If you happen to be Menorca bound, you are in for a treat, believe me. I did not have a true grasp of just how beautiful, and different to her Balearic sisters, this island is until we visited at the start of the summer. Consider her firmly on my radar for future holidays – stunning coastlines, the perfect mix of a modern and rustic aesthetic, a plethora of gorgeous eateries – Menorca is a favourite with local Spanish tourists and I can see why.
Scroll down for three of my absolute favourites…
On the very Northern tip of the island you will find the gorgeous old city of Cuitadella which, in herself, is a treat for the senses with her incredible architecture and beautiful marina BUT hop in a taxi five minutes into the countryside and you will find yourself at our first stop…
NONNA BAZAAR, CUITADELLA
Picture this : you drive inland from the old town of Ciutadella along a long dusty track flanked by cacti until slowly, on the horizon, an ancient building rises and she is surrounded by trees swaying in the breeze – welcome to the oasis that is Nonna Bazaar.
An absolute delight of a date night with incredible food and drinks and afterwards a party atmosphere but not a wild party – more like a dinner party where your friends all wave their napkins round their heads because the tunes are so good…
There’s a carefully curated shop (you buy the t-shirt – literally) and stunning interiors and your only complaint is that you can’t stay the night. It felt like a dream and I hope you all get the chance to come to this breathtaking place on the island that stole my heart.
If you have opportunity to visit the capital, Mahon, get online and make some bookings. Book the ferry, book the childrens’ art class, book the tour, book lunch… and then make a beeline straight for the port. Here, by no.61 you will find the yellow boat waiting to transport you to our next stop…
HAUSER & WIRTH, ILLA DEL REI (MAHON)
Picture this : you hop off a fifteen minute ferry ride on to a tiny ancient island off the port of Mahon – the home of the old hospital has been transformed into the most beautiful art gallery you’ve ever set eyes on…
Not only is Hauser & Wirth a magical, tasteful smorgasbord for the senses with its curated shop, decor (those palm stools) and incredible restaurant, it’s also family friendly with a free craft session on Saturdays for the kids and an art installation play area combo that your tinies play on for three long hours whilst you indulge in the best frozen pomadas the island has to offer and another slice of chocolate pie (because the little ones are having too much fun to tear themselves away from their games even for chocolate).
You buy the poster because you don’t want to ever forget this perfect day – never before has there been such a perfect marriage of all the things I love and to be able to enjoy it with children was the cherry on top… What a day.
For our final stop we are heading south. It seems my top picks pretty much form a triangle of the furthermost points of the island but I will say this – Menorca is not that big but if you do not want to travel far then hopefully at least one is within striking distance.
We spent the end of our trip just outside Binibeca which is very tiny but very beautiful (Cala Mar had the best red prawns of the trip and a great view FYI) which was conveniently close to somewhere that kept coming up again and again in the recommendations…
BODEGAS BINIFADET, SAN LLUIS
Picture this – nestled among the grapes in the vineyard is a beautiful hybrid of a building – half modern with her stainless steel vats and half ancient with her crumbling garden walls and rustic wooden tables shaded under the vines swaying gently overhead.
You do a tasting that has you finally, at forty-one years old, turned onto white wine before settling down to your table to peruse the menu. You order all the small plates because everything sounds so good (and it is) along with tiny glasses of your new found favourite wines (75ml servings from 1€65 are refreshing in more ways than one) and you sit back, as the sun sets, and just feel like you won.
To everyone who recommended Binifadet – thank you, you were right…
We spent ten days in the beautiful family friendly bay of Arenal D’en Castell followed by four days in a gorgeous villa near Binibeca with friends and we loved every minute. I cannot profess to have explored this beautiful island enough to do a good travel guide but I know someone who has and you can read her Insiders Guide to Menorca right here if you are looking for more tips.
Thank you so much for sharing all these beautiful places. I am Brazilian but I live in San Francisco, CA for. Over two decades. I love Menorca and I have been twice. I miss the beach so much that when I was there my days were exploring the coastline and their beautiful beaches. At night I would go to Citadella and explore their delicious culinary.
Next time I go I will visit the places you recommended. Looks like you and your family had a great time. If you ever come to SF let us know.
Happy New Year!