Menorca travel guide

Menorca travel guide

Menorca is more reserved than bigger Balearic sibling Majorca and less pretentious than smaller sibling Ibiza. It also boasts more beaches than both islands put together. Couple the abundance of sand with UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, and you’ve got all the makings of a nature lover’s dream vacation destination. There’s a 185km trail called the Cami de Cavalls ringing the island’s coast, which means that the potential for walking and cycling is boundless.

When I leave Menorca I count the days until I can return, for I don’t like to spend a long time away from my island, its peace, the countryside and above all its traditions, and the warmth and sensitivity of its people.

– Juan Pons, opera singer

Thanks to the Mediterranean setting practically midway between Algiers and Marseilles, Menorca has been host to a long line of occupiers, from the Byzantines and Ottomans to the British and French. Cultural influences appear in everything from Georgian architecture in Mahon to the gin distilleries that can be found all over the island. And there’s much more to do than sit on beaches. Stay in a locally owned B&B, hire a car and explore the rugged interior, or borrow a mask and snorkel, rent a sea kayak, bring binoculars.

Whatever you do, read this Menorca travel guide and discover magic in the Med.

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Menorca is...

the quietest island in the Balearics and still relies on fishing and farming just as much as tourism.

Menorca isn’t…

going to keep you up all night but it will get you out walking all day, especially either side of July and August.

Things to do in Menorca…

Menorca is patterned in a variety of walking trails. The Cami de Cavalls coastal path, for example, pretty much encircles the entire island. It’s lovely to explore a different section each day. Other trails lead inland via ravines and gullies branching out from the southern coast. You can be quite literally sunning yourself on silk white sand one moment and enjoying the shade, birdsong and wildflowers of a pine forest the next. You simply can’t mention Menorca without a nod to its 80 odd beaches. As a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the majority of the island has remained untouched by coastal tourism. This means you can still discover wild stretches of sand that have been pretty much left as nature intended. Even the busiest beaches on the southern coast boast Blue Flags and more than enough room for everyone to find their own space. The north of the island has high rocky cliffs interspersed by secret coves and tiny red sand beaches. Even in July and August you can find secluded spots of sand, several of which are favoured by naturists. Set either side of Majorca, the cities of Ciutadella and Mahon offer fascinating alternatives to yet another day at the beach or by the pool. Mahon, the capital, has one of the largest natural harbours in the world as well as several examples of 18th-century Georgian architecture, and some of the best ensaimadas (sugared almond cakes) in the Balearics. Ciutadella is equally worthwhile, with fountain-filled squares lined with palms giving way to narrow cobbled alleyways and palatial Spanish properties.

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Things not to do in Menorca…

Although it can be tempting to simply fly and flop in Menorca, there’s so much to discover on the island that it would be a shame to stay in just one place. Hiring a car is the best way to explore at your own pace. You’ll have the freedom to stop where you want, when you want, as well as the opportunity to discover out of the way fishing villages and roadside restaurants that simply aren’t in any guide books. Getting around the island is very easy and even if you’re not hiring a car there’s a good local bus service that runs between the seaside towns and beaches of Mahon and Fornells. Although center based vacations in Menorca are ideal, it doesn’t mean to say that you have to go all-inclusive to have your fill of the food. The island is famed for its very own distinct variety of cheese (and also the reputed birthplace of mayonnaise), you can still see squid and octopus drying on stone harbour walls and you can buy baked sea bream, grilled red mullet and delicious lobster stew – caldereta de llagosta – and still have change for an island-distilled gin. Stay at a locally owned bed and breakfast by all means, but make sure you take off on a foodie adventure for the rest of the day and into the evening.

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