From the dolmen, follow the wide path away from the farm. There’s a single tree, and then a clump of trees to the right – just before the clump, veer to the right (up a slope heading NNWish), and on the right after 50 metres, the menhir can be found fallen behind some bushes.
sals
On the SS133 from Palau, about 3km west of the town and about 1.5km from the junction of the SS133 and SP123, there’s a turn down the side of the Vecchia Gallura restaurant signposted “zona archeologica”.
TME mentions a sign to “Tomba di Gigante S’Aiacciu” which later turns into a sign for “Li Mizzani” – these are in fact two separate tombas. See palau.it/tombe.html.
To get to Li Mizzani, it’s about 4km from the main road – take the left fork as signposted, and go uphill, then downhill, then uphill again – carefully! It’s narrow and winding, and precipitous in places, and you’ll be needing first gear!
Eventually we found the sign to the right to the tomba, and parked there to walk down the slope and through the gate, to the left away from the church, and through another gate – where we found quite a few parked cars. It’s about 350 metres in total from the signpost to the tomba.
Through a small gate, then to the left a few paces .... well, we obviously weren’t going to get the place to ourselves, as we’d had at many of our other stops, but we weren’t expecting it to be quite so busy!
Maybe a Saturday thing, maybe an equinox thing, maybe just local custom ...
There were a couple of people laid out on one side of the funeral corridor, one laid in the corridor itself with his head through the portal in the stele, and people sat either side of the stele; as more people arrived, they formed a queue sat on the bench seat around the esedra.
Someone asked if I wanted to join the queue – but I just wanted to take photos and wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. Beardy meanwhile sat quietly right at the far side of the esedra. Every so often, the person under the portal would move on, and the next in the queue would take their place – all had come prepared with roll mats or doss bags to lie on.
Beardy was convinced the lady sat waiting was giving him the evil eye and, being unable to check out the tomb properly, we didn’t stay over long. A strange experience – still, interesting to see the site being used for something.
It’s well hidden in the greenery at the top of the outcrop overlooking the village and tomba. So well hidden, you can barely make it out. But peering through the bushes, you can see bits of its walls, and right on the top of the peak, climbing through the undergrowth, we found a way into the short-due-to-landslides corridor of the nuraghe.
The path from the tomba leads you into a wooded area – and then all of a sudden, there’s the village.
A collection of recently excavated huts, with some impressive sizeable chunks of stone being used in their construction, are on the lower part of the slope, and climbing further up, we found a tower – now know to be the southerly one of two.
The tomba reminded me, mainly due to its state of preservation, of Moru, the first one we’d visited. There’s no stele, and no capstones; the tallest stone, at the entrance to the funeral corridor, is probably no more than 60cm high. But it does give a really good idea of the foundations and structure of a tomba.
There’s a post and rail fence around it, but gates are provided.
This site is signposted off the SP90 from Santa Teresa to Capo Testa, with a left turn taking you away from the cape into the Santa Reparata area. Down the winding road, and then at the cross roads you are directed to the left – then a T head with no signpost. We went right initially, and rather than wander aimlessly, I pulled up and used one of my stock phrases I know I need to learn any language.
“Scusi, io non parlo Italiano. Dove è la tomba di gigante, per favore?”
Hand gestures and the phrase “non-asphalto” informed us that we need to turn round as we should have gone left, and up the hill, and then taken the track to the site.
We did this, and 180 metres or so from the main road, we looked at the left fork we should take, and decided to park and walk – of course seeing a few cars stopped further down the bumpy and sandy track. Just over 400 metres later, we spotted the concrete roof of some strange building on the left, and took a track to the right towards the tomba.
Free and open access to the area – no facilities.
On the SS133 about 2km north of Tempio.
There’s a large car park on the main road by the signpost, though it is possible to drive up the track and park at the site itself.
There’s a cafe and toilets (50 cent coin required, with proper disabled facilites), and slides and a roundabout for kids. The walk from the ticket hut (tickets 2½ euros each including an information leaflet and loan of a big torch!) has been thoughtfully laid out as a nature trail with the plants labelled, and wide steps or a gentle slope to reach the nuraghe itself.
