"The goddess is approaching," my unofficial guide, Gonzalo, told me as an ogre-like thunderclap broke the silence in what had once been a stone circle. In the centre, two giant limestone slabs, hauled together to form a T-shape, towered over us. A few yards away, amid parched-looking scrubland dotted with wiry juniper trees, stood the base of an ancient watchtower, or talayot. As I looked across to the low-slung walls marking a series of dwellings arranged around a central courtyard, the stillness seemed almost haunted by the former inhabitants.
The Talayotic Village of Trepucó has often been described as 'the Stonehenge of the Balearics'. It's not hard to see why. Built sometime between 1000 and 700 BC, it sits barely a kilometre south of Mahón, the capital of Menorca, but it's a far cry from the unspoilt beaches and sandy coves for which the easternmost of Spain's Balearic Islands is better known.
On this warm, if thundery, early-June afternoon, any sun-seeking tourists were clearly elsewhere, no doubt enjoying the natural beauty of an island designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1993. I was glad to have the site more or less to myself. The exception was Gonzalo, a stocky, youngish chap in a baggy T-shirt and shorts, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the site's small car park and was armed with fascinating but difficult-to-prove tales of the ancient villagers' rituals. (Pythagoras, the waxing and waning of the moon and the female menstrual cycle all loomed large in his theories.)
Denne historien er fra August/September 2023-utgaven av Wanderlust Travel Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra August/September 2023-utgaven av Wanderlust Travel Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Vermont, USA
The Wanderlust team relocated to New England for part of this issue, as we explored a lush state filled with outdoor escapes, historic towns... and lashings of maple syrup
Unique North America
See a side to the USA and Canada beyond the big cities and discover incredible stories and special wildlife with our pick of the trips
The call of the Rockies
From historic ski lodges to rustic backcountry cabins and a mock-Scottish castle, we pick the stays in Canada's Rocky Mountains that make the most of their setting
A new dawn for the Garifuna community
When the Garifuna people settled in Belize, they had to carry their traditions and culture with them; now a new trail is inviting visitors to explore this heritage through local communities
On the edge of history
In south-west Colorado lies the largest archaeological preserve in the USA, a series of vast cliff dwellings whose residents 'vanished' overnight. But was the answer to their disappearance in plain sight?
Tigers burning bright
As India celebrates 50 years of its Project Tiger conservation scheme, we visit the reserves of Madhya Pradesh to see how its success has impacted a tiger population that once looked in danger of disappearing
SEASON'S GREETINGS
From fiery fall foliage to art fairs and harvest festivals, opens up a wealth of across the USA and Canada autumn experiences
Waking a sleeping GIANT
A slow drive along the North Wales Way, from the English border to Anglesey, reveals not only a land of incredible local food and castles, but a region that is slowly reimagining itself
The rebirth of old JEDDAH
As efforts to restore Al-Balad, Jeddah's historical district, take hold, we get an exclusive peek at how art and culture are taking centre stage
Star-studded escapes
Wilderness, history and wildlife combine at some of Britain's most iconic stargazing sites, as more and more travellers are looking to the heavens
