Fornells

Visit to the Town of Fornells, the tower and the beaches urbanisation of Fornells in Cala Tirant

It is a beautiful town, very quiet with a village pace, with low houses bordering one of the edges of the great Bay, which surely attracted the first inhabitants and today as always, is the engine of almost all activities, both economic and leisure, especially in summer, a time when the population increases several times the number of inhabitants, which usually hovers around 300 souls.

The street that follows the coast is the backbone, and is divided into two areas. The first, located at the entrance of the urbanization, has large villas, some of which house shops, stores, and leisure and nautical activity service companies on the ground floor, but, above all, it is where the famous Fornells restaurants are found

Fornells' dining scene became popular by having the King of Spain himself, Don Juan Carlos I, as a client, who would come from time to time to taste the culinary specialty of Fornells: lobster stew (caldereta de langosta).

You can also find vehicle or boat rentals, a sailing school, etc. The other section is more residential, with terraced houses, and from the tower they look like train carriages coasting along the bay, but both sections have something in common: it is an ideal place for morning walks or at sunset.

In Fornells you will find the largest defense tower of all those built just over 200 years ago, during British rule. Being on the verge of collapsing, it was completely reconstructed and converted into a museum, which shows the characteristics of how the bunker was used and its inhabitants in different periods. This is also a good place to take a walk to a natural sanctuary halfway to the tower and then visit it and climb to the top of the tower to contemplate its beautiful views of Cavalleria or the mouth of the Bay, and conclude by taking a short tour of the coast.

The jetty of the pier acts as a dividing line between the two areas and is undoubtedly the nerve center of Fornells, the typical postcard of the town.

The beach of “Ses Salines” centers its activities on sailing schools and other nautical activities rather than on beach areas for swimming; it also has a jetty, a simple pier, and the facilities of the nautical club.

Cala Tirant Located at the bottom of the great bay, we find the beach of Tirant, which is the arm of land where the Cavalleria lighthouse is located, making it deeper and enhancing the landscape. It is widely visited by windsurfing enthusiasts in winter when there is a north wind (tramontana). In summer it is calmer and is found in a wild environment with few trees; the construction of several bars and restaurants reaches one side of the sandbank.

Urbanization Playas de Fornells. Very close to the beach of Tirant, we find one of the most interesting urbanizations on the island of Menorca, Playas de Fornells, with a Mediterranean style construction, with curved, irregular shapes; no two houses, villas, or apartments are alike, with the only exception being that they are all painted white.

The entire urbanization of Playas de Fornells is very well maintained and it is certainly recommended to take a walk through its many curious corners; it is definitely worth more than one walk to enjoy its countless gardens and its hundreds of unique nooks and crannies.

Well-equipped with services for residents, it is very quiet. The commercial facilities are not many, but they are effective: supermarkets, car rentals, several restaurants and bars, sports and leisure areas, including an area for children.

In the other urbanization, the one closest to the beach of Cala Tirant, there are aparthotels, hotels, and apartments, as well as more restaurant services, in addition to the beach, of course.

Access:

From Mercadal via the C723 road to Fornells, at km 5 you will find the turnoff for the PM710 to the right, leading to Son Parc, Arenal d´en Castell, and Puerto de Addaia. If we go to Fornells, we must continue straight. One kilometer later, on the left is the entrance to the beach of Tirant and the urbanization Playas de Fornells. 300 meters further on, if we take the turnoff to the right, we reach the entrance to the beach of Ses Salines, the sailing and windsurfing school, and the Club Marítimo de Fornells. Well, only one kilometer remains to the town of Fornells, following straight ahead and parallel to the Bay.

From Maó: Take the road that starts at the end of the port of Mahón. At the roundabout, continue along the same route. 500 meters later, on the right, the road to Es Grao starts. We continue; we are on the road to Fornells, the Me7 road. At km 9, on the right-hand side, the road to the cape and Faro de Favàritx starts. Do not take that turnoff; Fornells is straight ahead.

At km 12.5 there is a gas station, but it is only operational in summer. Then, at km 15, there is a new roundabout, a junction of roads. The Me9 to the left leads to the town of Alayor, and to the right leads to the urbanization Arenal d'En Castell, and to Cala Moli, Na Macaret, and Port d' Addaia.

Fornells is straight ahead. Continuing almost until km 18, where there are some roundabouts to join the road, and just before passing the restaurant and equestrian club of Llucaixt Park, is the road that leads to the urbanization of Son Parc and the beach Arenal de Son Parc, and, of course, to the only Golf course on the Island of Menorca. We must continue; at km 20 to the left is the entrance to the non-coastal urbanization of Sa Roca, and you can continue to exit at Alayor. Now, only the junction of the Mercadal-Fornells road (Me15) remains. From here, see access from Mercadal and details of points on the map of the Fornells area.

From Alayor, you can access it by taking the road of Binifamís in the direction of Arenal d'En Castell and at the junction of the Me7 at km 15, take a left until the junction of the Me15 that joins Mercadal with Fornells. From here, see access from Mercadal.

Navigate the online map of the Fornells area

Access map to the Fornells area

Fornells, Bay of Fornells, The Salt Pans (Salinas) of Fornells, Cala Tirant, Playas de Fornells, The tower of Fornells.

1 - ) Local road Me15, which joins the general road from Mercadal to Fornells.

2 - ) Local road Me7, which joins Maó, capital of the island of Menorca, with the town of Fornells.

3 - ) Exit from the rural road leading to the beaches, the first turnoff, and always to the right is to cala Tirant, the second to the Cavalleria lighthouse, Ferragut beach, and the Eco Museum, the third to the beaches of Binimel la and Cala Pregonda

4 - ) Turnoff to Cala Tirant, beach area

5 - ) Entrance to " Ses salines de Fornells " the Fornells salt flats, the beach, the sailing schools, the Club Marítimo de Fornells, and the marina

6 - ) Exit to the Cala Tirant and Playas de Fornells urbanizations

7 - ) Access point to the beach of Cala Tirant, boundary of the Cala Tirant and Playas de Fornells urbanizations, location of a scuba diving school

8 - ) Playas de Fornells urbanization, it is a beautiful residential complex of villas and terraced apartments, built in the purest Mediterranean style; it is worth visiting the complex, especially in spring.

9 - ) Cala Tirant beach

10 - ) Location of the Club marítimo de Fornells and the pier for recreational boats, on the Bay of Fornells itself

11 - ) Location of the sailing schools in front of Ses Salines beach

12 - ) Town center of Fornells

13 - ) Location of the Torre de Fornells, it is a bunker, the largest of the defensive towers built on the coast of Menorca, today it is a museum

14 - ) Fornells center area, location of the commercial pier breakwater, mooring for fishing boats and large yachts; it is the area for terraces and restaurants.

15 - ) Location of other activities related to nautical leisure, diving courses, kayak rental, and other activities of the Menorca nautical stations

Photographs: Omar Mauro Banquero