Menorca - Menorca

The island Menorca is the easternmost and northernmost island of the Spanish autonomous region Balearic Islands. It is the quietest and least crowded of the three main islands and is therefore considered the most authentic. The coast is divided into numerous bays, so that you can have a beach almost to yourself.

background

Menorca means "the smaller one" in Catalan, in contrast to Mallorca, "the bigger one". Menorca has 94,875 inhabitants (as of 2011). The island area is 694 square kilometers. In 2006 the proportion of foreigners was 14.2% (12,543 inhabitants), the proportion of German residents was 0.8% (683). The capital is Maó.

Overall, the island is very green and wooded and there is a lot of agriculture. The north is rocky and characterized by craggy, rugged, partly fjord-like coasts, the south appears gentler, the coast is less rugged, also has more accessible beaches and is therefore more shaped by tourism. Because of the relatively late development by tourism, Menorca was largely able to save itself from being destroyed by urban sprawl. In 1993 the island was declared a biosphere reserve. Today almost half of the island is under landscape and nature protection.

The traces of the first settlement go back to the Neolithic. 6000 years BC The first Neolithic settlers probably came to the island by boat from the French Mediterranean coast. The oldest evidence of the existence of arable farmers dates from the 3rd century BC. Later came Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Moors. In 1287 King Alfonso III conquered. from Aragon the island, whereby the Islamic population of that time was enslaved.

The island remained Spanish until it was conquered by the British in the early 18th century and became part of the British Empire. During the Seven Years' War it was occupied by the French for a few years. In 1783 it was returned to Spain, although there was another British interlude during the Napoleonic period. Since 1983 it has been part of the Spanish Autonomous Region of the Balearic Islands.

Menorca has traditionally been shaped by agriculture, especially cattle breeding and the production of dairy products. What the fincas are on Mallorca, they are here Lloc, large estates. These are separated from each other by natural stone walls, which - if you look at Menorca from the air - appear as a network of fine lines.

Sustainable Tourism Tax ("Tourist Tax")

On Menorca - as on the other Balearic Islands - a tourist tax (Impost del Turisme Sostenible, ITS) is levied in order to offset the territorial and ecological effects of tourism in the Balearic Islands with targeted projects. Similar to a visitor's tax, an amount is charged for each person and night, which depends on the season and the hotel classification. In 2019, the ITS is 4 euros / person / night in a 5-star hotel. The ITS is collected by the accommodation provider. Detailed information on the purpose of the submission and on the tariffs is in the German language of the Website of the Commission for the Promotion of Sustainable Tourism refer to.

Regions

Menorca is divided into two comarcas, each with four municipalities:

Municipalities in the Comarca de Ciutadella

• Ciutadella de Menorca (Spanish: Ciudadela de Menorca)
• Es Migjorn Gran (Spanish: San Cristóbal)
• Ferreries (Spanish: Ferrerias)
• Es Mercadal

Parishes in the Comarca de Mahón

• Alaior (Spanish: Alayor)
• Es Castell (until 1985: Villacarlos)
• Maó (Spanish: Mahón)
• Sant Lluís (Spanish: San Luis)

places

The two largest cities on the island are:

• Maó, Capital located at the second largest natural harbor in the world.
• Ciutadella, the former capital of the island with its picturesque harbor, churches, aristocratic palaces and narrow, romantic old town streets.

Other goals

language

The official languages ​​are Catalan and Spanish. Menorquin is a dialect of Catalan and has many words from Arabic, French and English. A beautiful, rich language with partly untranslatable expressions.

In contrast to Mallorca, the British represent by far the largest group of foreign tourists here. Accordingly, English is the most widespread and mostly also the only spoken foreign language.

getting there

By plane

The 39.86254.218611Menorca Airport(IATA: MAH))) is located in the east of the island, around five kilometers southwest of the capital Maó (Mahon). From the German-speaking area he is (partly only seasonally) from Austrian Airlines, EasyJet, Eurowings, Lufthansa, Neos, People's Viennaline, SkyWork and TUIfly approached.

Numerous international and local car rental companies are represented at the airport. Shuttle services and private transfers are offered by buses or minibuses to all major holiday destinations on the island, an overview can be found at Shuttle Menorca. A limousine service is also available. You can also take the public bus line 10 to downtown Maó (every half hour, travel time 10 minutes, € 2.65).

By boat

You can take the ferry every day from Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Valencia to Maó or from Barcelona and Alcúdia drive to Ciutadella in Mallorca.

mobility

Public transportation

There is a fairly dense network of bus routes, almost all places are served by public buses. The frequency is often very thin, on many lines only two or three buses a day. The main providers are TMSAwhich organizes line 01 between Maó and Ciutadella (every hour on weekdays, less often on weekends) as well as traffic in the Maó area and the east of the island; the Company Torrewhich operates the regular bus between Maó and the airport, but mainly lines in the west around Ciutadella; as Cars Fornellswho are responsible for the north and northeast.

In the street

Since the 1970s with the onset of mass tourism, the road system has been expanded and improved. All important places can be reached via well-developed country roads. The expressway ME-1 runs in an east-west direction across the entire island and connects Maó with the airport and Ciutadella. From there, the individual roads branch off towards the coast. There are hardly any cross connections along the coast: If you want to go to another place, you generally have to go back to the main road and from there to the next destination.