It’s set on a granite outcrop, and shows both styles of nuraghe building – the corridor and tholos.
Through the ESE orientated entrance into the corridor, there are tholos rooms on either side. Both are dark, but we’d been loaned a powerful torch, and there was another one left just inside the entrance (which has an impressive lintel); the room to the left has a niche, and we found a colony of bats resting there.
Along the corridor and up some stairs takes you to a semi circular room open to the sky, with further stairs to the left leading up to the terrace level, where there’s the remains of another room, with storage silo, and fantastic views where you can spot if you know where to look many other nuraghe in the locality.
On the SS127 about 5km east of Tempio, and directly opposite a sign “Nuchis 1”, is the signposted turn to Pascaredda. Follow the track over the unmaned railway crossing and keep to the left fork as signposted. About 800m from the main road, there’s a large parking area, but we took the sharp right turn before it, and parked 250m or so further on, just before the riverlet mentioned in TME (OK for small cars, and there’s space to turn round just past the stream).
Free and open access.
We strolled up the path, with buzzing of thousands of insects filling our ears and butterflies and dragonflies flitting around, over the bridge and to the rear of the tomb.
A stunning spot! The trees are cork oaks and had had their bark stripped for the autumn harvest. Of the stele, only the bottom half is left; the 10 slabs on either side mark out the esedra, and a missing capstone lets you climb into the funeral corridor itself, and the sides of the corridor are buried with the earth bank rather than being exposed stone as we’d seen at other sites.
Again the granite had a pink tinge as we’d seen at Coddu Vecchiu and at the back of the funeral corridor, there’s a shelf, as we’d seen at Li Lolghi.
There’s a car park off the main road, and a gate on the left leads you to a sandy path, past a fab outcrop of weathered rock ahead, and then to the left to the tomba.
Free and open access – no facilities except parking.
The tomb was restored in the 1970s and is now well preserved. The stele is 3.65 metres tall, and weighs 7 tonnes! The rear of the tomba is surrounded by bushes, but it’s possible (if naughty!) to climb behind the stele to view the funeral corridor – about 11 metres long – and capstones, and indeed climb into the corridor.
A beautiful site – quite a few people wandered past while we were there, but it was never busy. Loads of insect life, particularly praying mantes (mantids, mantises, whichever plural you prefer!) in glorious late afternoon sunshine. There are numerous other bits of rock strewn over the area – Beardy found what appeared to be a cist when we were having a mooch about, aware of two other tombas somewhere nearby but further reading says the area was used from Nuraghic to Roman times and right through to the middle ages.
This nuraghe is just south of Serra Orrios and clearly visible from the road.
Even though it’s signposted, it’s behind a high wire fence and the gate is locked – it looks fairly ruinous so maybe is unsafe rather than just closed to visitors.
Taking the main road, SS125, north out of Dorgali, you come to a left turn (SP38) signposted to Serra Orrios but keep going on. You need to go another 750 metres along the road – the first bend is sharp, and it’s most of the way round the second bend when there’s a track to the right to the dolmen, with a farm track almost directly opposite it. There’s room to park a couple of cars under a tree opposite the track to the dolmen.
There is a signpost, but it had been knocked or pulled over and was just inside the field – I pulled it over the wire fence and propped it up against the wall, so those travelling south at least would be able to see it.
The track continues for 140 metres, then there’s a fork and a sign directs you to keep left, up a much narrower and quite overgrown path, for another 120 or so metres until the way ahead becomes almost impassable and instead you go through a gate to the left. A series of arrows painted on rocks guide you the last 140 metres to the dolmen itself.
What a stunning spot! A young German-speaking couple were picnicking there, but kindly moved for our cameras.
The dolmen, dated to c 3000BCE, has an almost circular capstone, resting on 7 slabs, and a kerb of stones around it.
The village huts – excavated in 1937 and again in 1947 – number more than 70; most are to the east of temple B, but there’s a distinct cluster to the north too.
