Step back in time to walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisations and visit some of the most important archaeological sites on the island of Minorca.
In addition to visiting well preserved Megalithic monuments from up to 1,000 BC, you can also jump forward to learn more about the Balearic island’s more recent history through visits to an uncovered Roman settlement, military installations from the island’s tumultuous 18th-century history and 19th century art on display in the capital, Mahon.
After a busy day of time-travelling where better to relax over a complimentary drink from the Saga Lounge than the Hotel Agamenón, with its sparkling Mediterranean views, where you'll be staying on an all-inclusive basis. To enhance your holiday, which features five excursions with 11 archaeological visits, there will also be three talks from your expert host Liz Dent, detailing ‘Minorca through the Millennia’, ‘The Talaiots and Taulas of Minorca’ and ‘British Rule.’
Hotel Agamenón - Set Hotels,
C/ Agamenón, 16,
07720 Es Castell (Menorca),
Spain
Introduction
The hotel’s views stretch out across the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, while the friendly atmosphere created by the welcoming staff is sure to make your stay a pleasant one.
Accommodation
There are just 75 bedrooms at the hotel, each with contemporary décor and a furnished balcony, where you can sit back and enjoy the side-sea views. All bathrooms feature a walk-in shower.
Television Telephone Hairdryer Wi-Fi Safe (extra charge) Tea coffee making facilities Fridge
Food and Drink
Look forward to tasty buffet-style meals in the hotel’s main restaurant. There's also a snack bar.
Entertainment
You can enjoy the following of activities and entertainment during your stay. Activities may change from time to time.
Es Castell museum (seasonal) – own cost
Live music two evenings a week
There is also a selection of sporting activities including the Mahón tennis club and 18-hole Golf Club Son Parc – please ask in resort for details and prices of these.
You can stroll to the town centre of nearby Es Castell, which is 650 metres from the hotel. This quiet town has a rich British military history that is evident in the local architecture, such as the town’s central square which used to be the parade ground and where you’ll now find a museum in the former British barracks. There is also a local bus stop 500 metres from the hotel, which provides easy access to the island’s capital Mahón, three kilometres away.
During your stay, be sure to head down to the stylish Calas Fonts waterfront at least once. You’ll find an array of shops and bars here, and it’s an ideal place for a relaxing stroll in the evening, or you may like to join a boat tour around Port de Maó from here. Mahón airport is 15 minutes’ drive away.
Es Castell, Minorca
Discover the lively town of Es Castell, framed by two attractive coves. Its bustling plaza is lined with Georgian buildings and the bay is a hub of activity both day and night. The town has a rich British military history which is evident in the local architecture – the town's central square was once the parade ground, and the former British barracks have become a fascinating museum.
Visit this extraordinary prehistoric necropolis comprising 14 open caves that punctuate the cliffs along the island’s north coast around the cove of Cala Morell. Used as a resting place for the dead, the earliest graves on the site date to around 1,600 BC. Around 1,000 years later the necropolis was enlarged to accommodate collective burials which also took place here. Explore this fascinating site with its caves dedicated to the dead, some with entrance areas where offerings could be left, as well as architectural decoration on some.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Ciutadella tour
Head to the west of the island to visit Ciutadella, Minorca’s one-time capital, with its medieval streets, and historic quarter. Its appeal can be summed up by its nickname among the locals, Vella I Bella translates to ‘Old and Beautiful.’ There has been a settlement here for some 4,000 years but it was 1558 when an army of Turkish troops invaded and destroyed much of the architecture. You can still visit the 13th-century Santa Maria Cathedral, which boasts a huge marble altar and the baroque-style Chapel of Souls, it survived the Turkish invasion but was damaged during the Spanish Civil War. The influence of the Ottomans is apparent in picturesque Placa d’es Born, once an Arab marching ground, where an obelisk now stands to commemorate the invasion. Other architecture of interest includes the Town Hall, Teatre Municipal d’es Born and the Palau Salort and Palau de Torresaura palaces.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Fort Marlborough and Mahon Military Museum
Enjoy an afternoon excursion to the Cala de Sant Esteve cove on the southern side of Mahon harbour where Fort Marlborough stands proudly. Built by the British between 1720 and 1726, the base was named after the English soldier and politician Sir John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. The commander-in-chief of the English forces in the War of Spanish Succession was an ancestor of Sir Winston Churchill. The fort was partially destroyed in 1782 by Spanish invaders, though the British strengthened its defences after reclaiming the island less than 20 years later. See underground tunnels, ammunition bunkers and reconstructed rooms before continuing to the Museo Militar de Menorca. Housed in an 18th-century barracks in Mahon, this military museum details the island’s military history and includes exhibitions of ancient cannons, guns and weaponry.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Mahon and the Museum of Mahon
