘table’ in Catalan, is a T-shaped stone monument.

Similar but not necessarily related are the “nuraghes” of Sardinia, the “torre” of Corsica, and the “sesi” of Pantelleria, an island off Sicily.

It is, though, believed there was a connection—or at least an influence—on Menorca from other Mediterranean cultures, including the Minoans of ancient Crete.

Some of the same features found at Knossos on Crete are seen on Menorca.

We were here a few weeks ago, on April 2, and you can learn more about Porto Mahon and Menorca in that blog entry.

Text and images copyright 2016 by Corey Sandler. All rights reserved. If you would like to purchase a high-resolution image, please contact me.

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Here’s where to order an electronic copy for immediate delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA9QTBM

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Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession: The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer (Kindle Edition)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS,  PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS