Lazareto de Menorca in Es Castell, Spain

Hidden on a small island in the middle of Mahón Harbour, the Lazareto of Menorca is one of Europe's largest and best-preserved maritime quarantine stations. Built during the 19th century, it was designed to isolate ships, passengers, and cargo arriving from ports affected by deadly diseases such as plague, cholera, and yellow fever. Long before antibiotics and vaccines, quarantine was one of the few effective ways to stop epidemics from spreading across Europe. The complex functioned like a self-contained world. High walls separated different quarantine areas, while hospitals, chapels, gard...