Ciutadella (Menorca Island Balearic Spain)

Ciutadella de Menorca (aka Ciutadella) is a port town and municipality on Menorca Island (part of Spain's Balearic Islands) located on the island's western coast. Ciutadella is one of Menorca's two largest towns - together with Mao-Mahon (each with a population of around 30,000). The Balearic Islands are one of Spain's autonomous territories.

The settlement was founded by the Punics (Phoenicians from Ancient Carthage) and for several centuries ruled by the Moors under the names Medina el Jezira and Medina Menurqa. During the Middle Ages (5th-15th-centuries), Ciutadella was conquered by King Alfonso III of Aragon (1265-91) who conquered the Kingdom of Majorca (1231-1715) in the period 1285-87. In 1558, the Turks with a 140-ships fleet sieged the town and after 8 days entered and decimated it. All surviving inhabitants were taken to Istanbul Turkey and sold into slavery.

Ciudadela de Menorca's current-day economy is based mainly on tourism. Among the best-known tourist attractions are the Cathedral Ciutadella (13th-century basilica built over a mosque), 17th-century built Italian-style buildings, City Town Hall (former royal and governor's palace), Punta Nati Lighthouse, the annual St John Festival (held on June 23-24) that celebrates town's patron saint.

Regularly-scheduled cruise ferries link Port Ciutadella (locode ESCMC) to mainland Spain (Barcelona) and Mallorca Island (Alcudia). The company of BALEARIA serves the Ciutadella-Barcelona route with 12 weekly crossings (travel time 3,5 hours) and the Ciutadella-Alcudia route with 4 daily crossings (travel time ~1 hour). A second large ferry company (TRASMEDITERRANEA) serves the Ciutadella-Alcudia route with 12 weekly crossings (~2 hours travel time).

Ciutadella cruise terminal