A series of quarries of special ethnological interest, located very near Ciutadella. Wander through them to admire incredible shapes left by the manual carvers and mechanically carved geometric figures. Furthermore, concerts are held in them along with other types of leisure and cultural activities.
Located barely one kilometre from Ciutadella along Camí Vell de la Ronda Sud, the s'Hostal quarries form an astounding natural labyrinth. Inside, visitors can enjoy the harmony and magic of the marés stone, a permeable sandstone of varying hues that has been used as a construction material on the island ever since the Stone Age.
The s'Hostal quarries (Ciutadella) create an amazingly unique landscape. It is one of the most beautiful ethnological places on the island. The site is made up of various open-air spaces left uncovered after quarrying marés stone over the centuries. The stones were used to build houses and buildings in Ciutadella. It stopped being used as a quarry in 1994 and Líthica, a non-profit organisation, rented it in 1995 to raise the value of the space. From then on, it has been under constant work to recover it, spruce it up and regain its worth, as it had been used as a dumping site for years.
It is divided into two main spaces: a manual-cut quarry, where stonecutters carved out astounding spaces by hand, and a machined quarry, with its straight cube shapes. The Líthica association has carried out different activities in both places, making walkways, routes and even gardens in some areas. Concerts and other events are held there in the summertime.
It is listed (1997) as a "Bien de Interés Cultural" (a scheduled monument in Spain) as part of Spain's Cultural Heritage in recognition of its value.
