When I was young and family holidays abroad were rare, all of them, and I mean ALL of them, saw us visiting the Balearic island of Menorca. Something about the place captivated my parents, and so after our first trip there when I was just seven years old, as the years passed by we all became experts in what to see and where to go on the island.
For me as a child I found it a bit hard to understand why we kept returning year after year – don’t get me wrong, we rarely ever stayed in the same location– but looking back now with admittedly, rose tinted glasses, I can see what lured them back time after time.
For a start, Menorca is not a party island. It just isn’t. Sure, if you want a late drink and dare I say it, even a bit of a boogie, there will usually be somewhere in almost every resort to do so, but most other tourists that you chat to seem to be there just to enjoy the sunny, warm weather (dependant on when you travel of course), fantastic beaches, calm waters and general easy-going nature of the place, and all within a couple of hours reach of the UK – which is what makes it such an ideal family holiday destination.
Towns and resorts vary as you would expect from place to place, but we always found a hospitable welcome everywhere we went, even when I was a noisy, and somewhat bratty little girl, bickering with my big brother over which flavour ice cream we would have next, or who would get the last jammy doughnut.
We stayed in so many places, yet I remember them all perfectly – Arenal D’en Castell, Cala Blanca, Cala’n Blanes, S’Algar, Cala Santandria, Cala Galdana… the list goes on.
And so much did we enjoy the island that, although I swore I had eventually had enough of it, I visited again with my other half as an adult in my own right – this time staying in Son Parc.
And it’s not just the places we stayed – we hired a car and drove around the island countless times over the years, visiting some places more than once – the capital, Mahon is an absolute must – not least for its old narrow streets, 15th and 16th century architecture, world famous and extremely deep natural harbour and, a favourite for me (enjoyed only as a grown up of course!) the gin distillery!
Another must visit is the former capital city, Cuidadela. A real traditional Menorcan town, you can visit an abundance of shops, yet another impressive harbour, marvel at the 14th century cathedral that dominates the skyline and get some traditional Spanish food – you know it’s good when you’re sat sampling tapas with the locals!
Other fabulous places to recommend are Playa De Fornells, an old school fishing village where you can sample some of the most amazing locally caught fresh seafood; Monte Toro, the highest peak in Menorca at 357m; and Son Bou, which features the longest stretch of gorgeous sand on the island, at 3km in length! Even on a busy day you can find a quiet spot to relax and take in the sunshine and gentle blue seas.
I always thought I had had my fill of Menorca, but recalling my memories to write this, I think just maybe I could be convinced to go back again and refresh my memory...!
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