Alaior
Alaior, cradle of Menorca's cheese
Alaior is twelve miles from Mahon on the road which crosses the island and connects the capital with Ciutadella. Its foundation dates from 1304, when James II of Mallorca Ilahor acquired the farmstead to create a village around the church of Santa Eulalia, built by order of the king himself three years earlier.
For its historic role as mediator between Ciutadella and Mahon and air independent villa gives its balanced economy, one can say which is the third "capital" of the island.
Alaior has corners that are worth not lost, as the Chapel of the Rosary, even inside the church of Santa Eulalia and Salort Can palace, now converted into the headquarters of the University of the Balearic Islands in Menorca.
Apart from Santa Eulalia, treasured great interest the Church of San Diego-old Franciscan convent, in which striking architectural cloister called "Sa Lluna" for its colonial spirit, the San Pedro and the popular church of San Lorenzo located in the place called Binixems.
The footwear industryA distinct characteristic of Alaior is that in their houses with green shutters which contrast harmoniously with the white facades, balconies abound, a feature that shows that British influence was very strong in this city.
The entrepreneurial nature of its people has become an important center Alaior industrial production of the island.
Not surprisingly, this town is considered the birthplace of Menorca's cheese of famous international presence. Cheese production, the production of sausages, cakes and liqueurs, the shoe industry and tourism, which focuses on the beaches of the municipality, are the basis of its economy.
In addition, notable for its production of sausages, cakes and liqueurs, as well as the manufacture of footwear. These products can be purchased in large part by the factories themselves.
Through its surrounding rural roads can perform a variety of interesting excursions. Mainly visiting the village of Torre d'en Galmés, the larger archaeological site of Menorca. The most important places in their environment are in Son Bou (longest beach on the island) and Cales Coves, an idyllic cove that has numerous prehistoric caves.
