Castle of Sant Antoni

Sant Antoni Castle guards the entrance to the harbour of Fornells, a fishing village in the municipality of Es Mercadal on the island of Menorca.

When was the castle built?

Construction began in 1637, during the reign of Philip IV of Spain, and the fort was finished in 1671. The settlement of Fornells itself grew up around this fortification, taking shape as a village only after the castle secured the bay.

What did the original fortress look like?

The stronghold was laid out with four bastions, one at each corner, armed with twelve cannon plus muskets for the garrison. Its walls rose twelve metres high and ran thirty metres across, and a moat encircled the whole structure — a fairly standard bastion design for coastal forts of that period around the Mediterranean.

Why is so little of it left standing?

After Spain regained control of Menorca at the end of the British period on the island, Spanish forces dismantled much of Sant Antoni's fortifications, a fate shared by the larger Sant Felip fortress that once guarded the port of Maó. What survives today are the underground galleries and the remains of one bastion, which have since been restored.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

The Fornells Tower stands close by, a small defensive tower built to back up the castle's garrison against attacks by land or sea. Together, the two structures once formed the defensive core protecting one of the more important natural harbours on Menorca's north coast.

How do you get there, and when's the best time to visit?

Fornells sits within the municipality of Es Mercadal, roughly in the centre-north of the island, and is reached easily by road from the rest of Menorca. Given the island's Mediterranean climate, the outdoor ruins are most comfortable to visit from May through October, when days are long, dry and warm.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Sant Antoni Castle? It was built between 1637 and 1671, under Philip IV, making it well over three centuries old.

Why was the castle built at Fornells? It was raised to defend the entrance to the natural harbour of Fornells, one of Menorca's key bays on the north coast; the village itself later grew up around the fortification.

Does anything survive from the original structure? Yes, although Spanish forces dismantled most of the fortifications after Britain's period of control over Menorca ended. The surviving underground galleries and the remains of one bastion have since been restored.

What should you pair a visit with? The nearby Fornells Tower, built to reinforce the castle's defences, and the village of Fornells itself, still centred on its natural harbour.