Poblat talaiòtic de Son Fornés

Step through the doorway of one of the talaiots and the light drops away. In the middle of the chamber a single stone column rises from the floor, the pillar that once carried the roof, and the walls close in around it in heavy, unmortared blocks.

Back outside, the two towers stand over the tumbled walls of the houses that grew up around them roughly 3,000 years ago. The settlement stayed in use through several later stages of the island's history, and the boards set around the site trace who lived here and when. One of the towers measures about 17 metres across.

The site sits among the fields of the island's interior and is usually quiet, which leaves room to walk the lanes of the village at your own pace.

• There are no toilets and no drinking water at the site or nearby. Bring water with you.
• Shade comes only from the trees, and there is little of it. In summer, bring a hat.
• The entrance is not wheelchair accessible.
• Information boards around the site explain what you are looking at.

Son Fornés lies on the road out of Montuïri, among the farmland of central Mallorca. Most visitors come by car: a car park sits about 20 m from the site, and there is roadside parking as well, so there is no approach walk to speak of.

The nearest bus stops are in Montuïri itself, about 2.5 km away in a straight line. Arriving by bus leaves at least that distance to cover on foot out of the village.

Best: early morning or late afternoon, in spring or autumn.

Avoid: the middle of the day in high summer.

The site is open ground with little shade and no water, so the heat builds fast among the stones, while a low sun brings out the texture of the masonry.