Menorca is the second largest island of the Balearic archipelago, located in its north-eastern part. It is called the island of fire and winds, an open-air museum. Minorca, in Spanish, means "lesser" - in relation to Majorca.
Menorca, despite its proximity to Mallorca, noticeably differs from it . On the one hand, the island is considered one of the most expensive and fashionable resorts in Spain, with another - here you will not find the usual eyes of the huge hotel complexes of the Mediterranean coast . The fact is that Menorca, according to UNESCO, is an international biosphere resource in the territory of which the construction of tall buildings is forbidden (only two five- ksa, built before the decision of UNESCO) . Today the rules say: hotels should not be above 3 floors, the roofs of the residents of the island must be in harmony with the color of the soil, and the walls must necessarily be painted white .
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How to get here
You can get to Menorca from Barcel airport Inland flight to the island. The flight takes approximately 40 minutes. Regular direct flights Moscow - Barcelona are carried out by Aeroflot all year round, in the "high season" charter flights are added (usually on Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday). In addition, you can fly to Majorca from Majorca and Ibiza or get to the sea.
Search for tickets to the city of Palma de Mallorca (the nearest airport to Menorca)
Climate
Clear + 15 ° C in the afternoon + 10 ° C at night ° C water |
Clear + 16 ° C in the afternoon + 13 ° C at night ° C water |
Clear + 15 ° C in the afternoon + 12 ° C at night ° C water |
| Weather forecast in Menorca on 10 days | ||
| Average monthly temperature, ° C | ||||||||||||
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| In the afternoon | + 13 | + 13 | + 15 | + 17 | + 21 | + 25 | + 28 | + 28 | + 26 | + 21 | +17 | + 14 |
| at night | + 7 | + 7 | + 8 | + 10 | + 13 | + 17 | + 20 | + 20 | + 18 | + 15 | + 11 | + 8 |
| water | + 16 | + 16 | + 16 | + 17 | + 18 | + 21 | + 23 | + 25 | + 25 | + 23 | + 21 | + 18 |
The climate of Menorca is mild Mediterranean. In summer, the air temperature, as a rule, keeps at a level of + 27-29 ° C, in winter rarely falls below +15 ° C. However, from December to February, strong winds blow here ("Tramuntana" and "Mestral"), storms often rage. The tourist season here continues from April to November. The rainy season begins in August
@ Nature Minorca
Menorca is quite original. It is expressed in its historical, cultural heritage and even in natural features. The island is more flat, while its northern coast is heavily indented by bays with pebble beaches and reddish sand. The southern shore is cut by ravines - here dominated by wet areas with a special microclimate, with characteristic fauna and flora. This is mostly an agricultural area with fertile lands.
In the center of the island, green meadows with bright spots of flowers reminiscent of Scotland adjoin to the areas of the stony desert scorched by the midday sun. A mixture of images of the north and south, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean - from these contrasts and consists of Minorca
The beaches of Menorca
On the island about 120 beaches - more than in Mallorca and Ibiza combined. But some of them are so closed from casual visitors that you can get to them only by sea or by going down almost steep rocks. The cleanest sea, beautiful beaches, fantastic landscapes and total privacy will become a reward.
Among the popular beaches are Kaya-Anna and Kaya-Galdana, which are deltas of dried up rivers (they are called kaya in the local dialect). In the south of the island, in Son Bou, for 3 km stretch sand dunes, chosen by nudists. In the north, gently sloping beaches and wide bays with sandy beaches are open to tourists.
Menorca hotels
Half of the island's hotel fund are apartments, the rest is 3-4 * hotels. For several years in Menorca it is forbidden to build multi-storey hotels, their maximum height should not exceed 3-4 floors. A small hotel capacity can accommodate about 40 thousand tourists at the same time.
Popular resorts
In the north-western part of Menorca, 10 km north of Es Mercadal, near the fishing village of Fornells is a brilliant resort with a harbor for luxury yachts. It is here, in the bar "Palma", the whole Spanish beau monde gathers in the summer.
