Keeping an eye out for pirates

Keeping an eye out for pirates

Bikepacking the Cami de Cavalls on Menorca

After my previous trip to Menorca on a road bike I quickly made the decision to come back on nobby tires to ride the famous Cami de Cavalls. This roughly 170 km hiking trail follows the whole coast of the island and was used as the locals to survey for incoming pirates who tended to raid the island quite regularly.

I again arrived in the town of Ciutadella by ferry from Mallorca and started my three day clockwise trip around the island keeping on the Cami de Cavall at all times. The first day I went most of the way around the north part of the island, day two went through the capital city and part along the southern coast and on day three I went back to Ciutadella.

The Cami de Cavalls itself is a hiking trail but open to bikes and horses. Overall the track is quite difficult due to the rocky and narrow nature and the fact that while you are never high above the sea (roughly 100m) the track goes up and down in steep slopes all the time. Another “difficulty” are the many, many, many wooden gates on the trail. The northern part of island is definitely more difficult but also more beautiful. In total I did ride, push and carry the bike for 17+ hours. If you do not like hike-a-bikes this one will be difficult to do!

Of the towns that you come through only Ciutadella and Mahon are worth noting while the rest are coastal resort towns. However these two are really nice and worth a trip alone. I went November 2017 and almost all places outside of the two main towns were closed but I was able to find a place in Fornells in the norths and in Cala en Porter in the south for my overnight stays.

I would fully recommend doing the Cami either by MTB or even on foot. The trail is fantastic and unique as it is continuous around the whole of the island. The landscape changes several times and is beautiful all the way. So if you are happy to work a bit harder take your bike, if not get out your backpack and boots.

PS: The trail is rocky as in “ripping off derailleur hangers”-rocky - which happened to me on the last day of the trip.