21 MISSIONS AND 10 PUZZLES TO SOLVE
LET’S EXPLORE
menorca! DISCOVER THE island WITH THE FAMILY
EARN POINTS AND GET YOUR
SUPER-EXPLORER DIPLOMA!
Follow the routes and scan the codes to discover the secrets of Menorca Take a look!
For Auba, SĂlvia and Marina, the Menorcan triplets whose joy and tenderness make the island of Menorca even more magical.
CONTENTS Are You Ready to Start Your Adventure? Destination Menorca. Where Is It? Let the Expedition Begin! How Can You Tell You Are in Menorca?
6 10 11 14
Travel Back in Time: An Expedition to Talayotic Menorca Torre d’en Galmés Calescoves Necropolis
16 18 20
Menorca: A Natural Paradise S’Albufera des Grau Favàritx Lighthouse
24 26 31
Ciutadella: Historic and Monumental Route Plaça des Born Torre-Saura Palace Menorca Cathedral Bastió de sa Font
34 36 37 38 41
The Menorcan Countryside El Toro S’Arangí
44 47 49
Buying Provisions at the Claustre del Carme Market
54
Migjorn: The South of the Island Es Migjorn Gran Cova des Coloms Binigaus
60 62 65 67
Exploring Muslim Menorca Santa Àgueda Castle Binimel·là and Binidalí Beaches
70 71 74
Cavalleria: The North of the North Cavalleria Beach Sanitja Cavalleria Lighthouse
76 78 82 83
Discovering British Menorca Maó Port Es Castell Sant Felip Castle
84 87 90 91
Fornells: A Fishing Village
92
Explorer’s Diary Solve the Final Puzzle! Solutions to the Puzzles and Missions
96 98 100
ARE YOU READY TO START YOUR ADVENTURE? Menorca is an exciting island. If you have been given this guide, it is because someone wants you to explore Menorca thoroughly, to learn about its history and discover its mysteries. It is not an easy task. You will have to complete the missions and solve the puzzles in the book to show that you know Menorca better than anyone else. Only then will you earn the title of SUPER-MEGA-HYPER-EXPLORERS! Do you dare to take on the challenge? Yes? Then let’s go! All you have to do is: AA Gather your team of explorers: your mum, dad, brothers, sisters or friends can all join in. AA Assign team members different roles: an adult explorer can be in charge of taking the group to the expedition’s starting point; another explorer can be responsible for deciphering codes; a third can take photos; and you, the kids, will be the EXPEDITION LEADERS! AA Equip yourselves properly: take comfortable footwear, sunscreen and sunglasses to protect you from the sun, an anorak to protect you from the rain, and so on. AA Prepare your explorer gear: don’t forget the decoder (a mobile phone or tablet with an Internet connection and a QR code reader application), a compass, a camera and a pencil case with colouring pencils. Oh, and don’t forget to pack a few bottles of water and some fruit as well. 6
OUR TEAM OF EXPLORERS
Take a photo of your team and stick it here
8
DESTINATION MENORCA. WHERE IS IT? Remember that Menorca is an island, a piece of land surrounded by sea, which cannot be reached by car, by train or on foot. You must have travelled here by plane or by boat. Is that right? AA Menorca is one of the islands in the Balearic archipelago, together with Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera. AA The Balearic Islands are in the Mediterranean, a very large sea which stretches as far as Africa and Asia. Did you know that you are in one of the few biosphere reserves that exist in the world? UNESCO, a very important international organisation, has a team of explorers who search for special places where nature is respected. When they find one, it is awarded the title of Biosphere Reserve. Menorca has had the title for more than 20 years. That is why you will see lots of trees, plants and animals living in harmony with human needs and habits. How to Orientate Yourselves in Menorca: AA The island is divided into eight municipalities: Es Castell, Sant Lluís, Maó, Alaior, Es Mercadal, Es Migjorn Gran, Ferreries and Ciutadella. AA Right in the centre is El Toro, the highest point on the island. From the top of the hill you can see almost all the places you have to discover! AA There is a main road which crosses the whole island; it is going to be very useful for you to travel from one place to another. In Menorca it is known as the carretera general, which might be useful to know in case you have to ask someone for directions. AA The cardinal points will help you to orientate yourselves wherever you are. Remember: the sun rises in the east (Maó) and sets in the west (Ciutadella). If you put your right arm out towards Maó and your left arm out towards Ciutadella, you are facing north and behind you is south. 10
LET THE EXPEDITION BEGIN! You have to explore Menorca to find the solutions to the puzzles and to complete the missions we give you. AA If you complete a mission, you get two points. Make a note of them in your Explorer’s Diary. AA If you solve a puzzle, you earn one point. Don’t forget to jot it down. At the end of the expedition, you have to tally up your points. AA If you get over 50 points, you earn the title of SUPER-MEGA-HYPER-EXPLORERS! AA If you get between 30 and 50 points, you will be SUPER-EXPLORERS! AA If you get fewer points, you’ll have to keep learning so you can be APPRENTICE EXPLORERS!
