Naveta des Tudons
Historic siteDressed limestone, laid without a drop of mortar, and two floors inside. Between roughly 1200 and 750 BC the Naveta des Tudons served as a collective ossuary: the upper chamber is thought to be where bodies were left to dry, and the cleaned, disarticulated bones then went down into the lower one along with their grave goods.
What it actually is
A naveta — ‘little ship’, a name coined by the Menorcan scholar Joan Ramis in an 1818 book because the profile suggests an upturned hull. This is the largest and best preserved funerary naveta on Menorca. Lluís Pericot excavated and restored it in 1959–60, putting the missing upper courses back; it had already been entered in the Spanish heritage register on 3 June 1931.
Where it sits in Talayotic Menorca
UNESCO inscribed Talayotic Menorca in 2023 as nine component areas rather than a shopping list of monuments, and Es Tudons falls inside C1, the Plains of Ciutadella, where prehistoric building is densest. The monument stands about 5 km from Ciutadella, signposted off the Me-1, with parking at the road. The chambers are closed for conservation, so you walk around it — which is the right way to read the masonry anyway.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a visit take?
Twenty minutes. It is one monument in a field with an interpretation panel, so pair it with Torre d’en Galmés or the taula at Torralba d’en Salord to justify the drive.
Can you go inside?
No. Access to the chambers is closed to protect the structure, and the low doorway is barred. Everything worth seeing is on the outside.
What is the difference between a naveta and a talayot?
A naveta is a boat-shaped burial chamber from before the Talayotic period proper. A talayot is the later dry-stone tower that gives the culture its name.
Explore more of the Illes Balears
The Naveta des Tudons is one of many destinations on the CostaMap interactive map — browse beaches, coves, castles and viewpoints across the islands.