Menorca from A to Z
Often under-estimated and full of surprises, Menorca is the perfect destination for independent exploration. Here’s a summary of some essential (and some non essential) facts to know before you go....
Accommodation: Victoria Bendito offers a warm welcome at the The Morvedra Nou, set in peaceful countryside 7km from Ciutadella. A classic family owned island finca (farm), rustic light stone converted stables lie in gorgeous landscaped gardens. Enjoying dinner on the pool terrace with views all the way to the sea is particularly enchanting.
Bay hopping: beautiful beaches and azure bays await walkers on coastal walks from Santa Galdana and to Sa Torreta. Menorca’s coastal path – the Cami de Cavalls (literally Horses’ Road) originally linked all the lookout towers around the island, and you can still walk on it today!
Ciutadella: the original Spanish capital until the British changed it to Mahón in 1708, the elegant traffic free streets of Ciutadella’s old town are lined with ornate palaces and churches. Lose yourself in the warren of delightful streets and covered cloisters, then relax with lunch on the quayside.
Dialect: locals speak Spanish and Catalan (called Menorquí) - a form historically used in part of Girona, Catalonia, from where the islands were repopulated after the Reconquest in 1287. Some English words still survive from the British occupation like “grevi”, (gravy), and “xumaquer” (shoemaker).
English rule: captured in 1708 in the Wars of the Spanish Succession, English rule lasted until 1756 when Admiral John Byng lost the island to French and Spanish invaders. The island was reclaimed twice more in 1763 and 1798 in separate diplomatic treaties before finally being swapped for Gibraltar in 1802.
Fortified farmhouses: honey stone ramparts and massive 30 foot high fortified walls kept the richer islanders safe from lightning pirate attacks. The residents could wait out their attackers who often went after easier prey.
Harbours: Mahón’s perfect deepwater harbour – the reason for Menorca’s violent history - is the finest in Europe. It was even admired by Nelson, and is big enough to protect an entire fleet from the fiercest storms.
Ice cream: take the opportunity to enjoy some delicious Menorcan ice cream when strolling around either Mahón or Ciutadella. Local flavours include fig, honey, pistaccio and almond.
Joan, Saint: on the 23rd of June one of the big island festivals honours St Joan – equestrian games consist of three trials of skill: a test of balance and aim at full gallop, a jousting match between two riders, and a test in which two horses gallop with their riders arm in arm!
Kane, Richard: Sir Richard Kane was Menorca’s most important British Governor. He ordered the building of the first road between Mahón and Ciutadella, and introduced black and white Fresian cattle whose descendents can still be seen all over the island.
Langosta - lobster stew: Known locally as caldereta de langosta, it is typically made using fresh local ingredients like peppers, onion, tomato, garlic and herb liqueur, and served up on the quayside during long lazy lunches.
Moorish rule: after the Moorish conquest of southern Spain, Menorca was annexed to the Caliphate of Córdoba in 903 and renamed Manûrqa. After nearly 400 years as an Islamic state, Alfonso III of Aragon retook the island on January 17 1287, now celebrated as Menorca’s national day.
Nature: spring flowers include white and mauve cistus, yellow crown daisies and purple gladioli. A wide variety of orchids can also be found with pink pyramidal orchids especially common.
Orchards: deep natural gullies carved by centuries of floodwater along the south coast are filled with gorgeous cherry orchards – the steep valley sides protect the trees and their fruit from the strong northerly prevailing wind – the Tramontana.
Prehistoric sites: Menorca has more prehistoric remains than anywhere in Europe. Talayotic villages, burial mounds, places of worship and strange T-shaped rock constructions are found scattered all over the countryside, mostly unexcavated, and curiously eerie.
Queso Mahón: Queso Mahón is a local cheese – after one year it becomes “Mahón Reserva”. Parmesan-like in texture it is bold, sharp and salty with mild smoky flavours.
Romans: as Roman shipping was consistently raided by pirates based in Menorca and Mallorca, the Romans took control of the islands in 121 BC. Roman remains are still consistently unearthed in Ciutadella today!
Sunshine: the island basks in glorious Mediterranean sunshine for an average of 300 days every year, with 11 hours of sun every day from July though to September.
Tasty mayonnaise: during the 1700s the French used their few years in charge to copy the locals in whipping oil and egg yolks to a delicious sauce, which they then marketed as their own, calling it “Mahonnaise”, after Mahón. Nowadays, we know it as mayonnaise.
UNESCO: in October 1993, the entire island was designated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve as it contains nearly all Mediterranean island ecosystems. Notable habitats include the gullies, caves and wetlands, ponds, lagoons, marshes, dune systems, coasts and islets.
Vino: although not known for wine production – most wine comes from Mallorca or the mainland - one of the best know bodegas on the island is Binifadet Nou, which is known for crisp chardonnays and smoky merlots.
Walls: dry stone walls are a typical feature of Menorca, and it has more stone walls per square km than anywhere else in the world.
Xoriguer distillery: a visit to the Xoriguer distillery in Mahón is a must if you are visiting the town. Made from Mediterranean grapes and juniper berries it is distilled in wood fuelled copper stills and aged in oak casks. Try a ‘pomada’ - a mixture of Menorcan gin, crushed ice and squeezed lemon – delicious.
Yellow Wagtail: these are among 220 types of bird you can see in the countryside. Among others, look out for hoopoe, shearwater, nightingale, sandpiper, osprey, red kite, honey buzzard and even Egyptian vultures – there are 40 breeding pairs on the island.
Zzzzzz: holidays are all about relaxation after all, and a Spanish siesta on the beach, on the pool terrace or on your private patio after lunch is always a wise and noble option – enjoy!
If you'd like to sample the delights of Menorca for yourself, why not try our Coastal Trails of Menorca independent walking holiday?
| Join the community | |||
 | Find us on Facebook to share your stories, pictures, videos, in fact everything you love about walking and cycling. | ||
 | Follow us on Twitter to be the first to hear about the million things that are happening in and around Headwater. | ||
| Click the +1 button to share your recommendations with friends, contacts and the rest of the web on Google search. | |||
 | |||
