The less rowdy baby sister of Majorca in the Balearics, is the perfect place for a sunny sojourn but it is fast becoming a foodie hotspot, reports Sarah Hardy.
Menorca has long been a popular summer holiday choice for families in East Anglia, especially with direct flights from Norwich Airport. It’s easy to see why, with great beaches, a fabulous climate, and low level development with whitewashed buildings and beautiful harbours and villages.
My first visit was somewhat of a revelation. I’m not sure what I was expecting – maybe somewhere more in-your-face, more touristy and less, well, charming.
It’s about two and a half hours on the plane from Norwich and the island roads are very good. The main one runs between the current capital, Mahon, in the east and the old capital, Ciutadella, in the west, and it takes just over an hour by car.
I was immediately struck by the island’s laid back feel. No waiters trying to drag you into restaurants, no folk trying to sell you boat trips, timeshares or discounted nightclub entry! Rather, it is all very civilised and certainly relaxing from the get go.
We hired a villa through TUI, with its own pool, in Cala Galdana, a little resort on the south side of the island, with enough bars and shops to entertain our ‘young people’ and a lovely wide sandy bay. It was a great base to explore from, with plenty of walking options along old coastal bridle paths, through ancient woodland to small sandy coves. A boat trip along the coastline was another highlight: jumping off a boat into crystal clear waters is always invigorating!
Food is a huge part of our trips aboard and again Menorca was surprising. For a start, there are more than 300 independent producers of food and drink producers on the island, selling everything from saffron to craft beer. And many open their doors to visitors via Farmers & Co, an island-wide cooperative that helps organise food tours, visits and tastings.
The island gin, Xoriguer, was developed by the Brits, using grape wine in the 18th century, and you can visit the distillery in Mahon. It’s often used in an island cocktail (mixed with cloudy lemonade) called pomada – and good luck with that!
There are several cheese makers. We visited the island’s cheese museum at Hort Sant Patrici where you can taste several local cheeses – I particularly enjoyed the Mahon-Menorca Hort Sant Patrici which is made from pasteurized cow’s milk, with rounded edges and corners, and ranges from a mature cheese aged over eight to nine months, to a light 21-day cheese. They also do a very good lunch here at the estate’s hotel!
Island wines are on the rise too, with labels including Sa Forana, Binifadet, Hort, and Rubi del Mediterraneo. The Vin De Menorca shop in Mahon has a great selection.
Add in plenty of fantastic fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs – the tomatoes are heavenly – and locally caught fish and seafood, and eating out or cooking on the barbecue is a treat.
In Cala Galdana, we enjoyed eating steaks and patatas bravas at Es Barranc, and I’d also recommend trips to Mahon, Ciutadella and Fornells, a fishing village on the north side of the island. Mahon, which boasts the deepest natural harbour in the Med, has a great fish market (where you can also eat), plus a daily produce market in the cloisters of a 17th century convent. With lots of pavement cafés, and great shops (do look out for the island-made leather shoes), it’s a pleasant place to stroll, with regular refreshment stops, of course.Ciutadella, with its noble Arabic history, is a maze of cobbled alleyways, a magnificent central square and a lovely old port with a sloping fortress wall and old fishermen’s houses. We dined in the shadow of the Gothic cathedral, feasting on calamari and salad, and enjoyed cocktails at the port – although possibly not their prices!
Fornells, a small fishing village with no beach but a large harbour, is picture postcard pretty. We arrived in the late afternoon, to swim, and then spent time exploring the shops and narrow streets before tucking into tapas on the rooftop at Sa Taula in one of the village squares. It was as charming as it sounds!
So, sweet little Menorca is a classy choice. You can soak up all that Med sun, swim in turquoise waters and tuck into gourmet food and drink. Where’s that booking form for more?
Be sure to try…
MAYONNAISE
Menorca claims mayonnaise as its own. The precise genesis is debated, but one theory is that it originated in celebration of a French victory over the British on the island in 1756 – and that, initially, the word was Mahón-naise.
SOBRASSADA
This cured sausage combines ground pork, paprika and salt into a delicious whole. It is particularly popular in the islands because the ideal conditions to dry it – high humidity, mild cold – are synonymous with autumn on Mallorca and Menorca. It can be eaten raw or fried, but generally appears as a starter.
CALDERETA DE LLAGOSTA
This lobster stew is typically Menorcan and usually involves chunks of the reddest of crustaceans – often still wearing armour – bubbling in a sauce heavy on onions, tomatoes, garlic and parsley.
Read the article on the Feast Norfolk website: https://www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk/the-magazine/latest-editions/issue-45-april-2020/