Poblat talaiòtic de Montefí

The burial caves at Montefí are walk-in. You step out of the sun and into chambers cut into the rock, where the island's prehistoric people laid their dead.

Around them the village spreads across a wide stretch of open ground: the stone footings of houses and the heavy bulk of the talaiots, the towers that gave the culture its name. The warehouses of Ciutadella's industrial estate sit close by, and the contrast is part of the visit. Few people make the stop, so the stones are often yours alone.

Children take to it quickly. The caves and buildings are there to be walked through and explored.

• There is no drinking water nearby: bring your own.
• The site has little shelter from sun or wind. In summer bring a hat and sun cream.
• The nearest toilets, about 400 m away, are for customers only.
• The entrance is not wheelchair accessible.
• Half an hour is enough to walk round, which makes it an easy stop on a drive past Ciutadella.

Montefí sits on the edge of Ciutadella's industrial estate, and the last stretch runs through its streets. Parking lies about 80 m away in a straight line, with more about 220 m away, so the stones are close to wherever you leave the car.

By bus, the nearest stop is POICI - Sabaters, about 430 m away in a straight line; POICI - Ecoparc is about 700 m away. An information board on the necropolis stands by the site.

Best: early morning or late afternoon.

Avoid: the middle of the day in high summer.

The site is bare open ground with almost nothing to hide under, so the midday sun hits hard; low light also brings out the texture of the stonework and throws shadow into the cave mouths.

Montefí is listed cultural property, and the remains are dry-stone work thousands of years old. Do not climb on the walls or the talaiots, leave every stone where it lies, and treat the caves of the necropolis as the burial places they were.