The magical island of Menorca was ruled by the British for an amazing one hundred years, until it was annexed by Spain in 1802. It is the second biggest island of the Balearics. (Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera)

It is a truly superb sun destination which has avoided the mass market package holiday companies and is the perfect place for family holidays, offering peace in beautiful, relaxing surrounds amongst rolling fields, long fjord-like sandy coves and sleepy fishing villages.

The island is dotted with prehistoric remains, giving strong evidence of a bygone sophisticated culture. Little is known of those weather beaten stone monuments, but it is thought they are linked to those of Sardinia and date around the second millennium BC Talayotic period

The main towns are its vibrant capital, Mahon (also known as Mao) in the east, and the more pretty and charming town of Ciutadella in the west.
Mahon offers many attractions, such as its city walls and one of the largest ports you will ever see, whereas Ciutadella, the old capital offers much more in terms of architecture and steep history. Ciutadella is often missed by the tourist and is definitely is a ‘must see’.

The town of Mahon does not offer a lot in terms of sightseeing opportunities, but it has excellent eateries, shops and a very relaxed ambience for wandering around a great port. Mahon itself is a slow and conservative town, consisting of classical Georgian houses from its British past (The famous Admiral Nelson once lived at the Golden Farm Mansion). Mayonnaise was even invented in Mahon.
For sightseeing, a trip to the excellent Xoriguer Gin distillery is well worth a visit.

Other towns in Menorca offer several attractions, Fornells is a lovely fishing village in the north which has a beautiful bay and is famous for its truly scrumptious lobster cooking. It is even reputed that the King of Spain has frequently the place for its gastronomic delights.
Cala Galdana is one of the most popular beauty spots on the island, simply because it has a beautiful, safe bay, making it entirely suitable for families with small children.
Menorca is actually the greenest and least developed of all the Balearic Islands. It has a slightly gentler feel than neighbouring Mallorca and is the perfect holiday destination for couples and families: everything is easy, peaceful and close to hand. The best part of Menorca is its abundance of fabulous beaches – it has more beaches than the rest of the Balearics put together. The coastline ranges from pristine coves to long, sandy beaches separated by rocky cliffs.

Inland, Menorca is quite rural with peaceful scenery of rolling fields and wooded ravines. Resort villages are dotted around the coast and characteristically amount to just a small selection of hotels and self-catering apartments, with enough quality shops, bars and restaurants to satisfy most visitors. As such the resorts are extremely safe, modern and sympathetically designed to complement the surroundings.
A proud island, Menorca is clean and uncluttered, with an excellent climate – qualities that promote a sense of space and well being for everyone.
Menorca is not expensive and a daily budget of around $35 is sufficient for a good time. However splashing out and experiencing everything can be done within a daily budget of $80. The museum of Menorca is easily the biggest building on the island and the best museum. It holds a wide array or prehistoric artefacts from 4000BC and Talayotic times

Another well-known sight is the Naveta Dels Tudons, also known as the cathedral of prehistoric monuments. It is shaped like an upturned boat and is one of several Navetas on the island. Navetas were old funeral structures and are surrounded in mystery and legend.

Menorca, like many tourist spots has several tourist information centers to cater for the needs of the visitor, whether it is information on numerous festivals, sightseeing attractions or travel excursions.

Menorca, Spain Travel by Taxis
Taxis in Menorca are a useful way to travel around the towns and visit nearby sights and attractions. The taxi meters starts at a basic fare, but additional charges are usually made for luggage, night time driving and travel on public holidays in Menorca.

Menorca Driving Tips
Citizens of EU member countries require a national driving licence to drive cars in Spain
Citizens from non-EU member countries need an International Driving Permit, as well as their national driving licence
You must be at least 18 years old to drive a car in Spain and have a valid driving licence and car insurance
It is compulsory for the driver and all passengers to wear seat belts and children under 14 years old are not allowed to travel in front seats
In Spain, cars drive on the right-hand side of the road

Give way to traffic coming from the right at junctions and roundabouts
Beware of what appear to be shortcuts on maps - these often turn out to be unpaved roads or mountain passes
Unless indicated, other major routes are 56 miles per hour / 90 km per hour and slower speed limits of 30 miles per hour / 50 km per hour are enforced in urban areas
It is an offence not to carry some form of identification, such as passport or driving licence

Menorca, Spain Travel by Car / Car Rental
Driving in the centre of busy towns and popular resorts is best avoided if possible, as many of the streets and narrow, with one-way traffic. Cars parked alongside the pavements can also making driving conditions difficult. However, a car in Menorca provides a useful way to easily travel around the island and a current map of Menorca’s roads is useful. There are many winding roads around the island that offer some truly spectacular views.

For information on car hire or car rentals visit Every Car Hire at Car Hire Menorca Spain.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 11:07 am and is filed under Car Rental. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.