Illa d’en Colom

The largest island of Menorca

La Illa d’en Colom is only 200 meters from the north coast of Menorca, but this separation is enough to make it a refuge that can only be accessed from the sea, which makes it a secluded and quiet place to enjoy a few hours of calm away from the bustle that prevails in other areas of the island during the summer months.

The small islet is located northeast of the picturesque village of Es Grau, and has two pristine beaches on its west coast: Arenal d’en Moro and the beach of Els Tamarells where its fine sand (which has nothing to do with the usual beaches of the north) and its biodiversity stand out. Both are protected from the strong north winds.

In the shallow southern area, there are small rocks that can be dangerous if you try to approach the coast by boat. Its southwestern tip is called Punta Des Macs, while the southeastern one is known as Bóu I Sa Vaca.

The east side of the island is rocky, with high cliffs, where we find the Cao de Llevant, while to the north is located the Cap Mestral. Both join at a small sea inlet known as Sa Mitjalluna.

In the 59 hectares of land that make up this island (and that make it the largest in Menorca), we find one of the most unspoiled places in Menorca and also one of the most protected. Framed by the natural park of the Albufera d’es Grau (whose more than five thousand hectares were declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1993 by UNESCO), this place offers an incredible and varied sample of the fauna and flora of the island of Menorca.

From its vegetation (mostly Tamarind and Ullastre), to its seabed that houses large meadows of posidonia (where we can appreciate the small reefs that form in some areas and the organisms that inhabit its waters such as sponges or anemones), Illa d’en Colom offers landscapes with endless colors and textures.

An unparalleled experience for those who enjoy water sports such as snorkeling and scuba diving and an unparalleled landscape for nature lovers in general.

A property that has been for sale for 30 years

Illa d’en Colom was originally an island used as a lazaretto. That is to say, as was the case with the island of Llatzaret, it was used as a sanitary enclosure for the quarantine of sailors who were suspected of being carriers of contagious diseases.

However, it later became a private property (a role it retains today). As part of it, we find a small farm and a summer house of about 100 square meters built in the eighteenth century. But also a 135-meter wooden cabin that, curiously, is part of the Albufera reserve and is therefore protected by the same legislation and cannot be modified or reformed.

This place was acquired by Antonio Roca Várez in 1904, who acquired the property for 7,850 pesetas. Almost a century later, in 2016, it tried to sell for more than 5 million euros although, finally, the estate did not manage to be sold until 2018, when businessman Victor Madera bought it for a whopping 3’7 million.

Colom’s lizards: the Menorcan symbol par excellence

If you have visited the souvenir stores in Menorca, you will have noticed that it is common to see a lizard drawn on the countless objects displayed in their stores.

The so-called “Balearic lizard” (or Podarcis Lilfordi Balearica) is a species of reptile that inhabited, in ancient times, the Balearic Islands. With the passage of time, and especially as a consequence of the introduction of other predatory species by the Romans, their population was considerably reduced and even disappeared from the larger islands where they were once commonly found.

At present, it is only possible to find small isolated groups of this reptile in some parts of the islands, especially on the islets and more remote areas (where the impact caused by the human footprint is less).

Illa d’en Colom is one of those privileged places where the stronghold of a population of these curious lizards that were once regular inhabitants of all the Balearic Islands is still preserved.