Walking Guides for the Spanish Island of Menorca.

Sample guide: Walk no.4 from the Santo Tomas guide.

WALK No. 4

"I REMEMBER YOU"

Visit the 'Cathedral' and 'Bats' caves

(3 hours return)

We hope that you will enjoy this circular walk to Es Migjom Gran, which will take in visits to two interesting caves, which are very different to each other. We have called one the Cathedral Cave; the other the Cave of the Bats.

The whole walk will take about 3 hours at a gentle pace and you will need anything from 1/2 hour (quick snack) to 3 hours (the full treatment) for lunch. The outward journey is a little over 1 hour and the return, including both caves, a little under 2 hours. Most of it is easy going on good paths but the two 'excursions' to the caves are more difficult; the journey to the Cathedral requires some careful footwork in stepping downwards to the valley bottom; the one to see the bats requires more scrambling up and down steeper slopes. It is worth the effort but you must be the one to judge your ability against the elements of that part of the walk.

Look at the map and you will see that the walk starts in Santo Tomas. It is described from the point in the main road that has the Lord Nelson Hotel on one side and the entrance road to the Reception of the Mestral and Llebeig Apartments on the other. The walk could start at any point along the road, however, from the Hotel Victoria Playa or the Restaurant Es Pins at the eastern end of the resort to the Cafeteria Es Bruc at the western end.

From our chosen starting point, we make our way past the Hotel Sol Elite on our left and, when we reach the Vistamar Apartments and the Restaurant Don Tomas, also on the left; we take the road directly opposite. We soon reach a small triangular shaped island and 50 metres on, turn left at the second triangular shaped island.

The road climbs steeply for a short period and some splendid villas with pools can be seen on both left and right before it levels out. We take the left climbing fork at the apartments 'Los Casats de Santo Tomas' (admire the red bourganvilla against a whitewashed wall here in the early Summer).

Pass the pool, on the right-hand side, followed by the apartments called Casat Mercadal, Ferrerias and San Luis. You are now at the end of the made-up road and that has taken some 15 minutes. We are now approaching the iron gates, which take us into the country. Go through (please close behind you) - there is the usual sign of Coto Privado de Caza (private hunting and shooting rights) - and you see a well on the left-hand side, the inevitable dry stone wall on the right and some farmhouses in the distance.

A couple of minutes later, we are approaching a working farm. There is no difficulty in going through one metal gate and immediately turn left through another metal gate towards some pine trees. Once through, look over the wall to the left and check the long abandoned car - registration B617236; is this where hire cars finish their lives? We are now approaching a tree-lined (but tired looking) boulevard; the path is a good one and is straight; a slightly dilapidated sheep shelter is on the left-hand side. Five minutes or so later, the end of the boulevard is marked by a metal gate. Go through it (please close) and the path - still 4 metres wide - is flanked by bushes, rather than trees. A backwards glance will remind you of the sign for private shooting and fishing rights and there is further evidence of this on the dry stone walls - the rectangular sign with black and white triangles.

The path continues, moves leftwards past an electricity pylon (there is a right fork to the farm Son Barber that we ignore) and climbs a little. There is often a few horses in the fields eating what little grass is available and an occasional kite (the feathered variety) above. About 30 minutes since leaving the made-up road in Santo Tomas (45 minutes from the start), we are now approaching the gates, on the left-hand side, of the Son Saura farm. The buildings of Es Migjom Gran can be seen clearly in the near distance as we approach the main Santo Tomas to Es Migjom Gran road, PM 711. We reach that road about 50 minutes from the start of the walk; about 35 minutes from the point at which we left the tarmacadamed road in Santo Tomas.

Turn right on to the main road. After 5 minutes walking, there is - on the right-hand side - the entrance to the farm, Santa Clara. A further 20 metres on the left-hand side is a path which we take and which leads to Es Migjom Gran via the Catholic Church's cemetery. 50 metres down this path, you will see a curious contraption on the left-hand side. Our guess is that it is an early version of an automated well, with people or donkeys walking around the circular central core to draw up full buckets and return empty ones!

As the path climbs, we lose sight, temporarily, of the town but that is regained as the path levels. We are now approaching the catholic cemetery (built in 1909); it is some 10 minutes since turning off the main road. Turning left here would take you towards the caves but we suggest a right turn to Es Migjom Gran for food and drink. Two minutes later, on the right, is a pretty well broken down pile of stones in the shape of a Naveta; one minute later, on the left, you will see the local school - a pink washed building built in 1988.

Going past the school on the left, we reach the STOP sign at the main road. Turn left and 20 metres on, turn right towards the centre of the village. We are now walking along Carrer Major and in 1 minute we shall see the Church. Mass is at 8pm on Saturday and 9am and 11am on Sunday (with an additional one at 8pm in July and August). There are a couple of bars where you can take refreshment and a supermarket to stock up on water.