The huts – mainly circular single roomed structures, but a few showing two rooms – were built around a series of plazas, two of which have wells. The walls are thick, and storage niches can be seen, along with seats and hearths inside the huts. The pathways between the huts are paved, and each hut has a stone step at its entrance.
The last port of call on the tour is the meeting temple, set apart from the village huts. The finds from excavation in the 1930s were not recorded, but its structure, with a vestibule and interior seating, leads archaeologists to theorise that it was a sacred rather than living space.
Temple B has a wall surrounding it, with 3 entrances, the middle one of which leads into an ante chamber rather than directly into the temple courtyard.
The temple itself has small vestibule and doorway with a lintel, and both the vestibule and the temple itself have low seating around the interior walls.
From the gate at the top of the path from the car park, the first area you find is a huge sacred enclosure with the first of the megaron temples – not well preserved.
A doorway in the wall has a foyer area on the outside and takes you on to the rest of the site.
This site is about 9km north west of Dorgali, and is on the SP38. It’s run by the Ghivine Cooperative www.ghivine.com who can arrange guided tours of the archaeology and natural features of the area.
There’s plenty of parking; there’s a cafe – food, drinks, souvenirs, clean toilets – right next door and associated with the site.
Tickets are 6 euros for adults (kids 2½ I think) and it is open 09:00 – 13:00 and 15:00 – 19:00.
From the ticket office it’s about 500 metres to the gate to the site, along a flat paved path.
The site is a nuraghic village, excavated from 1936, but with 3 temple buildings worth listing separately.
This is the smallest of the group of dolmens, standing about 90cm high and consisting of a capstone of about 2½ metres square balanced on 3 other slabs.
Free and open access.
Yet again, a plant had been left recently, but this time there was also a message (on a separate piece of stone, not on part of the actual structure). Can anyone translate it?
Bilella (spelt like this and as Billella on the same information board) is signposted off Via Boccaccio in Luras – it’s actually about 1.2km from the turn off.
Free and open access.
Yet again, a plant had been left as an offering!
A curious construction – built on a cut shelf of rock – and looking from one side like a transformers toy climbing a stair! It’s the tallest of the group of dolmens at about 1.65 metres.
This dolmen is smaller than, but similar in construction to Ladas – both have been dated at 3rd millennium BCE. It’s situated on a rocky outcrop with great views from its south easterly facing entrance across the valley below.
Again, a plant had been left to the left of the entrance.
Free and open access.
This dolmen has a huge main capstone – over 3 metres by 4 metres – supported by stone slabs on 3 sides with some wooden posts to help out too. A separate, smaller capstone creates a porch area, and the underside of both stones have been carved in to.
Someone had been recently, and left a potted plant (cyclamen maybe?) tucked safely at the left of the entrance.
Free and open access.
Li Lolghi has ample parking, a wooden information and ticket hut (we’d paid at Li Muri so just picked up our guide leaflet) which has the usual range of info, postcards, ice creams and drinks – including beer!
The slope leads up to the tomba – orientated to face south east – and again was originally an allée couverte as at Coddu Vecchiu, extended circa 1300 BCE.
The giant stele has been broken at a 45° angle and repaired, and has relief carvings on it; the stone slabs of descending height on either side mark out the esedra.
Looking through the portal, you can see along the funeral corridor to the remaining capstone and shelf at the end, before the earlier tomb.
The rear of the monument is gently fenced with posts and rails, and viewing platforms are provided. The whole thing is a massive 26 metres long!
From the fork in the road where the directions to this site and Li Lolghi split, it was 1.2km to the car park and information building (closed when we got there) just past the site, and about 120 metres up a gentle incline to get back to the site itself which has a gate and wooden hut at its entrance.
The site has wooden posts and rails to keep people off the stones, and viewing platforms similar to those we’d seen at Coddu Vecchju.
There are 5 cists; 4 of these have a menhir and stone slabs arranged around them to form a circle; cist number 5 to the far left on my panoramic photo has an incomplete circle with an open front.
This is believed to be the oldest site on the island, at around 4000 BCE.
