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 Menorca, the promise of sunshine and sandy beaches was enough to keep everybody happy. But as travellers search for new experiences the islanders have responded with a growing number of spas for those who want to be pampered and a move towards gourmet tourism for those who like the good things in life. Both make great themes for short breaks or can be integrated into a longer holiday. Menorca is famous for its lobster stew — caldereta de langosta — its juniper gin and Mahón cheese, so I visited the Sant Patrici cheese farm near Ferreries to see cheese makers working on that day’s batch of 100 hand-made cheeses. Later I called at the small museum to find out more about the process and view the finished cheeses maturing on special racks in a cheese cave. If you miss the real-life cheese making in the morning — they work from 9-11am — you can watch them on video, and in the afternoon you might see them rubbing olive oil into the cheeses to keep them moist and protect the skins. I didn’t realise cheeses needed moisturising, and as I was browsing in the farm’s gourmet store — it sells honey, sobrassada sausages and its own-brand extra virgin olive oil, as well as cheese — I made another discovery: Menorca is setting itself up to be a wine tourism destination. Commercial winemaking died out in Menorca in the 19th century when disease killed the vines, but now Illa de Menorca wine is being widely produced locally at vineyards such as the Binifadet Winery at St Lluís, Vinya Sa Cudia, at Mahón, and the Casals, at Sant Patrici. Hort Sant Patrici is made at the Casals’ new vineyards, and blended and bottled in a state-of-the-art winery where visitors enjoy wine tasting and learn the wine-making process. You can even stay at the palace-like farmhouse, Ca Na Xinia. Naturally, Menorcan wine goes well with Menorcan food — cheese, sausages and fish — all of which is made to high standards. Restaurante Ses Voltes, one ofPEDRO COLL PEDRO COLLCiutadella’s best contemporary tapas restaurants, likes to showcase topquality local produce, and it was here that I was introduced to the morcilla sausage — a small black pudding — layered with sliced potatoes in a thyme cream sauce. There were cubes of hand-made cheese served with tomato marmalade and potato croquettes flavoured with sobrassada. I stayed at the Hotel Port Ciutadella, one of the newest spas on the island, and after a day walking, I was ready for a few hours of pampering. The hotel spa has a small indoor pool with a sauna and steam room. The area is luxuriously warm and with pretty blue tiles creating a relaxing atmosphere. My pedicure included a foot massage and thorough exfoliation to set me up for more sightseeing the next day. The Spa and Wellness Centre at the Hotel Audax, in Cala Galdana, is the island’s premier spa, with pools, steam rooms and relaxation zones as well as an impressive list of treatments. The Hotel Capri, in Mahón — its sister hotel — has a Petit Spa, with views over the harbour. Mahón, Menorca’s capital, is an ideal base for a short break. A short drive from the airport, the smart city has many tourist attractions, the island’s most stylish shops and some of its best restaurants and bars. One of the city’s most luxurious hotels is the four-star Hotel Port Mahón, part of Sethotels Menorca. It’s an elegant, colonial-style building in a quiet area overlooking the harbour, with beautiful bedrooms, a piano bar, terrace restaurant and outdoor pool. Steps lead down to the waterside restaurants and bars and you can reach the town centre within minutes.FIND OUT MORE SetHotels: 0034 971 36 26 00; www.sethotels.com Sant Patrici cheese farm: 0034 971 373 702; www.santpatrici.com Restaurante Ses Voltes: 0034 971 381 498 Artiem Fresh People Hotels: 0034 902 356 935; www.rtmhotels.comSimply lovely: Ciutadella, top, is a modern delight, while spas, above left, are a major attraction. Menorca’s famous lobster stew, right
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
