WALKING THE "CAMÍ DE CAVALLS" PATH (Minorca island)

This historical path has existed since 1330, year in which King James II obliged his knights to have a horse ready for defending the island. It was also used by the English and French during their respective periods of dominance of the island (1713 and 1756, respectively). Throughout the 20th century, a notable deterioration mainly due to its lack of maintenance. In order to recover it effectively, in the year 2000 the Balearic Islands Parliament passed the "Camí de Cavalls" law. Finally, in 2012 the path became part of the European network of long-distance footpaths under the denomination GR223. Today everyone can walk the "Camí de Cavalls" and go right the way round the island. Along the path private initiatives have emerged offering all kinds of services, such as guided tours, tours by bike or on horseback, transport services, restaurants, rural accommodation, etc.Moreover, some sports events taking place along the path have become powerful tourist attractions such as: Half Minorca Triathlon, Cami de Cavalls 360, Trail dels Fars (half marathon), Volta a Menorca BTT. These sports events have become a claim for active tourism in Minorca and have been the basis for the tourism promotion of the island, to favour deseasonalisation. The length of the Camí de Cavalls is 185 km, divided up into 20 stages to be explored on foot, on horseback or by bike.
Main beneficiaries: residents and tourists
Stakeholders: tourism sector, society and regional & insular Public Administrations