Tickets are 5 euros to visit both here and Li Lolghi, payable at the information office just down the slope – the guide was at the circles when we arrived and we followed her down to pay after our visit. As usual for the “pay” sites, there were toilets, and a range of info, drinks and snacks on sale.
The nuraghe of La Prisciona is currently (Sept 2007) closed to the public for repairs and excavation, likely to continue until at least May 2008.
The new excavations are revealing a whole series of buildings/rooms surrounding the nuraghe which has a triangular base and 3 towers, and a deep well in its courtyard.
The information office at Coddu Vecchju about 900 metres away shows some images of the excavations.
From Arzachena, take the 427 or SP14 towards Tempio, the site is always signposted. There’s ample parking, and a building for tickets and information (with refreshments etc on sale and toilets available) about 300 metres north of the site. We’d bought tickets at Nuraghe Albucciu so just had to show these to be given our site guide. Open 09:00 – 19:00.
A gentle stroll along the road side and then down a path brought us to the tomba. Wow! It’s huge!
The building was done in two stages, the first part being an allée couverte (circa 2500 BCE?) with the giant stele and esedra (forecourt area, the wings, or some might propose, the open legs of the tomb) added later. The site is roped off, and visitors are asked not to climb onto or into the tomb, but a variety of raised viewing platforms have been built all the way round the back to make it easier to see.
The stele is massive – almost 4½ metres tall, but narrower than some others at 1.9 metres – and has a pronounced pink tinge to its stone; it was built with two slabs on top of each other, and both sections have relief carvings in them. The wings of the tomba are stone slabs in decreasing height. Behind the stele – the tallest one on the island – there’s a short corridor, which joins the newer part to the body of the original tomb – about 10 metres long with granite slabs forming the walls, floor and capstones.
It’s just over 1½km from the car park for Nuraghe Albucciu (see this site for access, facility and ticket details) to Malchittu Temple; the path is generally wide and sandy, but does climb a bit, and the last section to reach the temple is a scramble up uneven rocks. So not recommended for the less mobile!
The temple is a very unusual structure for Sardinia and is situated between two rocky outcrops with fantastic views over the surrounding area. There’s an entrance foyer, with one straight and one curved wall, and a doorway into the main part of the temple, where niches for offerings, and a central hearth, can be seen. There’s an oak tree growing towards the back of the structure. The walls are really impressive and a scramble up the rocks on either side give great views down into the temple.
At the bottom of the rocky scramble, there’s the remains of another structure.
It’s well worth allowing a couple of hours to view this group of sites (here and Albucciu and Moru).
This site, though grouped with Nuraghe Albucciu and Malchittu, has free access. The tombi is not particularly well conserved – the central stele, or portal stone, is missing and there’s only one capstone left, but the corridor of almost 10 metres is impressive, and probably originally an allée couverte reused and restyled as a tomba in the bronze age.
Nuraghe Albucciu is just outside Arzachena on the SS125 and well signposted in the vicinity. It has an information office/shop with parking on the opposite side of the road to the nuraghe, which is reached through an underpass. We bought tickets to visit here, and Malchittu and Coddu Vecchju, at 5½ euros per person (includes an A5 colour site guide for each of the 3); the site is open from 09:00 – 19:00; the shops sell the expected range of drinks and souvenirs, and has clean toilets round the back; there’s a café right next door.
The nuraghe was built onto the side of a granite cliff. The entrance is on the east side and above it you can see corbels which would have supported a wooden balcony; inside, there’s a tholos (false domed ceiling) room on the right with a niche in the far wall which once led to another entrance to the nuraghe cut into the cliff, and to the left is a low entrance to a possible store room. Both these rooms have no natural light, but an electric lamp is supplied for visitors. A central staircase leads up to the terrace level, where you get a good view of the rooms surrounding the tower, and to the south a few steps down take you through a doorway into the largest room, with one wall of solid granite, and two windows constructed with the narrower part to the outside.
Finds from the site are exhibited at the museum in Sassari.
As Jane has said, easily to find just off the main road to Cala en Porter, this site has ample free parking, but a small entrance fee is payable and a guide leaflet is available at the hut.
