26th October 2018
I caught up with Lin to hear all about her most recent holiday to Menorca. Lin has been part of the Sales Team at MPO Travel for nearly 6 years and has been to the island each year visiting the villas in our portfolio. This time, she decided to go to Menorca with her partner and have a proper villa holiday to discover the real, rural Menorca.
"Being in the sales team, I wanted to experience our offerings first-hand. My partner Ian and I are avid walkers and enjoy cycling on the weekends. We’ve heard and read so much about the different walks and activities on the island so we thought, why not?”
Lin rented the lovely country farmhouse,
VN40 in Alaior for 10 nights in late September.
"I liked Alaior, it’s a lovely hill-top town with a good selection of shops and restaurants. There’s a lovely central square where you can sit with a coffee and watch the world go by. I would say it’s very much a local’s place and felt very authentic. From the villa, it was about a 20-minute walk along a dry-stone path which leads you to the top end of the town - very convenient if you didn’t want to drive.”
Lin read ’10 Reasons for Visiting Menorca’ list before her holiday which included all kinds of activities – from hiking the beautiful countryside to visiting the archaeological treasures dotted around the island. This history attracted her to the island even more.
"We wanted to discover rural Menorca. We heard there were lots of hidden treasures on the island so we wanted to discover these for ourselves. Because we enjoy our walking and cycling, we decided to rent bikes and plan our own mountain bike route.
We rented our bikes from a company in Alaior called
A Roda. They provided us with two high-quality mountain bikes, which came with a bike lock, puncture repair kit, compartment box and a water carrier - all at a very reasonable price. We walked into the shop in Alaior and they had a large selection of bicycles and sizes. The company was very helpful – they helped us choose the best bikes for us and they also suggested some great routes around the island, which was a bonus.
Before our trip, I read about the old roads that run across Menorca and are rarely used nowadays due to the new ME-1 road that connects Mahon and Ciutadella. During our trip, we used these old roads as much as possible as they were perfect for cycling. One which we used quite frequently was Cami de Kane, which connects Mahon to Es Mercadal. This road is 20 km long and was pretty much deserted. I would highly recommend these roads to anyone who enjoys cycling and would rather cycle than take a car.”
Our days in Menorca:
Es Grau – Cap de Favaritx (Cycle)
"We were excited to start exploring the island and cycled to Es Grau on our first day. From there we planned to finish the ride at Cap De Favaritx. The ride was stunning, and I was surprised by how quiet and deserted it was. The views were marvellous, with the irregular coastline made up of bays, inlets and coves which we explored along the way. We stopped at one particular spot and spent an hour just enjoying the peace and quiet and took a refreshing dip in the sea.”
Cap de Cavalleria – Cala Pregonda (Walk)
For centuries, Cap de Cavalleria has been the object of worship and respect both for its position (being the northernmost point of Menorca) which allows one to see both sunrise and sunset and for its dangers to sailors. The cliff this lighthouse is perched on is a 90-metre-high calcareous cliff that has been witness to significant shipwrecks throughout the years.
"We drove up to Cap de Cavalleria to start our walk, and the lighthouse was stunning. We spent some time admiring it and the breath-taking panoramic views from the cliff. From here we followed the path of the Cami de Cavalls, which is brilliantly signposted throughout. This walk was variant, the geological diversity was incredible, and there were also several calas (coves) along the way. We stopped at one called Cala Mica which was beautiful and again so quiet, the golden-red sand was one to remember. From here we continued and found ourselves inland, and walked on through farmland and dunes which provided such a contrast to the coast. We finished our walk at Cala Pregonda and were greeted there by such a colourful and magical setting.”
Lin’s Top Tip: Check the local transport times before you plan your walk. There are pick up times in some areas which are timed for the end of the day - ideal if you don’t want to drive!
Day in the town of Ciutadella
"We made our way to Ciutadella by car, but just before we got there we took a detour to the Naveta d’Es Tudons, one of the many megalithic monuments scattered around Menorca. It’s amazing that it was still intact after all these years.”
The
Naveta d’Es Tudons is a pre-Talayotic funeral building which was in use from 1200 to 750 BC. It consisted of a collective tomb which contained the remains of at least 100 graves with their respective funerary belongings. It is one of the most famous monuments on Menorca and as such has become one of the island’s cultural icons.
"We continued on and made our way to Ciutadella, once the islands capital city. This town is very attractive and characterful with an attractive port. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of things there were to do and places to eat. We visited the
Cathedral of Menorca which was terrific and well worth a visit. The entry fee was €6 and we were given a very insightful leaflet that explained the history and the different areas of the church. After this, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the medieval streets and enjoyed a quiet lunch at a seafood restaurant.”
Talayotic Menorca
"My partner and I are really fascinated by prehistory in Menorca so we decided to spend a day visiting
Torre d’en Galmes, a large Talayotic settlement dating back to at least 2,000 BC. This was worth a visit whether you’re into your history or not. It’s a must-see, especially for only €3 entrance. The site covers a large area and paths are generally good and clearly marked (I recommend wearing some sturdy shoes just in case) and informative boards are placed around explaining each building. It was great being able to walk about and immerse yourself in the history.”
Gastronomy of Menorca:
"Menorca is justifiably called the ‘foodie’ island and as I’ve been to Menorca several times before, I was aware of the delicious food there was on offer. My partner and I took one of the old roads (Cami de Migjorn) from Alaior to Es Mercadal, which is renowned for its restaurants. Es Mercadal is a lovely town with quaint shops, cafes and restaurants. We enjoyed a meal at
Ca N’Olga. The restaurant is a converted Menorcan townhouse and as you walked in it felt like you were going into someone’s house, and you then make your way out to a romantic outdoor dining terrace. The food was absolutely divine, I highly recommend the goats cheese starter!”
Horse riding: Between Cala Galdana and Ferreries
"We wanted to do something different for the day so we decided to go on a guided horse tour. The company we used is called
Menorca a Cavall and the route we took was down to Cala Fustam, which is one of the two beaches that only allow horseback. This route was through the Cami de Cavalls, and we discovered the different kinds of soil and flora of the area. We also saw some of the fabulous coves of the south coast such as Cala Trebaluger, Cala Escoxada and Cala Fustam. In Cala Fustam we got in the sea with the horses, which was lovely.”
Relaxing evenings in Calas Fonts, Es Castell
"Who doesn’t love Calas Fonts? The atmosphere here is perfect – wind down and end a day with a drink and delicious meal whilst enjoying the views out to sea. We went and ate here twice, and each time was great. We ate at a restaurant called
Es Llenegall and the food was absolutely delicious. Everything is cooked to order, and the selection of wine was great. Highly recommend a visit!”
In Summary...
"I feel like I could go on and on about my trip to Menorca, but to sum it up, it was a really enjoyable and insightful trip. Menorca is simply stunning; our walks and bike rides really opened my eyes to the rural Menorca. I’ve also learnt so much about the history and culture of the island and I think this is quite overlooked – yes the island is beautiful, and the beaches are some of the best I’ve ever seen but there’s so much more than just that!”
At the end of my chat with Lin, I asked her a few questions that will hopefully help our future clients looking to book a villa holiday in Menorca. Follow this link
here to read our Q & A.
More Photos from Lin's holiday:
Has Lin's trip tempted you to discover the beautiful island of Menorca and rent a luxury villa? Enquire today here and we'll be more than happy to help you start planning your next unforgettable villa holiday!