Things To Do in Menorca

This prehistoric village near Son Bou is the largest of its kind in the Balearic Islands. It was home to more than 1,000 people back in its heyday in 1400 BC. Now, deserted and bursting with wild flowers, its crumbled walls wrap around well-preserved ‘taulas’ – T-shaped temples – and ‘taliatos’ – round towers.

Lace up your walking boots and spend a day exploring this wetland area on Menorca’s east coast. Footpaths skirt a lagoon and marshes, letting you spy on cormorants, osprey and herons. Finish up with a swim at nearby Es Grau Beach, or hire canoes and paddle out to El Colom – an off-shore island studded with Roman ruins. It’ll take you around half an hour to reach the wetlands from Punta Prima.

Menorca’s two waterparks are great for a family day out, thanks to their stomach-churning slides, clever wave machines and child-friendly chutes. Aquarock in Cala’n Bosch is crammed with white-knuckle rides like the Kamikaze, while the waterpark at Cala’n Forcat serves up an adventure river, hydro-tubes and a toboggan run.

Right on Mahon’s pretty harbourfront stands the famous Xoriguer gin factory. Look out for the gigantic copper stills and learn how they’ve been making the island’s favourite tipple for over a century. For something a bit different, try the speciality herbal varieties and, if you’re up for it, what’s known as the ‘Menorcan breakfast’ – neat gin.

The Cales Coves, near Cala'n Porter, have seen millennia come and go. This prehistoric site overlooks a rocky bay and is made up of over 100 Bronze Age caves. Between the 9th and 4th centuries BC, the caverns were used as both homes and cemeteries. Today, they shine a light on Bronze Age life – in some of the caves you can still see wall paintings depicting ancient customs.

It takes a bit of effort to get to Cales Coves – down a bumpy car track or a 45-minute walk though olive groves from Son Vitamina – but you’re greeted by one of Menorca’s prettiest sights. The rugged cliffs in this beautiful turquoise bay are home to more than 100 Bronze Age caves carved into the rock face. They’re empty now, but they were once used as homes and burial chambers.

This city's the Audrey Hepburn of the Balearics. It’s stylish, dignified and has a touch of old-world glamour about it. One of the city’s most popular spots is Ses Voltes. It’s a cloister-like arcade packed with dinky tapas bars and boutiques. Come sundown, the attention turns to the yacht-filled marina and its seafood restaurants.

San Juan is a monster celebration that marks the summer solstice. It’s celebrated across Spain, and Ciutadella is one of the best places to see the festivities. The street parties go on for three or four days, but the headliner is the famous horse-riding procession. Watch as black stallions rear up into the air, and locals surge forward to touch the horses’ chests. Then get ready to be pelted with hazelnuts. It might sound bizarre, but it’s not an act of aggression – each nut actually represents a kiss.

If you’re willing to make the 45-minute drive from Punta Prima, and then brave the hairpin bends that zigzag up Menorca’s highest peak, you’re in for a nice surprise – and we don’t just mean the views. Legend has it, a bull found a statue of the Virgin Mary here. There’s a striking sculpture of Christ and a Renaissance church on the spot where the bull supposedly made its discovery, together with a Franciscan convent.