Menorca .. a delightful surprise of an island

This year's girls' holiday took us to the Balearic island of Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea to the east of Spain. I've always thought of it as the quiet little sister to Mallorca but have discovered it to be so much more than that.

Having been to all four now, I adore the islands in this group. They are all beautiful with stunning bays of crystal clear water in many hues of blue ranging from pale turquoise to deep indigo. The coastline is a combination of bays, beaches and rugged, rocky outcrops and cliffs, some inaccessible to those not willing to cycle or walk there. They all offer something different - something for everyone depending on what you want for your holiday.

I found Menorca to be a little bit of everything. Each place we visited was different from the last. If you want a quiet retreat you can definitely find it here. In contrast, if you like crowds and a big family resort you will find that too. As a friend of mine said .. Menorca doesn't give it's lovely secrets up easily.

We stayed in a quiet little aparthotel HG Cala Llonga in Cala Llonga just across the water from Mahon. It was a perfect location for us with beautiful views of the marina and surrounding area. The hotel has a lovely restaurant and there is a supermarket a few hundred metres down the hill for supplies. It also has a pool with loungers which was never crowded. Every day, the hotel runs a shuttle bus to Sa Mesquida beach, a gorgeous unspoiled bay just a few minutes drive away. If you expect a beach with all mod cons, this is not for you. It's how beaches used to be when you could go with your beach towel, umbrella, drinks and food and just wile away the hours swimming and sun bathing with just the sound of the crystal clear mini waves lapping up against the sand. This time of year the water is a little cold, but once you're in it's just gorgeous.

The hotel also has a free bus running into Mahon town twice a day, with the last bus at 7pm, meaning you had to find your own way back if you wanted to stay later. A cab cost us around 12 euros. In Mahon we ate at the Mercat de Pescados for fish based pintxos and tapas and the Mercat de Claustre for pintxos and cava - both relaxed eating and atmosphere. It's an interesting town to walk around with pedestrianised streets and a mix of architectural styles and some built on top of sheer cliff faces. It is also worth a walk around the harbour/port area which is the second deepest natural harbour in the world. There were all manner of different boats there ranging from ferries to and from Barcelona and Valencia, to a naval ship, a large orange coloured salvage boat which was great to see close up, to small glass bottomed boats, yachts and dinghies. There were also launches for charter which would have been fun had it not been out of our budget on this occasion!

We decided to hire a car for 48 hours on day 3 so we could explore the island. It's not much bigger than Ibiza so very easy to get around and see quite a bit. The first day we drove right across the island to Cuitadella pronounced thwi-te-della which was the original capital of Menorca. We stopped for delicious lunch at a café restaurant near the harbour and wandered around the port for an hour or so. It was such a clear day, we could see the coast of Mallorca in the distance.

From there we headed south towards Cala Galdana, another stunningly beautiful location, although a much busier place with big resorts and I would say perfect for a family holiday. There is a lot to do there with a water park, mini golf, pedalos, kayaking and sup boarding. You can also hire a boat or do a cliff walk and get an even more spectacular view of the coastline. There are a number of hotels to choose from and numerous self catering options to suit all budgets. Also plenty of good restaurants and of course amazing views.

Back in the car and off to Son Bou further south down the coast. It was completely different. It is the biggest beach on the island stretching for 2.5 kilometres. We stopped there briefly for a gorgeous fresh juice at the beach bar and continued our journey down to the fishing village of Binibequer (or Binibeca in English), which a work colleague had recommended. There are a number of places in this area with 'Bini' in the name. This relates to a Moorish occupation in the past. Timing wise, we realised that we would probably make it in time for a mooch around before dinner.

I'm so pleased we made the effort to go there. Here was another absolutely beautiful, quiet little town but totally different to what we had seen before. Every building was whitewashed, including the roof tiles and was completely charming. The layout reminded me of a mini Mykonos town with stone paved lanes weaving through the residences. There are signs everywhere politely requesting 'silencio'. There are no large resorts here, it mostly consists of private villas and apartments.

We found a lovely place to eat at BB Cocktail bar. We sat upstairs and had delicious tapas watching the light change as the sun started it's descent to the west. Time to hit the road and head back to base.

Day two with our little Chevrolet we headed north to Fornells - another recommendation by a friend for a 'must see'. It was a beautiful clear but windy day causing the waves to crash on the rocks near the mouth of the narrow entrance to the large bay. This northern wind is known as Tramontane and it was blowing quite a gale that day. By contrast, as you went further in towards the town, the wind died down and was practically non existent. We walked up to the old watch tower where the views were just stunning. I walked further along the rocky path towards the small lighthouse which I noticed was powered by a solar panel.

After a lunch of gazpacho and sobrassada tapas we left Fornells and headed towards the red hue of Cavallería beach. It is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island according to the guide books. There is a free car park about 500 metres from the beach which you have to access on foot up a hill then over the other side. The path is in part quite rocky so best not wear your flip flops until you get to the beach. You are not permitted to walk across the dunes and they are cordoned off to protect them from being eroded.

That evening we went to San Clemente for dinner at a fab little restaurant recommended by a friend, Es Moli de Foc. We sat outside in the pretty garden area which was fairly quiet despite all the tables being occupied. The food did not disappoint and all our chosen dishes were fantastic. I had hake in local brewed beer batter which was divine. They had a good wine selection but surprisingly nothing French.

On our last full day, we ventured back into Mahon to have a wander around the shops and go back to the Mercat de Claustre for another taste of pintxos and a farewell glass or two of cava. Also time to buy some of the famous Ensaimadas which I discovered in Mallorca but also found here, to take home.

In the evening we ate al fresco by the pool at our hotel with the occasional cheer erupting whilst the tv inside showed the Spain vs Portugal match at the world cup.

An altogether fabulous trip to an enchanting island and one which I will definitely return to as soon as I can.

 

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We flew Thomas Cook airlines from Gatwick to Mahon and on our return they managed to outwit the striking French air traffic controllers by flying over Sardinia, Italy, Switzerland and Germany and got us home on time.


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