Menorca

Menorca is the least hilly of the Islas Baleares, with a maximum height of 358 meters.  This leaves it open to the strong winds of the Mediterranean, especially so in the winter.  It seems that Menorca is hit by tramuntana (the tramontagne that blows down from the Golfe de Lion in France at sometimes very high speeds) about 30 days a year.  It is also a very humid island, averaging 69%.  The morning dew (known as “banyadura” is one of its trademarks.)

In 1993, UNESCO declared Menorca a Biosphere Reserve.  Its Natural Spaces Law protects 45% of its territory.  There are 20 protected areas on the island, including Menorca’s only Natural Park, which is one of four in the Balearic Islands.

The island, unlike the others Balearics, does not live only for tourism, as it has a small industrial sector, a thriving agriculture and cattle-raising sector. 

There is one quite famous local estate on Menorca, called the “Golden Farm”.   It is famous for a number of reasons, including its beauty, but also because Admiral Nelson stayed in it at one time.  The house is not open to the public, and is almost completely hidden from the main road that leads to it by car.   We climbed up a long hill along a very old path to get to the farm, and caught this glimpse of the house through the trees on the way up. 

The Balearic Islands (Spanish Islas Baleares), is an  archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, and a comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Spain coextensive with the Spanish provincia of the same name and established by the statute of autonomy in 1983.

The archipelago lies 50 to 190 miles (80 to 300 km) east of the Spanish mainland and has a land area of 1,936 square miles (5,014 square km).

City of Maó

The City (Ciudad) of Maó is where we spent most of our time however.  There is a daily public market up on the hill, and a fresh fish market right near by.  The town is overrun with tourists when there is a cruise ship in, but quite pleasant and welcoming when there are no ships.  The current city is built on the ruins of walls and old town buildings.  Surrounding areas are being built up with new homes and villages.  There are lots of restaurants along the waterfront, with small shops and cafes interspersed. 

Mahon road to market, Mahon street, Mahon south from city, Mahon east from the city, Mahon at night

Puerto de Maó is an important geological feature of Menorca.  The long narrow harbor is actually a fissure between two different types of terrain - the two parts of the island were formed in geologically different eras (Devonian and Miocene).  More importantly, however, Maó is considered to be the best natural port in the Mediterranean.  Menorca was ruled alternately by the Spanish, French and English in the 1700s, and Maó was always the prize at the end of the battle.  In 1802, the island was brought back under the Spanish flag, where it now remains.