2||SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009THE BALEARICSÞ For more information on the Balearics , go to www.illesbalears.es and www.spain.infoAbout this supplement The British have long enjoyed a love affair with the Balearic Islands. With 300 days of sunshine a year, flights of just over two hours from the UK, wonderful beaches, a rich culture, a host of water sports and other activities, delicious food and remarkable hospitality, it is little wonder that Menorca remains a popular holiday choice. This supplement looks at the unique personality of Menorca, renowned for its picture-postcard coves, quiet seclusion and family fun.Contents ISLAND OF DELIGHTS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR RIDING HIGH PAMPER YOURSELF SECLUDED SPOTS CULTURE 2-3 4 5 6 7ISLAND OF DELIGHTS beaches and a host of great activities. By Deborah StoneBALEARIC ISLANDSMENORCA is perfect for family holidays, offering beautifulMENORCAM MENORCAPRODUCED BY TELEGRAPH CREATE Editor: JACKIE HOLLAND Chief sub editor: EMMA NORTHAM Creative director DAWN SQUANCE Art directorJON FARLEY Picture editor ABI PATTON Design LENA KONSTANTAKOU, ELTON LAM Production JOHN BARTON, GUY HAYDON, CLARA PENN, SARAH POULTON, JOHN WILMOTTy daughter Georgia was only four months old when we went to Menorca for her first seaside holiday. She shrieked with delight as I held her over the gently lapping waves on the beach at Cala en Porter, swinging her legs through the crystal clear water. It’s one of the safest beaches on Menorca thanks to the steep-sided cliffs that keep the sea calm throughout spring and summer. That was 11 years ago, and when I returned this spring the town was almost exactly as I remembered it. There were no new high-rise apartments or hotels and there are neverlikely to be because, despite 50 years of tourism, the island is still largely as nature intended it to be. And that’s how Menorcans want it to stay. There are several more family resorts dotted along the south coast: Binibèquer, with its small, sandy cove and picturesque holiday village; Punta Prima, with its large sandy beach and rock pools; Son Bou, with the island’s longest beach; Santo Tomas, which has three adjoining beaches, and Cala Galdana — beautiful but busy. The north coast is better known for its unspoilt beaches with few facilities, but it also has some excellent family resorts. These include Son Parc, a wide beach with shallow waters backed bysand dunes and close to Menorca’s only golf course, and Arenal d’en Castell, a curved sandy beach where you can rent canoes. I was thinking of Georgia — and her younger brother, Henry — as I canoed across the bay at Es Grau, with Carlos, who runs Menorca en Kayak with his partner, Teresa. Our double kayak had a rudder at the back to increase stability, but the sea was as smooth as glass and the bay is very shallow, making it one of the safest places to canoe in Menorca. Carlos and I paddled straight across Es Grau towards an empty beach on the headland, and then along the rocky shoreline — through natural arches and into caves. Below us the meadows of seagrass, which can thrive only in spotlessly clean water, were clearly visible. Then we headed out towards Colom Island, which has just one summer house on it and two deserted sandy beaches. Although my children still love bucket-and-spade beaches, they will soon be wanting more from a seaside holiday — and Menorca can easily provide that with its excellent canoeing, sailing and windsurfing schools. Fornells, on the north coast, has a well-deserved reputation as the best spot on the island for learning to sail or windsurf — and it’s great for safe canoeing, too. This sailing town is at the mouth of a long inlet that widens out to provide plenty of sheltered water for beginners and improvers. Minorca Sailing, based at Ses Salines on the road to Fornells, is a British-run school that organises family holidays with programmes for teenagers and children through to a crèche for babies over four months. However, if you don’t fancy getting wet you can still enjoy the sea with a boat ride around the bay at Mahón. The British moved Menorca’s capital from Ciutadella to Mahón to take advantage of the sheltered port, which is the second deepest in the world and was strategically crucial to help safeguard British ships that sailed through the Mediterranean. I took a top-deck seat on the gleaming white Don Joan
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009|| 1The Daily Telegraph Saturday, April 4, 2009MENORCA A new look at Britain’s favourite Spanish holiday island.INSIDE SPECIAL SECTION ON THE MAGIC OF MENORCAin association with
2||SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009THE BALEARICSÞ For more information on the Balearics , go to www.illesbalears.es and www.spain.infoAbout this supplement The British have long enjoyed a love affair with the Balearic Islands. With 300 days of sunshine a year, flights of just over two hours from the UK, wond
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009| Distributed with The Daily Telegraph| 3For more information on Menorca, go to www.illesbalears.es and www.spain.infoMENORCAcatamaran for a trip around the port and close-up views of the military buildings that have defended the island over the centuries. In just over an hour
4| Distributed with The Daily Telegraph|SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009MENORCAÞ For more information on Menorca, go to www.illesbalears.es and www.spain.infoTHE PERFECT PLACE FOR RIDING HIGHIN THE SADDLE Deborah Stone goes horse riding and cycling through spectacular Menorcan sceneryAmoment’s hesitation at
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009| Distributed with The Daily Telegraph| 5For more information on Menorca, go to www.illesbalears.es and www.spain.infoMENORCASIMPLY THE BEST New spas and modern restaurants sit side by side with tradition, writes Ruby SimpsonPAMPER YOURSELFWhen holidaymakers started visiting M
6| Distributed with The Daily Telegraph|SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009MENORCAÞ For more information on Menorca, go to www.illesbalears.es and www.spain.infoSUPERSTOCK.COMSECLUDED SPOTS PERFECT ISOLATION Followan ancient coastal path to find tranquillity and charming wildlife, writes Tiffany FieldIt’s easy
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009| Distributed with The Daily Telegraph| 7For more information on Menorca, go to www.illesbalears.es and www.spain.infoMENORCADelve into a treasure trove of intriguing relics CULTURE Spend some relaxing time amidFascinating sights: Stone Age Menorca; inset, Plaça d’es Born; bel
