King’s Island

The bloody island

The King’s Island (or Illa del Rei) is, as its name suggests, a small islet located inside the port of Mahón, which can only be reached by boat.

The island, also called The Bloody Island (known as such because of the activity of its hospital during the British domination), is located in the center of the port, between Mahón and Es Castell.

It is a place that can be very enriching because a visit to it will allow you to learn more about the history of Menorca and its evolution over the centuries.

On the island, at the architectural level, two constructions stand out: on the one hand, the early Christian basilica and, on the other, a former hospital (which was first British and then converted into a Spanish military hospital).

For those who wish to visit this small historic redoubt, there is a floating pontoon on the west side for boats arriving to the island and, bordering the north shore, we come across the Predio de San Antonio (or l’escull de Sant Antoni), formed by outcropping rocks that can be dangerous if the shallowness of the places where they are found is not taken into account.

The history of Isla del Rey

The name of the islet was given in honor of King Alfonso II of Catalonia (and III of Aragon), who landed here during his campaign of reconquest of Menorca in the 13th century (at that time, the island was under Muslim rule).

Located on the highest point of the islet, we find the hospital that was built during British rule and later converted into a Spanish military hospital (a function it retained until the twentieth century).

As for the remains of the basilica that we can visit in its eastern area, it has many similarities with Es Fornàs de Torelló so, although it is not known exactly, it is thought that both basilicas coincide in their chronology and must have been built between the V and VI centuries AD.

The paved mosaic that was in the basilica was moved and, at present, it is possible to find it exposed in the Museum of Menorca.

As a curiosity, the San Antonio Estate (also called The Golden Farm), which can be found along the northern shore, is an old farm well known for being the place of residence of many important figures in history, including Admiral Nelson who established his residence there in the early nineteenth century, and was said to be used to receive visits from his mistress Lady Hamilton.