Cap de Formentor () is the northernmost point of

Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...

, on the Formentor peninsula.

Location

Cap de Formentor is located on the northernmost point of the

Balearic Island The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Its highest point, ''Fumart'', is 384m above sea level. It has many associated bays, including ''Cala Figuera'', ''Cala Murta'' and ''Cala Pi de la Posada''. The Majorcans also call the cape the ''Meeting point of the winds''.

History

In 1863 the

Formentor Lighthouse The Formentor ( es, Far de Formentor) or Cap de Formentor Lighthouse is an active lighthouse on the Spanish island of Majorca. It is the highest lighthouse in the Balearic Islands with a focal height of above sea level, located on high cliffs ...

was opened, the remote and rugged location on the Cap de Formentor making construction difficult. The only access being from the sea or via a long mule track. When the renowned Majorcan poet

Miquel Costa i Llobera Miquel Costa i Llobera (born 10 March 1854 in Pollença, Spain; deceased 16 October 1922 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain), was a Spanish poet from Majorca, who mainly wrote in Catalan language. He is regarded as a prominent figure of Catalan poetry ...

, who owned the Cap de Formentor peninsula, died, it was divided into lots and sold. In 1928 Adan Diehl, an Argentinian native and art lover, decided to build the Hotel Formentor. The 13.5 km road which runs from

Port de Pollença Port de Pollença (Balearic ; es, Puerto Pollensa) is a small town in northern Majorca, Spain, on the Bay of Pollença about 6 km east of Pollença and two kilometres southeast of Cala Sant Vicenç, Majorca, Cala Sant Vicenç. Cap de Formen ...

to Cap de Formentor was built by the Italian engineer

Antonio Parietti Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular mal ...

in 1925.Antonio Parietti, the creator of art road masterpieces
/ref> He also constructed ''the snake'' road to

Sa Calobra Sa Calobra is a small village in the Escorca municipality on the northwest coast of the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca. The port village is a popular destination for coach trips and road cyclists. It is accessed by a single winding road, d ...

. Like usual for mountain roads, when the slope was too steep, the road has to go oblique, and switch direction when needed.

Attractions

The headland has a number of lookout and viewing points, including ''Mirador del Mal Pas'', also named ''Mirador d'es Colomer'' after the small island ''Colomer''. The panorama from Majorca's Finisterre illuminates

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...

in the east,

Cala Figuera Cala Figuera is a district of Santanyí on the island of Majorca, in the Balearic Islands of Spain, around 60 km to the south east of Palma. The traditional town was first mentioned in records in 1306 but it was not until the end of the 1 ...

in the west, and Alcudia with its sandy beach in the south. However, the view of the cliffs below is not for sufferers of vertigo as sea roars 300m below and the winds on the headland can be vicious. In the southeastern part by ''Racó de Xot'' there is a

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

with an opening into the sea. It has two entrances located about 8 meters over the surface of the water. The cave has a length of 90 meters and a height of 8 meters and is one of the most important sources of information for the prehistoric

talaiot A talaiot, or talayot (), is a Bronze Age megalith found on the islands of Menorca and Majorca forming part of the Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period. Talaiots date back to the late second millennium and early first millennium BC. There are a ...

culture. Image:Far del Cap de Formentor, Mallorca.jpg, Lighthouse at Cap de Formentor, Mallorca Image:Strand Cap Formentor Mallorca (21602497014).jpg, Beach of Formentor Image:02017 0194 Formentor.jpg, Formentor and its pine trees inspired the poet

Image:Punta_de_la_Noa.JPG, Punta de la Nao and road to the cape Image:Talayot_de_Almallutx.JPG, The old watchtower as seen from Punta de la Nao

References

{{Authority control Landforms of Mallorca Pollença Articles containing video clips

Formentor Cap de Formentor () is the northernmost point of Majorca, on the Formentor peninsula. Location Cap de Formentor is located on the northernmost point of the Balearic Island Majorca in Spain. Its highest point, ''Fumart'', is 384m above sea leve ...

Location

History

Attractions

See also

References