A pair of unloved and unsignposted talaiots only yards from the roundabout at the exit from the airport road. Directly under the flight path of everything, I’d guess!
The grid reference is for the better preserved of the two; its more ruinous neighbour is about 50 metres east of here.
Directions: when you come out of the airport, take a right at the roundabout onto the M12 and after about 300 metres, take the narrow left turn just past the first buildings. The road winds round and at the T head, go right. The talaiots are in the field just past the last buildings on the right.
Off the main road from Porto Christo to Porto Colom, just past a zoo, there’s a left turn to Cales de Mallorca – also with the pink sign to Hospitalet Vell. The first site that was clearly marked on our (AA) map as “ruinas prehistoricas”!
Only about 1km down the road, you can see what appears to be a huge wall to the right a way off the road, and soon after there’s another sign and a layby in front of a gate where we parked up and walked up the track to the poblat.
Before you actually get to the wall you’ve seen, a signpost directs you to the left to the foundations of 3 naviforms with a small wood still separating you from the major part of the site.
Back round the wood and the sheer scale of what appeared to be a wall reveals itself as a rectangular monument with the huge blocks of stone typical of the building style of the era. The interior of this monument had inner walls added later.
Exploring round the back, a path leads to the left to a square talaiot with a series of rooms around it and wooden steps to allow visitors to admire the central support pillar of the talaiot and the only known remaining spars which formed the ceiling and second floor – the last century hasn’t been kind to the momuments on the island and many have been left to go to ruin, if not ruined intentionally.
Beyond the talaiot and surrounding rooms, there’s a heavily overgrown area with more ruins extending into the woods.
Limited parking, open access & no entrance fee.
This site is on the road out of Porto Colom towards S’Horta – the road narrows as it leaves the urban area and the roadside stones – a naviform – are clearly visible on the right hand side.
Almost all the site is in the process of being excavated, but at a very slow rate (20 days a year apparently) and almost all was covered with black tarp and spikes, and we could only make out only one naviform in the uncovered area beyond the road and that was becoming overgrown.
Listed as naviform as this is what’s visible but thought to be a settlement of more than 10 buildings.
Signposted off the main road from Capdepera to Son Cervera, just before Canyamel Golf Club, this one is a bit of a mystery.
The pink sign says “Es Claper des Gigant” – nb the first time we tried to visit was a Sunday and the gate was padlocked with no way in – but open the 2nd time so we could park and walked round and came out on the path round a golf course.
Almost immediately, there’s a path off to the left with a wooden sign for “Es Clapers” so we followed the way through a wooded area until we came to a gate and turned right at the T head through it on the basis that my instructions said the talaiot was on high ground.
There were gardeners out on the wide sandy track cutting back the undergrowth, and a few minutes walk later we caught a glimpse of some stone ahead so took a left fork off the main path and after a short climb found ourselves here.
A beautiful talaiot with a path up its side so you can see the entrance, blocked from the outside, and a series of walls and enclosures beyond it .... only checking my notes, I realised it’s the poblat of S’Heretat we were in. But the signpost was quite clear ....
So I’ve listed it as both names and hope someone can identify the location of Es Clapers or confirm that that is the name of the talaiot in the poblat.
Two square talaiots, right next to each other; the first one you come to has a modern wall enclosing it and was very overgrown when we visited – it was all but impossible to see the zigzag entrance runner or the central column, and the second one is so ruinous it’s barely more than a pile of stones in the field boundary.
Directions: From Sencelles take the PM314 south to Cas Canar. After the houses at Cas Canar, just as the road bends sharply to the right, take the turning to the right watch for a pair of gates on the left – one low and rusty, the other over 8ft high with spikes on the top, opposite a sign saying “Sencelles 2,8”, – as you look at the gates the talaiots are in the field to the left.
Some important information about Capocorb Vell:
There’s an entrance fee of 2 euros (2006).
There’s a bar and toilets etc.
There’s ample car parking.
It’s closed on Thursdays!
What day did we visit? Yes, you’ve guessed it, a Thursday, and our last day of holiday too so no chance to try again.
