Now Menorca is not an insubstantial island. With a resident population of about 100000, which more than doubles during the summer, this Balearic Island of 700 square kilometres basically runs East to West for 50km and North to South 20k. The main cities Mao and Ciutedella lie at each end, with a fishbone road network running from one to the other. We based ourselves at the quaint little village of Cala Galdana not far from Ciutedella.
We visited the nearby small city to wander the labyrinthine streets and take in a bit of the local feel. I was very tempted to buy the comfortable looking Menorquinas sandals but looks can be deceiving and I just have to face it- my feet have gone a bit orthotic in my old age, so I bought some Menorcan silver jewellery instead- much easier to carry. Another Menorquinas specialty we tried was the ensaimada, a sweet pastry made famous when the Can Pons patisserie won best ensaimada in the world in 2020. Dozens of tourists left the island armed with boxes of Can Pon pastry.
And still on food…we have enjoyed great seafood including caldereta de langosta which John sampled in Fornells, a little harbour-side village with loads of restaurants. Often the meal is finished off with Pomada, the local gin mixed with lemonade.
The Cavall Menorquin is a horse indigenous to the island and known for its beauty and temperament. A born show horse it is renowned for its ability to rear up and walk on its hind legs, a Menorquin Dressage manoeuvre referred to as the ‘bot’. We were fortunate enough to come across a group of riders one of whom demonstrated the technique. What a treat!
Then there’s Taloyotic Menorca. With more than 1500, the island has the highest concentration of archaeological sites in the world. Evidence of human habitation from the late Bronze Age, the Talayotic culture left examples of Cyclopean architecture-structures built with very large blocks of stone without mortar- in the form of talayots (towers), taulas (T-shape towers) and navetas (funerary structures in the shape of an inverted ship), scattered all over the island. And then there is the 12000km of dry stone walls (no mortar). It’s a rocky place!
It’s an island. This demands a boat trip. We booked a half day trip with menorquincharter.com on a typical Menorcan Llaut along with four other couples to swim and snorkel off some of the most beautiful beaches and bays on the south coast. Our favourite was Cala Turqueta. While Menorca is known as the Windy Island, with eight Mediterranean winds influencing the climate and landscape, as well as, legend has it, altering human personality, particularly the Tramuntana, a vicious North wind, we were fortunate enough to experience none of them. Our day on the sea was bliss and swimming in the turquoise waters, dreamy!