Camí de Cavalls

The Camí de Cavalls is an ancient path of abbr=in186 that encircles the island of Menorca, Spain. This long-distance walking route is the GR 223 of the Senderos de Gran Recorrido network in Spain and it is also used to reach some of the most inaccessible beaches of Menorca.HistoryIt is widely accepted that the Camí de Cavalls was built in order to connect the watchtowers, fortresses and cannons distributed along the coast of the island and to make the transport of troops and artillery easier. However, the date of its origin is not so clear. The most accepted theory attributes it is the French invaders during the different periods they lived in the island, but according to some studies, it could have been created in the 14th century.Since its original function was the defence and the control of the island, it was patrolled by soldiers mounted on Menorquin horses, hence the word cavalls (meaning "horses" in Catalan) in the name of the path.RestorationDuring decades part of the path belonged to private properties and could not be used by everybody. However, after an agreement between the island's government and the landords, the path became public. Then, the Government started the restoration of the whole path, spending €934,977.37 in a first stage and €800,159 in a second stage completed in May 2011.StagesThe path is divided in 20 different stages, each of them between 5 and 14 km. All the start and arrival points can be gained access to by road traffic, making possible to cover only one or some stages of the path at a time.