Look forward to a guided tour of Mahon, the island’s vibrant capital. Also known as Maó, the east coast city is built around the largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean, more than three miles long and over half a mile wide, which makes it the second largest in the world after Pearl Harbour. Look forward to seeing the architectural legacy of the British occupation and learning about the conflicts which saw the island’s rule change hands between Britain, France and Spain five times in less than 50 years in the 18th century. Your tour also included entry to the Museo de Menorca which showcases the island’s cultural heritage with exhibits ranging from ancient sculptures to fine art from the 20th-century. The archaeological collection includes items from Talaiotic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Monte Toro
Enjoy a morning trip to the centre of the island and its highest point, the summit of Monte Toro. The hill rises to a height of 1,122 feet above sea level and is home to the Sanctuary of the Verge del Toro, a striking Gothic church dating back to 1670. There is also a Rio de Janeiro-style statue of Christ– Jesus of the Sacred Heart – at a place which has been a popular place of pilgrimage since the 13th-century. El Toro is also designated as an ANEI protected natural area.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Museum Moli de Dalt
Take a coach inland to Sant Lluís, a bright, white-painted town established by the French during their seven year occupation in the 18th-century. Stop to visit the ancient site of Molí de Dalt, the town's last surviving working flour windmill. Constructed in 1762, it operated until 1949, when it was badly damaged by high winds. You can enjoy time in the small museum dedicated to the history of the local rural community and even climb the refurbished tower.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Naveta d’es Tudons (megalithic burial site)
Visit this large burial chamber regarded as one of the finest monuments of the Balearic islands. With its curving profile and inner chambers, human remains and artefacts were found within when it was excavated. Walk around the exterior of this remarkable stone chamber which comprises two inner chambers and an upper floor.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Sanisera, Cavalleria Cape
Board a coach to the site of the former Roman city of Sanisera, which was occupied for around 600 years from the 1st century BC to the west of the natural port of Sanitja, next to the Cavalleria Cape on Menorca’s north coast. Archaeologists discovered the site around 40 years ago and have since uncovered Roman factories, a Roman military camp, an early Christian basilica and graveyard and a Necropolis with dozens of tombs arranged in rows, the final resting place of some 250 people.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Talaiotic Settlement of Torrelafuda
Talaiotic culture refers to the customs and skills of the oldest-known inhabitants of the Balearic islands, who called Minorca home before the Roman conquest in 123 BC. Talaiotic refers to the stone towers in which people lived up to 3,000 years ago. Torrellafuda is home to a small Talaiotic settlement which stands in a shady old wild-olive grove. See burial chambers, admire a talaiot tower and walk around a taula which encloses the remains of a number of homes and a rubble wall which once circled the site. Learn more about what you have seen on an included illustrated talk before dinner this evening.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Torralba d’en Salont - megalithic site
Another Talaiotic settlement has one of the largest and best preserved taules on the island. There are also two talaiots, a hypostyle roof, caves hewn into the bedrock and a section of cyclopean wall. The site is said to have been inhabited since 1,000 BC and remains from as late as the 17th-century, including a chapel from the Middle Ages, have been uncovered.
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Torre d’en Galmes - prehistoric site
Torre d’en Galmes is one of the largest Talaiotic sites in the Balearic islands. It can be found on a rise on the south coast, from where it enjoys wide-ranging views, even including distant Majorca on clear days. See three talaiots and a taula enclosure in a communal area then stroll towards the private homes to find circular houses with rooms leading off a central courtyard and an underground water cistern. An unusual hypostyle room in one of the houses once had a roof supported by columns wider at the top than at the base. Learn more in the site’s visitors centre.
Cala Morelle
Ciutadella
Dip a toe into the past and in the present
Moli de Dalt
Half board plus
Television 
Telephone 
Hairdryer 
Wi-Fi 
Safe (extra charge) 
Tea coffee making facilities 
Fridge 
Sun terrace 
Outdoor swimming pool 
Restaurant 
Snack bar 
Bar 
