Welcome to Alaior and its talayots

With the possible – we’ll see what happens in 2022 - announcement of Menorca being declared a World Heritage Site for the island’s renowned Talayotic culture, this month we would like to show you the most important sites that can be found around Alaior. And these are truly worthy sites! In our district, we have the great fortune to house some of the gems that have brought about this nomination. Among them is the tallest taula to still remain standing, or the largest Talayotic settlement in Menorca. Both sites have shed light on how ancient Menorcans lived. Now, we need to travel back in time by about two thousand years to discover a history among stones – are you coming along with us?

Torralba d’en Salort, the imposing legacy of a huge taula

The sense of enormity that the 5-metre height of the taula at Torralba d’en Salort projects at dusk will give us an idea of just how fascinating Talayotic culture is. How could those men and women raise up such huge hewn stones over 2,000 years ago? Not only does this site house the stunning taula, but also two talayots, a hypostile chamber and several caves. The taula enclosure is the best-conserved on Menorca, and undoubtedly a major attraction, and it is well worthwhile wandering around this privately managed village, where activities are carried out to bring you closer to the history of the Talayotic inhabitants of Menorca. Take a look at the programme of events for astronomic observations from Torralba d’en Salort too, as it will definitely be a night to remember. Find out about the site’s opening times and book your visit. It is located at kilometre point 3 on the road from Alaior a Cala en Porter.

Unfathomable Torre d’en Galmés

Local research teams, but foreign ones as well - the University of Boston sends a group of archaeologists to the island every summer - work with great care in the various enclaves of this enormous settlement. The occupation by different cultures that used the houses and shelters of Torre d'en Galmés for hundreds of years explains a large part of Menorca's ancient history. The site covers an area of 4.5 hectares and includes 3 talayots, several houses from the period, a hypostyle hall, a taula enclosure, a water collection system and four hypogea, which were used for funerary purposes. Check out the opening times and prices for a visit to Torre d'en Galmés on the Talayotic Menorca page. There is also an interpretation centre for this culture located very close to the settlement, where you can view some of the archaeological work that has been carried out over the years with explanations of the remains recovered. To get there, take the road from Alaior to Son Bou.

The Torrellisar taula

Torrellisar is another of the scarce taulas -they don’t even reach a total of 10- that still stands completely upright on the entire island, and that’s why we want to highlight it as a must-see. However, there are some other important places to visit too. Although this site is not as massive as Torralba and doesn’t have a settlement like Torre d’en Galmés, Torrellisar’s modest site with a taula enclosure and two talayots will round off your excursion to 3 places which are directly linked to the Talayotic period in Alaior. Entry to Torrellisar is free on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 19 horas p.m. To get there, take the road from Alaior to Cala en Porter. At kilometre point 5.5, take the rural Cotaina lane where you will find the Torrellisar enclosure 400 metres along on the right.

If you’re still keen to discover more after these 3 recommendations, check out the link Patrimonio and plan your own route.