A Short Stay in Menorca

Menorca has some of the most unspoiled coastline in Spain. The few mass- market resorts are mostly low-rise and low-key, while elsewhere there are pine-fringed coves that can be reached only on foot or by boat. Since 1993, the island has been a designated Unesco biosphere reserve, which has helped it to preserve some of its most important wetland habitats, and to avoid the over-development which has blighted its neighbours Mallorca and Ibiza. Of the three main Balearic Islands, Menorca is the least dependent on tourism and has a very low crime rate. 

Between the towns at either end of the island, Mao (Mahon) and Ciutadella, lies a landscape of meadows, Friesian cattle and dry-stone walls.

Weather

Between April and October, when the weather is reliably warm and sunny. In winter, the tramontana wind can almost blow you off the cliffs, but on calm winter days, it is still mild enough to picnic on the beach, alone with the sand dunes. The average air temperature for late june is 75F-80F. The sea temperature is around 75F in June - but warmer in the shallow inlets. Menorca's big party, Festa de Sant Joan, takes place on 23-24 June in Ciutadella, with fireworks, jousting tournaments and costumed riders. It's all about horses, not bulls! We'll be there on June 23rd, but may want to skip it since the crowds look to be like in Pamplona during The Running of the Bulls. Perhaps we can just snag a T-shirt!

Getting around

Whilee the network of bus services between the main towns makes getting around the island both easy and cheap, to get to the remoter destinations, including some of the best beaches and ancient sites, we'll need a car. An automatic with full insurance is about $50 a day.

Where to stay

Since we're only spending 4 nights on Menorca (June 20th to 24th), we should stay in the capital town of Mahon (Mao). It's convenient for the airport (MAH) and great as base from which to explore the beaches and other sights.

It's a small town of less than 30,000 population and reasonably unspoiled by the sort of tourism that plagues the other Belearic islands.



Port Mahon, Avinguda Fort de l'Eau 13, Mao (tel: 00 34 971 362600). The smartest hotel on the island, in a colonial-style building above Mao harbour. In winter, pounds 30 for singles, pounds 47 doubles. Open all year.

What to do and see

Mao (Mahon): The city is built on a cliff above the world's second largest natural harbour, with the houses almost growing out of the sea walls. The first British governor, Sir Richard Kane, moved the capital here in 1722, and you can still feel the British influence today in the grand 18th-century houses with their fanlights and brass knockers and the Georgian clock adorning the facade of the town hall. The Museum of Menorca (open mornings and evenings from Tuesday to Friday), housed in the cloisters of a Franciscan monastery, contains archaeological finds, while another set of cloisters, those of the church of Carmen, has been turned into the city's covered market.

The night market is also a fun place to browse:



Beaches: I'll get to those in a separate article.

Fort Marlborough: The British-built fortress at the mouth of Mao harbour has recently been restored and opened to the public. You can walk along underground tunnels while explosions ring out around you. A film tells the story of Menorca's numerous invasions by Arab, British, French and Catalan conquerors. Open from Tuesday to Sunday mornings, admission free.

Ancient Sites: Menorca has a wealth of Bronze Age monuments from the Talaiotic culture, most of them standing undisturbed in the middle of fields. None has been developed as a tourist site and access to all of them is free.

The Fortress of Isabella II: 

There's an amazing gun still there from WWII, called the "Vicker's Gun": It was originally designed to be on a Brazilian battelship, but the Spanish government bought all 18 that were manufactured to beef up their coastal artillery capability against the Nazis. The shells weighed a ton each!

Food and drink

Menorcan cuisine is based largely on seafood. Other specialities include charcoal-grilled meat and various local sausages. Spanish staples like paella and tapas are widely available, along with French, Italian and British food. The British introduced a dairy industry to Menorca, and mature queso de Mahon is one of Spain's top cheeses - and sold in our local supermarkets.

There is no longer any wine to speak of (though wines from neighbouring Mallorca are good value), but Menorca does produce the excellent Xoriguer gin, best drunk neat and chilled or washed down with lemonade.I'll give it a try!

Example: Pilar, Carrer des Forn 61, Mao (tel: 971 366817). Innovative "new Mediterranean" cooking in the back streets of Mahon. Open only in the evenings and booking is advised. Around $25 a head - expensive for Menorca! Here's a picture from their website:

Lunches are a lot like in Italy: an array of local food to choose from and usually at a fixed price in the $8-$12 range.

"Plats Preparat" - the Menorcan take-away

There are lots of little shops specialising in pre-prepared meals. This is perfect for picnics at the beach. You can 'choose with your eyes' and portion sizes are such that we'll have enough for both of us for around $12.

Entertainment

Menorca has none of the riotous nightlife of Mallorca or Ibiza, and what there is is concentrated around the late-night bars in the harbour areas of Mao and Ciutadella (which also has two salsa clubs, including El Mosquito). Most don't open before midnight. Menorca's most unusual nightclub, open only in summer, is Cova d'en Xoroi in Cala En Porter, set in a natural cave on a platform overlooking the sea. We'll pass on that one!