The perimeter walls were sufficient enough, together with the cacti, to discourage hopping over – a huge site with 5 talaiots and numerous rooms to explore ..... next time!
From Santanyi, we took the C714 north towards Cas Concos des Cavalier, but after only about 1km took the first right turn. This narrow road bends after maybe ½km, and glancing into the field to the left, I spotted a magnificent section of wall and following the bend round, the talaiot of Ca’n Jordi set back from the road.
This talaiot has a magnificent, if precariously balanced, central pillar and an unusual zigzag entrance runner.
There appeared to be the remains of some walls or rooms adjacant to the talaiot, but an alarmed, and equally alarming when it popped out of the undergrowth, chicken with chicks was in residence, so we didn’t investigate too closely, but went into the next field where the wall continues.
Sadly, the talaiot and the sections of wall are all that remains of the poblat Ses Talaies de ca’n Jordi.
From the southern town of Felanitx we took the PM512 towards Campos del Port but after about 1km turned off to the right onto the Cami de Son Mesquida. After about 4km, and just before Son Mesquida itself, we took a left onto Cami de Pedreres and almost immediately left again following the signpost to Can Roig.
Before long, there was a right turn with a sign saying “Formatges” which we followed, past a building with huge lettering “Santa Son Mesquida” on it. There’s a house numbered 2098 to the right, and after this we kept to the left down a farm track – with a substantially sized ostrich in the field to the left – and pulled up in the farmyard.
We asked permission, and the farmer, with a beaming grin, escorted us past the cowsheds to the naviform.
The naviform is the remaining one of three; it was the middle one, and the wall to its right contains some of the stones from its neighbour. The inside is impressive, with the walls way taller than us; the interior dividing walls are thought to be later, maybe Roman, additions, and the construction of the apse has lead archaeologists to believe there was originally an attic space.
This is a little mysterious. At the front of the relevant section of TME, there’s a picture of the talaiot of Sa Canova, in ruins.
In fact there are two talaiots in this area, one of which is a ruinous square one called Canova d’en Morell (pictured in TME) but the guide leaflet to Ses Paisses shows a magnificent talaiot of Sa Canova .... a round one.
This is actually known as Sa Clova des Xot, and is hopefully the one indicated on the map. According to the guy at Ses Paisses, it’s on private land, but is visible from the road to Sant Pere if you know where to look.
Trebalugaret is one of the oldest talaiots on the island according to its sign, and is built on the remains of a pre-talaiotic construction.
One of the easiest to climb, there are the remains of the walls and pillars of a house at the top, though these are thought to have been added at a later date. The site has been enclosed by a modern wall, and houses are creeping up along one side.
Free and open access.
Wow! And wow again!
If you visit just one site on the island, make it this one. It’s just north of Montuiri, which is quite central on the island so not far from anywhere. The site is reasonably well signposted, and it’s only 50 metres or so from the narrow gate to a parking spot under some trees. No entrance fee, and a completely blank information board.
The first area has two talaiots. Talaiot number 1, the first you reach but the one on the left in my panoramic-ish photo is magnificent – 17 metres in diameter with a huge central pillar, a side chamber big enough to climb into, and a 5 metre entrance passage to negotiate. Both talaiots have pillared rooms surrounding them, and talaiot 2 has very distinct internal steps.
In the next field SSE there’s a circular building with a series of rooms beyond it.
But, to the north, there’s a huge circular platform built up from the surrounding land, with a series of wide stone steps leading down from the north west towards the track below.
The site is being excavated periodically but was completely deserted when we were there; spend a day here, go to the museum in Montuiri too.
South of, and signposted from, the village of Arta in the east of the island.
If you are visiting out of season check the opening times first. The site has a car park; the entrance fee was 1,55 euros (2006) and a guide leaflet just over 2 euros. The hut where you pay also sells postcards, ice creams etc.
This is a walled settlement – with a very impressive entrance – built around a central talaiot with a series of rooms around it, and another group of rooms to the west. It’s all neatly laid out with a suggested route and information boards for each element.
