Fornells (also known as Fournella) is a village located in a bay in the north of the Balearic island of Minorca, Spain. Fornells wants to be the ninth municipality of Menorca. Fornells is estimated to have a population of about 1000 people which increases in the summer due to tourism. Fornells' native people are known as Fornellers in the Catalan language and in Spanish.
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The village was originally founded to serve the castle erected in the 16th century as a defence against the Barbary pirates for whom Fornells Bay provided the perfect safe haven. The castle was eventually demolished in the 18th century and all that is left of the military past of Fornells is the watch tower on the headland, outside the village. From there to the west CavallerÃa Cape can be seen, and to the east the massive bulk of Sa Mola, forming the eastern side of the entrance.
In 1798 the village was a landing sight during the Capture of Minorca by the British.
Fornells Bay is deep, measuring 5 kilometres long and 2 kilometres wide. The narrow entrance regulates the force of the open sea. Sufficiently narrow to offer protection, the entrance allows water to enter the bay while restricting the waves. The wind is not so easily restrained. The surrounding hills are not high enough to keep out the Tramontane (Tramontana in Catalan), which has shaped the rocks and bent the trees over until the branches almost touch the ground.
Fornells' natural harbour is filled with llauts, the traditional Minorcan fishing craft, used for fishing lobsters.