Alaior (Balearic Catalan: [ələˈjo], locally [(ə)ləˈo], [(ə)ˈlo]; previously in Spanish: Alayor) is a municipality located in the eastern part of the island of Menorca, in the Balearic Islands, Spain. The municipality seat is situated 12 kilometres from the island's capital, Mahón. Established following the Catalan-Aragonese conquest, Alaior is well known for its cheesemaking and shoe manufacturing. As of 2024, the municipality had a population of 10,158 and encompasses several localities, including the coastal resorts of Cala En Porter and Son Bou.
History
Human settlement in Alaior dates back to between 2200 and 1000 BC, as evidenced by prehistoric burial sites such as the Ses Roques Llises tomb. Following the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, Menorca's economic focus shifted to its coastal towns, but after the Catalan-Aragonese conquest in 1287 by King Alfonso III of Aragon, inland settlements like Alaior began to take shape. The town was officially established in 1304, when King James II of Majorca purchased the Islamic estate of Ihalor, around which the community developed, centered on the newly founded church of Saint Eulàlia.
By the 17th century, Alaior had gained greater administrative independence, marked by the right to collect its own taxes. In 1644, during a Barbary pirate attack, the town’s mayor, Miquel Barçola Cardona, was killed and his standard later became the municipal banner. The 19th century, industrialisation started, particularly in shoe manufacturing. From the 1950s onward, Alaior experienced economic growth driven by livestock farming, cheese production, agriculture, metalworking, and tourism.
Monuments
La iglesia de Santa Eulalia, construida en el siglo XIV y vuelta a levantar en el siglo XVII.
Las casas consistoriales, construidas en el siglo XVII y reformadas en diferentes ocasiones. Can Salort, antiguo edificio señorial, hoy es la sede de la UIB en la isla.
San Lorenzo de Binixems, antigua parroquia construida en el siglo XIV, fue reconstruida en el siglo XVII.
San Pedro Nuevo (Sant Pere Nou), pequeña iglesia a las afueras de Alayor construida entre 1723 y 1731.
La iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Gracia tiene su origen en el siglo XVI.
El patrimonio etnológico e industrial.
Y el archivo histórico de Alayor.
What to visit
•Mirador de l'Àngel
•Torralba d'en Salort
Gallery
Festivals
November 2026
Festivals this month
- No festivals recorded this month.
Rest of the year
- February: Carnaval (12)
- August: Festes d'Alaior (6) · Fiesta patronal: Lorenzo de Roma (10)
Trails and hiking
•Camí de Cavalls (GR 223, 185 km)
•El Camí IT4TR2 El Camí Illenc: de l'Alguer a Formentera (CC-C)
Famous people
•Gemma Triay Pons, Jugadora de pádel española
•Juan Comas Camps, profesor y antropólogo español
•Octavio Alberola, anarcosindicalista español
•Ponç Pons, escritor español
•José Miguel Magin Guardia, médico, historiador de la ciencia y traductor español, naturalizado francés
•Josep Mascaró Passarius, arqueólogo español
Town hall
Alcaldía: Misericordia Sugrañes Barenys
Web oficial: http://www.alaior.org/
Town hall of Alaior
Alcaldía: Misericordia Sugrañes Barenys Web oficial: http://www.alaior.org/
Here goes your town hall's profile or your website address. Are you from the town hall? Go premium to complete your profile and edit your village's content. hola@ciudadesypueblos.es
How to get there
- 🚗 136 km from Palma (about 96 min by car)
- 🚗 289 km from Barcelona (about 204 min by car)
🧭 Travelling around the villages of Spain: a practical guide — Opening hours, transport, money and customs, before you set off.
- ✈️ 13 km from Menorca airport (about 9 min by car)
- ✈️ 159 km from Palma de Mallorca airport (about 112 min by car)
Practical info
🅿️ Where to park
- Where to park · 0.2 km away
- Where to park · 0.2 km away
- Where to park · 0.2 km away
🏧 Nearest cash machine
- Banco de Crédito Balear · 0.1 km away
- Colonya, Caixa Pollença · 0.1 km away
- Caixabank · 0.1 km away
⛽ Nearest petrol station
- Moeve · 0.4 km away
- Moeve · 4.8 km away
- Moeve · 4.9 km away
ℹ️ Tourist office
- Punt Jove · 0.1 km away
🔭 Viewpoints
- Mirador de l'Àngel · 0.3 km away
Buses
3 paradas de autobús en el municipio:
•Alaior - Poliesportiu
•Alaior - Centre
Pharmacy and health
•Farmacia Parafarmàcia d'Alo — Carrer des Ramal 51A
•Centre de Reconeixement de Conductors — Carrer de Sant Llorenç 35
•Farmacia Farmacia Mascaró — Carrer des Porrassar Nou 2B
•Farmacia Farmacia Castell — Carrer Major 7
•Centre de Salut Es Banyer — Carrer del Mestre Duran 1
Wall
🏛️ The town hall publishes on this wall. Residents publish their business in Services and their home or job offer in Community, for free.
This wall is still quiet.
News
🏛️ The news is published by the town hall. Residents publish their business in Services and their home or job offer in Community, for free.
There is no news from Alaior yet. Be the first to tell it.
Videos
Discover Alaior on video: