According to the legend, there were many writers who, like Josep Pla, fled from Menorca due to the fury of its wind, its sound and intensity which, on occasion, can become disturbing. These were authors who, a few years later, were to return to this very same territory with the need to feel that very same strength of the wind. Yes, as if it were some kind of powerful magnet.

Except for the popular Mount Toro, Menorca is a flat island and is inevitably exposed to winds that have names of their own, such as the Migjorn, the Llevant, the Ponent, the Gregal, the Xaloc, the Mestral and the Llebeig. An army of subjects of Aeolus’s whose indisputable queen is the Tramuntana, the north wind. 

This reality, which dates back to the beginnings of times and gives sense to the island of Menorca, is what we suggest you learn about during this 4-day tour of the land of wind. Our first destination? The north of the island – more specifically, Fornells and Sanitja Port. 

The urban centre of Fornells is akin to a small seafaring paradise. Located in the north of the island and at less than thirty kilometres from the Menorcan capital, Fornells – with its apparent calm, with its luminosity and with the gentle movement of its palm trees - is the capital of Menorcan wind. A place that faces the Tramuntana wind and has made a way of life out of this meteorological phenomenon.  

Famous for its lobster “caldereta”, which you cannot but eat once the midday hunger has seized your stomach, Fornells is a natural paradise in which you will be able to enjoy all of the assets of sport such as surfing and kite-surfing. Our recommended plan? Having breakfast on the waterfront and then enjoying the Tramuntana breeze with a light sailing or surfing session.  

Following a morning enjoying the water sports and gastronomy of Fornells, we suggest you continue following the northern route of the Tramuntana wind visiting two of Menorca’s landscape treasures:  the Port of Sanitja and the Cavallería Lighthouse. 

Regarded as one of the oldest Roman ports in our country, the Port of Sanitja shelters Menorcan boats on the Tramuntana days. Apparently fragile, this port is a place for breathing tranquillity, authenticity and pure Menorcan history. 

The strategic location of the Roman port means that you will be at a distance of two kilometres from the pretty Cavallería, a lighthouse built in the nineteenth century that has witnessed thousands of sea manoeuvres. 

Tall, imposing and full of history, this lighthouse is much more than a temple for the Tramuntana wind as it is a unique place for enjoying some truly ravishing natural views.

Although the Tramuntana is the best-known of them all, Menorca –as we said before- is home to seven other winds of different origins and which – from north to south and from east to west – give the island a special colour and an identity of its own.

Following the discovery of the northern side of Menorca with Fornells and the Cavallería Lighthouse as noted spots, for the second day of your tour through the island we suggest that you visit the eastern zone of Menorca with a coastal route through such corners as Punta Prima, Binibeca or Cala en Porter. What winds will accompany you during this expedition? The Migjorn (the wind from the south) and the Llebeig (from the southwest). 

The Migjorn and Llebeig winds arrive in Menorca from Africa, which – apart from bestowing onto some areas a slight reddish tone stemming from the sands of the African desert - results in such places as  Son Bou o Cala en Porter having a much warmer wind. The results? A much more pleasant climate that is highly suitable for enjoying water sports, even in winter. 

In order to enjoy this second day of touring Menorca, you can start with a breakfast in Punta Prima, the most notable southern point in Menorca. Here, in addition to admiring some of the prettiest beaches in Menorca, you will notice that slightly warm breeze that reaches the island with the first lights of dawn. With your stomach full and after enjoying the natural beauty of such areas as the Punta Prima Beach, you can continue with your tour of the south wind, now travelling to Binibeca, one of the most picturesque towns in Menorca. 

In addition to being one of the most recognisable towns in Menorca (for its white houses and its location facing the Mediterranean), Binibeca is an essential place to visit in any trip to Menorca. Rocked by the breeze of the Migjorn wind, this town is worth going to for its narrow alleys and for buying the odd handmade senalla basket. 

With the sun at its zenith and with hunger starting to gnaw at our stomachs, you are advised to make a technical stop at the Binisafua – Binisafuller to enjoy a fully local meal with unique views of the Illots d´en Marçal islets. 

Our last destination will take you straight to the great beach of Son Bou, one of the best-known among surfers who visit Menorca and a place for feeling that combination between the south and southeast winds. Although many people go there with their own equipment, in Menorca you can find various specialised centres where you can rent a surfing board and receive customised tuition. 

In addition to being a place full of legends and mythological stories, Mount Toro is practically the point in which all of the Menorca winds converge. A place in which to enjoy some truly spectacular views of the island and enjoy ideal moments sheltered by the mountainous essence of Menorca.

Although it can visited at any hour of the day, you are advised to get up early, have breakfast at the Es Mercadal centre and proceed to climb the only mountain within the insular territory. After surmounting a road with notable curves, the route will take you to the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Mount Toro, the patroness of Menorca, an authentic and truly charming place.   

After the visit to Mount Toro, you can go back to Es Mercadal to enjoy a tour through some of its dairies and head for the pretty, picturesque town of Alaior, quite a benchmark in the summer months for its traditional horse “jaleo” festivals.

No trip to Menorca must conclude without a day at the Natural Park of S´Albufera des Grau. Covering over five thousand hectares, this park acts as a lung for the island of Menorca and is a perfect place for enjoying a trekking route to the Favàritx Lighthouse. Over and above recommending this visit on account of its natural beauty and its authenticity, the tour of this part of Menorca is highly recommendable for a first-person experience of the strength that characterises the dreaded Tramuntana wind.  

The perfect plan for enjoying the experience the right way requires taking a rucksack, a bit of food for a picnic and, it goes without saying, a good camera for immortalising the place and moment. Once your trekking equipment is ready, it will be time to head towards the natural park of S´Albufera des Grau following the accesses marked on the island’s main roads. Since distances in Menorca are short, you will reach your destination in about fifteen minutes. 

Although it would be advisable to invest most of the day in the centre of the park, discovering the beauty of its flora and fauna, one must not forget that the highlight of the visit centres on the Favaritx Lighthouse. Located in the cape of that name, this lighthouse constitutes a benchmark for those wanting to take marvellous pictures.