The salt-making tradition on the island of Menorca dates back to the 14th century. In 1303, Dalmau Sagarriga, royal lieutenant of the Kingdom of Majorca, declared that the collection of salt for personal use would be free on the island of Menorca.
The ancient societies of the island of Menorca harvested salt deposited in natural containers carved into the coastal rocks, called cocos. Seawater filled these containers with the action of the waves. Then, during the dry season, the water evaporated, leaving the salt behind.
In the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713, the British proposed establishing a naval base on the island, which would give them strategic control over the western Mediterranean. Concessions were then granted for salt production projects. All the experiments were concentrated in the northern coastal areas of the island.
There were four saltworks, all in the north of the island: La Concepción, formerly called Salines Noves, in Fornells; the Tirant Vell saltworks, since then called Ses Salines Velles, also in Fornells; the Addaia saltworks; and the Mongofra saltworks, located at the bottom of the port of Addaia.
Industrial salt production continued into the 20th century. Competition from imported salt from major Spanish and foreign production areas forced the decline of the Menorcan salt industry.
Of the four saltworks that existed at that time, La Concepción is the only one that is still in operation.