RETURN JOURNEY VIA CAVES

Retrace your steps to the end of Carrer Major, left at the main road (STOP sign) then right after 20 metres to go past the school, which is on the right hand side this time. As we

turned right you will have noticed the sign for the Cove des Coloms (the one we call the Cathedral cave). Two minutes later, we see the Catholic cemetery again as we take the right fork.

We pass a collection of farmhouses, mainly on the right but also on the left with a walled cacti garden on the left. Coming up on the right, some 15 minutes from the cemetery, is the entrance to the farm Binigaus Veil. We carry on past that and stay on the main path.

Some 400 metres past that farm entrance, we see, on the left, the sign for the Cove des Coloms and an obvious path leading off to the left. Continue for 10 minutes or so on a narrow descending 'stepping stone' path. We are now approaching both the valley bottom and a further sign for the Cova des Coloms.

Walk on for a few metres past the sigh, ignore the right hand path for the moment (we shall need to return to this point as that turn takes us back to Binigaus beach), and a short descent will lead us across the valley bottom. The path then begins to S bend up the cliffs at the other side until a final sharp left literally brings you to the entrance of the cave.

As you enter, take some photographs as a reminder of why the sheer size of the interior inspired our title of Cathedral cave. We are now returning to the place mentioned above as part of the return journey, including our visit to the Bat cave. As you reach that point, it is now a left turn (just before you get to the sign again) and carry on.

About 6 minutes later, we reach a gap in a dry stone wall and this is the crucial part of the route for this cave. If you take this excursion, it will take about 5/6 minutes each way plus any time you may spend in the cave. Go through the gap and turn left immediately. After 20 paces, turn right onto a somewhat boulder-strewn path. A further 25 paces and the path just turns left and 5 or 6 paces takes you across the valley bottom. Straight ahead, you scramble up the rubble of what was a dry stone wall. 10 paces on, another steep climb is needed over an old stone wall; carry on for another 20 paces, again fairly steep and difficult, until it steepens markedly for 3/4 paces. You may need to use the tree on the right hand side for a better grip. Please bear in mind that these two very short climbs may feel more difficult on the return journey and you need to make a judgement about this on the outward journey.

The path then turns left and 10 metres forward is the entrance to the Cave of the Bats (our title!). The entrance is a little over a metre high and a little under a metre wide. If you go into the cave, please take torches, as it is very dark in there or leave a string trail to someone remaining outside. The cave opens up considerably inside and bats do hang on the ceiling alongside stalactites (or is it stalagmites?). It is quite an eerie but interesting experience.

THE CONTINUING RETURN JOURNEY

We are now going to return to Santo Tomas via Binigaus beach. Make the return journey to the gap in the dry stone wall on the main path. That will take 5/6 minutes. Turn left from this direction (do not go back through the gap in the wall on the right hand side) and continue on a clear path. After 6 to 7 minutes, we meet another dry stone wall running across us. It is broken down and we pass through it. Continue on what is now a very clear and very popular path since the authorities decided to signpost the route to the Cove des Coloms. We are near the valley bottom at this point; the absolute bottom is a few metres to the left.

10 minutes or so after stepping over the last dry stone wall, we meet two more; go through the break in the first and then, immediately on our left, through a break in the second. 20 metres later, the path begins to move to the right and takes the higher ground. The valley bottom is decidedly lower now on the left-hand side. The path is a little narrow here with an ever-deepening drop on the left.

At this point, we ought to record an unusual occurrence. A horse has joined us from a high path and appears to be leading us to Binigaus. 3 minutes later it has left us for a lower path going in the same direction. There is no guarantee that a horse will join you but it serves to remind us to expect the unexpected.

It is now 25 minutes since we left the last cave and, on our left, the valley bottom has more cultivated fields and less trees as we close to the point where the valley meets the sea. The sea ahead is now clearly visible. The path turns down left and continues on the left of an open field. At the end of the field, the path drops down to go between two dry stone walls and continues until we turn left to the well. It is 30 minutes

since the last cave and we are going through the Menorcan gate (please close) to the right of the well. A wide path now takes us forward to Binigaus beach and just before we emerge onto the beach, take note of the rather tired looking beach hut, which is still in use at the weekends. Immediately after the beach hut, turn left onto the beach and Santo Tomas is just 15 minutes walk away.

Walk along the back of the beach (or nearer the sea as you wish) and stroll towards Santo Tomas. Rest for a few minutes on the bench at the man made weekend retreat (and used at weekends) across from Escull Codrell. It should now be about 45 minutes since leaving the last cave. Welcome Santo Tomas and the reward of refreshments at the end of a 2 hour return journey.

These guides can be purchased from Vivien & Jeff Hopcroft in the UK by sending a cheque for £2.50 (postage included) for each book to 39 Gorse Avenue, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 2PH. (Please make cheques payable to J.Hopcroft and tell us the title of the guides you are ordering).

They can be ordered on-line using a credit card, and also they are available to purchase at most newsagents and hotels in the resorts in which the walks are located on the island of Menorca.