Menorca in Pictures
Text and Photos by Tom Adkinson
May 27, 2022

Peeks into Mallorca and Menorca, places likely new to you
(Part 4 in a 4-part series)

The Spanish island of Menorca is a small dot on a map of the Mediterranean Sea, next to the slightly bigger dot that is Mallorca. Despite its size, Menorca is a major visitor destination, especially for European sun-seekers.

For a growing number of American visitors, however, it is a destination filled with history, knockout scenery, a ring-around-the-island hiking path, distinctive food and plentiful photo opportunities. Here’s a baker’s dozen of images.

MARINA

Pleasure boats dock in the heart of Mahón, Menorca’s water-oriented capital. Population is only 30,000. Mahón’s harbor is one of the largest in the world (almost 4 miles long), which has made Menorca a territorial target through the millennia. FROM THE AIR The jagged coastline of Menorca unfolds beneath an approaching jetliner inbound from Mallorca. Although small, Menorca has excellent air service. There also is ferry service to the mainland. MENORCAN WINDMILL Had Don Quixote been on Menorca, he might have wanted to tilt with a windmill such as this one, which is between downtown Mahón and Menorca’s airport. Smaller windmills dot the countryside. COVA D’EN XOROI The sea cliff of Cova d’en Xoroi is laced with a cave system that provides platforms to photograph Mediterranean sunsets. It also houses a complex of bars and dance floors for activity long after sunset. On the Trail A 20-segment trail system called the Camí de Cavalls encircles Menorca along its coastline. It evolved over centuries for defense and communication. Today’s visitors hike segments of it for exercise, sunshine and access to quiet coves and beaches. MAKING MAHON CHEESE Cheese maker Martina Fedelich shows off a distinctively shaped block of Mahón cheese (square, with rounded corners). After the Spanish mainland, the U.S. is the second largest export consumer of Mahón cheese. MAHÓN WINDSURFER Mahón’s harbor, once valuable for strategic reasons, now is popular for recreational uses such as windsurfing, kiteboarding and sailing. MEMORIES OF 1558 This 72-foot-tall monument in the Plaza del Borne in Ciutadella commemorates Menorcans’ resistance to a Turkish invasion in 1558 and their ultimate defeat. The invaders set fire to the city and took approximately 4,000 prisoners to Constantinople, according to Menorcan visitor information. CIUTADELLA Narrow cobblestone streets, pastel buildings and a blue Mediterranean sky are hallmarks of Ciutadella, Menorca’s second-largest town behind the capital, Mahón. It was founded by the Carthaginians, and there was a 1st century Roman settlement here. OLIVE GROVE Dry stack stone walls, many with this style of wooden gate, mark the Menorcan countryside. This example is at the Sant Joan Binissaida, a country estate with groves of olive trees, views of the Mediterranean Sea and links to the Camí de Cavalls hiking trail system. The hotel’s main building is a restored 18th century farmhouse. OLIVE OIL SAMPLING Professional tour guide Carol Lopez participates in an olive oil tasting at Sant Joan Binissaida, a hotel in the countryside outside Mahón. The hotel has its own olive groves and produces two types of olive oil – arbequina (mild and with a yellow color) and koroneiki (spicy and darker in color). PAELLA Paella may have originated in Valencia, but Menorcan restaurants know how to make grand presentations of the dish. Here, diners at the Aquarium waterside restaurant in Mahón insist on photos before the paella is served. FARM BREAKFAST Cured meats, Mahón cheese, fresh bread and fresh orange juice are components of a farm breakfast organized by Sa Cooperativa del Camp. The organization is a cooperative of 500 members – farmers, cheese makers, beekeepers, brewers, textile makers and others – who share their workspaces and Menorca's cultures with visitors.

Trip-planning resources: Menorca.es and Spain.info