The best of luck!
11
EXPLORER’S MAP For each day of the expedition, use a different colour to circle the name of the places you have visited on the map. At the end of the day, don’t forget to go to Page 96 and write down how many points you have earned.
EXPEDITION START DATE
EXPEDITION END DATE
1st day
colour A
12th day
colour A
2nd day
colour A
13th day
colour A
3rd day
colour A
14th day:
colour A
4th day
colour A
15th day
colour A
5th day
colour A
16th day
colour A
6th day
colour A
17th day
colour A
7th day
colour A
18th day
colour A
8th day
colour A
19th day
colour A
9th day
colour A
20th day
colour A
10th day
colour A
21st day
colour A
11th day
colour A
22nd day
colour A
13
HOW CAN YOU TELL YOU ARE IN MENORCA? The first thing an explorer has to do is to make sure they have arrived at their destination. Are you in Menorca? Are you sure? Here are a few clues to help you find out.
CLOSE YOUR EYES and breathe in deeply. If you can smell the salt breeze from the sea, you are probably on an island. Now we just need to make sure it is the right island!
WHITE AND BLUE. In Menorca the blue of the sea and sky contrasts with
the typical rural houses, nearly all of which are painted white. When you look up, you will realise that you can see a vast expanse of sky because there are no tall buildings or high mountains. If you look around and see plenty of blue and lots of little white houses, you are probably in the right destination to continue with your adventure.
GREEN MENORCA. Can you see lots of trees and vegetation? Flowers and grasses at the side of the roads and paths? Leafy woods? Cultivated plots of land or stacks of hay bales waiting to be collected? Yes? Then hopefully you are in the right place!
THE ISLAND OF TRANQUILLITY. Look at the local people. Are they
walking around in a relaxed, unhurried fashion? In Menorca it is hard to find people in a rush. See if there is anyone who seems anxious or stressed. No? Perfect! All the signs indicate that you have arrived at your destination, but before we can be absolutely certain you have to find the final, definitive proof!
NAVETES AND TAULES. There are more than 1,500 prehistoric
archaeological sites on Menorca. This means that at any moment you could come across one of these stone monuments, which are — wait for it — between 2,000 and 4,000 years old! These taules (tables) and navetes (tombs) are not to be found anywhere else in the world! 14
DRY STONE WALLS. Explore the terrain and look at the side of the paths and roads to see if you find walls made with stones that have been slotted on top of one another with no other material holding them in place. These are the dry stone walls which define Menorca’s landscape as they delineate the parcels of land, which are joined — or separated! — by these ingenious constructions.
You should know that this type of construction was used by the first inhabitants of the island thousands of years ago, albeit with much larger stones. Even today there are still experts trained in this technique! DO YOU KNOW WHAT A MOSAIC IS? It is an ornament made of small tiles in different colours arranged to make a picture. You have probably seen one at some point, haven’t you? Well, they say that Menorca’s landscape is like a mosaic because it is made up of small pieces of land that create its characteristic pattern. Do you like that idea? The dry stone walls help to demarcate these small plots. If you are in Menorca, you must have seen them already. Have you found any dry stone walls? Do you see how they separate the parcels of land? Yes? Great! Then welcome to Menorca! The blue and white island, the island of tranquillity, a natural paradise full of magic, history and surprises for your team of explorers!