Travel guide Minorca

All Spaniards have them on their feet. With a family resemblance to our espadrilles, they are sandals with leather straps, once worn by shepherds and with soles made from old tires. Originally from Menorca, they are known as menorquines in the rest of Spain. Even the royal family wears them!

Caldereta is a type of bouillabaisse typical of Menorca, and more specifically of Fornells, a small, charming town in the north of the island. The main difference with the famous French dish is that it includes lobster. The result is much more flavorful... and more expensive. Seafood lovers, you've come to the right place!

If Menorca is famous for its Avarques, it is also famous for its footwear industry in general, and luxury footwear in particular. Factories in the island's central towns, such as Alaior and Ferreries, are still in operation. Export brands include Pons Quintana, Ria and Mascaró.

Cheese lovers, rejoice! Menorcan cheese-making traditions have been recognized for centuries, and are reflected in the D.O.P. Queso de Mahón-Menorca cheese! Handcrafted according to a very precise protocol, its parallelepiped shape with rounded corners and orange rind are unmistakable.

The story of gin in Menorca goes back centuries! In fact, gin is still produced here in the same way as it was in the old days, in copper stills over 250 years old. The Xoriguer gin distillery in Maó is open to visitors and offers tastings.

Jazz, but also classical music, sacred music, world music and contemporary music, Menorca is an island that loves tempo and melody. In fact, there are several top-quality music festivals throughout the year, such as the Menorca Jazz Festival and the Pedra Viva music and performing arts festival... To name but a few!

These ancient stone quarries not far from Ciutadella are truly spectacular! Long exploited to extract marès, a limestone used in the construction of the island's houses, they were abandoned, then reclaimed and transformed into a particularly interesting and beautiful natural and cultural area!

You'll see them on all four Balearic islands. While on Mallorca and Ibiza, they are stocky and have short wings (these mills are used to pump water), on Formentera and Menorca, their wings are long (4 or 5 meters!) and sophisticated: they are used to capture more wind and make the millstones that crush the grains of wheat turn faster.

Minorca is still a confidential diving destination... And yet! Calm waters fluctuating between 22 and 28°C during the summer months, incredible 30-metre visibility, breathtaking seabeds with astonishing architecture, a wealth of marine fauna - it's all here for a great time underwater, making bubbles with the fish!

A blend of Menorcan gin and lemonade, Pomada, invented in the town of Maó in 1967, is a typical Menorcan drink. It's particularly popular in summer, especially during the patron saint's day, as it's a very refreshing drink! It is, of course, consumed throughout the archipelago.

A Menorcan staple, sobrassada is made from pork. Its red color comes from paprika, mixed with salt, pepper and minced meat. Despite its sausage-like appearance, sobrassada has the consistency of pâté, so it's best eaten spread on bread. Majorca also produces its own version.

The Talayotic era began between 1,000 and 300 BC. Numerous remains from this period can be found in the Balearic Islands, particularly on Menorca. They are characterized by taules : imposing T-shaped megaliths up to 3.7 m high. In 2023, the entire site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.