A visit to this site had been very highly recommended – and despite having the place almost to ourselves, with dappled sunlight filtering through the oak trees, it didn’t inspire me that day .... though anything would have struggled to do so after Son Fornes the previous day.
A confession – we never actually visited this one! It’s two structures, one of which is a circular talaiot.
Our instructions were courtesy of Babelfish and with “In the highway of Son Cervera to Cala Rajada, in lands of golf of It polishes, one is in a small alongside same hill of the highway, in its right side” it’s not surprising we didn’t look the right way until the last day when we didn’t have time to stop.
The joy of Google Earth has located it!
Signposted off the main Mao to Cuitadella Road, about 3km before Alaior and very near the navetas Rafal Rubi and l’Argentina Oriental. When you turn off the main road, after a sharp bend to your left, you’ll see a copse of trees – the monument is here. There are two gates, and through the second one you’ll see the blue “menorca monumental” bin showing you that you are in the right place. If you get to some of the very nice villas on your right, you’ve gone too far!
On the north west coast of the island; approaching Cuitadella from Mao on the main road, turn left as signposted just on the outskirts of Cuitadella and follow the road to the coast.
When you reach Cala Morell, turn left at the roundabout at the top of the cliff and head down towards the beach – the necropolis is on your left as the road bends right, and there are parking places just before that on the right, overlooking the beautiful bay. Open access, no fee.
It was quite busy when we visited, though many fellow visitors weren’t venturing into the caves at all.
If you are picking up a hire car at the airport, or indeed dropping one off, spend a few extra minutes checking this out, right next to the car park! The site was removed and restored as Jane says, to make room for the runway extension, but if you go to the south end of the runway (by road of course!) you’ll find what was left behind – also posted as an “original location“.
As you come out of the airport, you can’t really miss Biniparraxtet (also known as Biniparraxtet Petit), relocated and restored in order to extend the runway... but not all of it was moved! A wrong turning (at Binissafullet) meant we ended up right under the flight path at the south end of the runway, and I spotted one of those blue signs....
Hidden behind a huge wire fence, there’s the remains, and there’s a talaiot a few metres NNE, almost scraping the landing gear of the planes coming in.
There’s a second, ruinous talaiot just behind the impressive one at Torrellonet. The site marked by a blue menorca monumental sign, but what appears to be an entrance has been blocked, or repaired! Round the back of the main talaiot, there were a couple of silos with added junk.
We thought we’d be polite and ask at the farm if it was OK to cross the fields opposite and check out the remains of a house, listed as a possible sanctuary in TME; it seemed the only word we had in common with the elderly lady in the farmyard was “Torrello” but we guessed she’d got the gist of what we wanted and wouldn’t mind us going ahead.
Recommendation: instead of taking the direct route to the house, over some wobbly walls, go to the left and keep the copse on your right – there’s gates!
If you’ve got the AA map of the island, beware, this is marked on it, but in the wrong place – go west to the next junction, and you’ll find the poblat right alongside the road.
It’s hard to work this site out in places – there’s the obvious taula and talaiot visible from the road, but behind them there’s a jumble of stone from the surrounding houses. The information board was trashed when we were there.
Prior to upgrading work on the A1 M62 interchange at Ferrybridge, archaeological fieldwork was carried out in the area in 2001 and 2002. The new road was planned not to impact immediately in Ferrybridge henge, the only known henge in West Yorkshire. Two timber circles were discovered and recorded less than 200 metres south of the henge.
There’s a public footpath from the road up the private road to Elva Plain farm – turn right into the farm yard and follow the track keeping the buildings on your left. The circle is in the field at the top of the track.
The number of times I’d driven along the A66 and never turned off to Elva Plain .... when eventually I did, it was the perfect day for it – with views from the peaks of the northern lake district across to the sea.
The track up to the circle is marked as authorised access only for vehicles so if you can leave your car at the bottom, do so. The (uphill on the way there) walk is beautiful anyway! There’s a 3 car or so parking option maybe 20 yards before the fork at Cragg Hall, on the verge opposite a gate.
A glorious afternoon, with the frozen patches in the fields, and icicles where the tiny streams drop down to the track, glistening in the sunshine.