Rental vehicles of all categories can be rented at the airport and in the tourist centers. The most problematic in terms of car traffic is Ciutadella. The former capital is extremely winding with narrow streets. There are parking spaces around the old town, but each for short parking for an hour. It is worthwhile to park the vehicle at the old port. Unlimited free parking is allowed there, and the old town of Ciutadellas is about 5 minutes away. However, there is also a very well developed public bus network.

By bicycle

The largely flat island is very suitable for cycling even for inexperienced people. Separate cycle paths are in short supply, however, and you usually have to ride along the hard shoulder of the road.

On foot

Menorca is a beautiful walking area. But here, too, the following applies: There are hardly any designated hiking trails (the most important exception is the Camí de Cavallswhich leads around the whole island). It should also be noted that a large part of the island is private land. Many smaller paths only lead to one piece of land and end there. If you are not familiar with the area, you will probably find a sign with the inscription more often Coto Privado ("Private property") and must then go all the way back to the last junction.

Tourist Attractions

Megalithic sites

A wealth of megalithic monuments fascinate the visitor - the as Taulas marked huge stone tables that were left over from the Talayot ​​culture, Talaiots called, mighty round towers and the Navetas called impressive death ships. Over thirty excavated taula complexes, which are almost completely preserved, and countless navetas and talaiots, which are spread over the whole island, make Menorca a unique open-air museum.

Harbor tour - Mahon

The best way to experience the natural beauty of the harbor is on a harbor tour or sit down in one of the many bars on the 3.5 km long Baixamar harbor promenade - down at the harbor - and enjoy a cool drink alongside the magnificent view of the water and ships.

Harbor walk - Ciutadella

A path that runs along the southern shore of the harbor is very worthwhile. The entire walk covers a total of 2.5 km - first along the landing stages to the Club Nautico, then up stairs to the rock plateau, then on to the harbor entrance, where you can experience atmospheric sunsets.

Worth seeing in Ciutadella

The town hall (Ajuntament) was formerly the Alcázar, the Arab governor's palace, then the royal palace under Alfonso II. The building served as the seat of the governors until the capital was relocated to Maó.

The cathedral - Es Catedral, also known as El Seu - is one of the few surviving examples of Catalan Gothic. It was built on the foundations of the former Arab mosque.

activities

Water sports, diving, sailing, surfing, ...

Of course, water sports come first in Menorca. The island's natural harbors provide the ideal setting for any activity related to the sea. In addition to the water sports clubs of Mahon, Ciutadella, Fornells and Es Castell, many beaches offer water sports.

In the southwest of the island, on the beach of Son Xoriguer, you will find a water sports center where you can sail, windsurf and rent a motorboat.

There is a wide range of sports in S'Algar - from diving, surfing and sailing to mini golf and tennis, everyone will find their own sport.

You can dive in Menorca in Cala Galdana, Punta Prima, Cala Santandria, Ciutadella, Puerto de Addaia, Son Xoriguer or Fornells.

The sheltered bay of Bahia de Fornells, with a length of approx. 3 km and shallow waters, is ideal for surfers and sailors in particular.

hike

The island is surrounded by an almost complete hiking trail along the coast, the 179 km long circular hiking trail Camí de Cavalls is very well signposted and provided with wooden posts and appropriate lettering. The name actually means "path for horses". It was probably created as early as the 14th century. At the latest in the 17th century he completely circled the island. At that time it was mainly used by the military with horses, but was also available to the common people. Due to the division into private properties, it was not usable for a long time. Since the mid-2000s, however, it has been freely accessible again and is marked as a hiking trail. It should be noted that there are very few food options on many stages, so at least water must always be taken with you. Overnight accommodations directly on the route are also very rare, so you may have to leave the path to spend the night. See stages Wikipedia article. Website with more information (also in German).

kitchen

The Menorcan cuisine is a simple variant of the Mallorcan. Menorca cooks much more with butter and cream than the other Balearic Islands, which mainly use olive oil. The Salsa Mahonesa, The forerunner of our mayonnaise (the name goes back to the capital of Menorca), is an important side dish.

A particular specialty is the island's cheese, Queso Mahon (Catalan Formatge de Maó) called. The hard cheese is made from raw cow's milk, can be purchased in various degrees of ripeness and is protected throughout Europe as a designation of origin.

The Carnixulla or carn-i-xulla is a smoked, coarse raw sausage made from lean pork and bacon, seasoned with salt, caraway seeds and other spices.

• 

  Younger Queso Mahon

• 

  Carnixulla

Menorca is also known for its ice cream production. The Menorquina company produces around 60 million liters of ice cream a year and is the third largest ice cream producer in Spain.

Wine

As on the neighboring islands, wine has been grown on Menorca since time immemorial. However, there were interruptions, for example when the time of the British occupation ended. But in the past few decades the old tradition has been renewed with renewed vigor. There are now several cellars and wineries on the island that grow different grape varieties. Name: Vino de la Tierra Isla de Menorca. White varieties such as Chardonnay, Macabeo, Malvasía, Moscatel, Parellada and Moll are grown here, while the red varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Monastrell, Syrah and Tempranillo of Corsican origin.

nightlife

security

climate

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean highest air temperature in ° C	14	15	17	19	22	26	29	29	27	23	18	15	O	21.2
Average air temperature in ° C	13	14	16	18	21	25	28	28	26	22	18	15	O	20.3
Average water temperature in ° C	14	13	14	15	17	21	25	25	24	21	18	15	O	18.5
Rainy days in the month	8	6	8	6	5	3	1	3	5	9	8	9	Σ	71

literature

Web links