Santa Gáldana Bay 10 km south of the village of Ferrerís offers a more relaxed beach holiday and interesting hiking trails. To the west of the Cap de Cavailleria are the remains of the Phanikian village of Sanitji and the lighthouse of the same name. Along the coast there are clean, but hard-to-reach beaches - Cala Predgonda, Cala del Pilar, La Vall d'Algaiarens
Menorca Cities
On the island there are two capitals: - Ciudadela, and official - Mahon, which became such in the 18th century, during the period of English rule. The harbor of Mahon was a strategic location for British troops - which is why there are so many typical English houses made of red brick. The length of the harbor is 5 km: it is considered one of the best natural harbors of the Mediterranean Sea.
In Maone, tourists are invited to visit the church of St. Francis with the adjoining monastery and the church of St. Mary with the baroque organ, where organ music festivals are held annually. Also in the city there is a military, scientific and literary museum
In Ciudadela it seems that the time has stopped on the day when the city lost its role as the capital of the island, leaving only a bishop's residence . Thanks to the stormy history and numerous conquests of different cultures, the architecture of Ciudadela is very diverse .Since the Turkish invasion, the church Iglesia-Catedral de Menorca, preserved in the style of the Catalan Gothic .Near the historic center of Ciudadela - the Plaza de Borne, surrounded by palaces in the style of the Italian Renaissance, and in the center - Andes Disgrasia's monument "Years of misfortune", laid in memory of the capture of the city by the Turks .The streets of Ciudadela, planted with fig trees and palms, invite you to leisurely walks - strolling along them, you will see the fantastic beauty of the square with palaces in the Venetian style and in the Art Nouveau style .
In addition, the island has preserved the monuments of the Roman era - in the towns of Son Bou and Fornas de Torello, attention deserves a church of the 5th century with fantastic mosaic beauty.
Ancient sights of the island
It is believed that in Menorca more than 3, 5 thousand years ago there was a mysterious civilization that left behind stone structures in the form of a truncated pyramid - the so-called ships of the dead that are even older than the Egyptian pyramids.
- Have breakfast at a local cafe with tartily (omelette with potatoes) or an ensamada (a bun with stuffing, delighting everyone and everyone).
- Make a wish and build a house from the stones scattered all over the island.
- Ride along the shore on a beautiful horse.
- To spend the night in the estate a little further from the coastline.
- To forget for a vacation not only about the clock, but also about the calendar.
In addition, the island has 1600 districts with preserved to this day structures of the megalith period of the Talayot culture of the Bronze Age .These are the so-called calumnies - stone structures in the form of inverted boats, which served as dwellings for ancient residents and tombs after their death, the Taula - stone towers in the form of the letter "T", used as sacrificial altars, and taliots - round towers used for meetings and community housing .The largest location of megaliths is Torre-den-Galmes, which was the largest settlement of the Talayot up to the 1400s before .e .
On Santa Agueda plateau, at an altitude of 264 m above sea level, the Castle of Santa Agueda with the chapel of St. Agatha, with a magnificent view of the surrounding area, rises. You can get here by a well-preserved ancient Roman road, which is over 2 thousand years old.
Attention deserve a cave near the village of Kales-Cove - there are more than a hundred, and their walls are richly carved with ancient rock paintings. Many excursions visit Navez des Tudons - a tomb, created in the period 1-2 cc. BC. e. and opened only in 1975. There are perfectly preserved various household items and ornaments - now this is a well-known museum.
Even in these places the traveler is struck by the numerous stone hedges, for which Menorca is called the "island of stone hedges". Local claim that their total length is greater than that of the Great Wall of China. True or not, there are really a lot of them. The explanation of the phenomenon to the ridiculous is simple: the ground here is rocky, and the peasants, clearing it of stones, did not take them far away, but put them in fences.
Events and holidays
On the island, festivals and holidays involving horses are very popular, and most of the locals are excellent riders. In the days of such festivals, riders in black and white clothes ride through the streets of cities on horses decorated with ribbons and carnations, competing for the title of the best.
The main holiday in Menorca - Festa de San Joan (the feast of John the Baptist) - is celebrated in June. At this time on the streets of the city riders are shown horse riding techniques and ritual exercises, known from the Middle Ages. ZHINEBRA (local gin) and Pomada cocktail (gin and lemonade) are pouring down the river, the city has been bustling for a week. After June 24, every weekend, all the settlements of the island take turns celebrating the feast of their saint.
And at the end of August in Menorca is a horse feast Ekuin-Fiesta (horse Fiesta). During the horse fiesta, experienced riders in national dress, competing for the title of the best, arrange a whole performance with horses - a haleo.
Photos of Menorca (11)