Family Holidays: Menorca family holidays and breaks

Take the Family holiday rating 4½ stars out of 5

Why

Menorca is a good choice for a first (or second or third) family holiday abroad: it's just a couple of hours’ flight from the UK, has more beaches than its Balearic neighbours (Ibiza and Mallorca) combined, is quieter and more family focused, and offers beautiful scenery. Because there are no long stretches of coastal road, and because it’s a UNESCO biosphere reserve, it’s escaped the rash of sprawling high-rise coastal development seen elsewhere on the Med, and there’s a wide choice of intimate hotels and villas.

If you’re travelling with teens who need some nightlife, there's comparatively little on offer, so stay in or near Cala en Porter in the south, which is relatively lively. And while Menorca is perfect for a one-week break, bear in mind that given its compact size you might run out of things to do after two weeks.

Top left: Cala Estalaier
Top middle: Beach
Top right: Sunset

Bottom left: Red Beach
Bottom right: Horse Statue

When

May and September are perfect times to go. It's generally warm enough in April and October, too, while the summer months themselves might be too hot and too busy. In winter there are frequent rain showers (to which Menorca owes its lush vegetation).

Mid–late June sees the island’s best fiesta, of San Juan in Ciutadella. Horses take prominence, with a display of medieval horseback sports.

How

There are regular and direct charter flights from many UK airports. You can also fly on Iberia via Barcelona, but indirect flights are best avoided with young kids if possible. Direct flights take just over two hours from London. Check deals with British Airways, Expedia and partners XL Airways.

The capital, Mahon (Maó), is about 6km from the airport, and any point on the island Menorca is accessible by car within an hour. See our car hire page.

Stay

There are numerous family friendly hotels in Menorca. Check tons of family friendly hotels with partners Thomson ( save an exclusive additional £20 by quoting '1321'), Sovereign and Expedia. Your family might prefer a self catering villa option and, again, there are plenty to suit different requirements and budgets. Take a look at a range of Menorcan villas, sleeping from 2 to 5 people, with partners Meon Villas and save 10% by booking online, and new partners VillasforTravel.

Do

Get an overview of the island from its highest point, Monte Toro (350m), midway between Mahon and Ciutadella, topped by a convent and church. On your way through El Mercadel at the foot of Toro, stop off at a bakery for a delicious crespell or amargo pastry.

Seek out some of the island’s many beautiful secluded coves, and visit the picturesque and characterful fishing village of Fornells (see in Google maps) on the north coast, famous partly because King Juan Carlos yachts over from Mallorca for summer lobster feasts – the village is well known for its superb caldereta de llangosta (lobster stew). It’s also good spot for watersports, in its beautiful big bay.

See the coast from another angle by hiring a sailing boat or motorboat from Nautic Fun in Mahon (www.nauticfunmenorca.com).

Explore the dunes, wetlands, scrub and Talayotic and Roman ruins of S'Albufera des Grau (see in Google maps), an 8km-long coastal nature reserve, starting from Cap de Favàritz and heading north. Stroll in the pine woods lining the lagoon and spot migrating cormorants, in addition to 100 other bird species, and learn all about the different habitats at the visitor centre, where there’s a permanent exhibition.

Wander among the well-preserved monuments of Torre d’en Gaumes to the west of the island, the Balearics’ biggest prehistoric settlement, with stone towers, a defensive wall, a taula (T-shaped stone monument) and a dolmen (burial chamber).

Make a splash at Los Delfines Aquapark (closed Nov-Apr) just outside Ciutadella on the west of the island (see Google maps), the best of the island’s waterparks, offering 12,500 square meters of fun for all ages. Rides include Adventure River, a giant toboggan, hydro-tubes, kids’ water chutes and a Jacuzzi, and there’s a seafood restaurant and pizzeria.

Take advantage of the cheap bike hire (including child seats), often available at your hotel or villa, and cycle along the flat coastal road at the top of the cliffs into Ciutadella, enjoying the spectacular views.

Wonder at the equine displays of the Minorcan Equestrian Show put on by the Club escola Menorquina Wednesdays and Sundays at 8:30pm. Riders dress in the traditional island style and thrill spectators on purebred black Menorcan horses trained in the local style. Another splendid spectacle and showcase for Menorca's love of horses is the equestrian show at Ganadería Son Martorellet, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30pm May–Oct; kids are treated to a train ride in the interval. During the day you can visit the ranch for free. You can also watch harness races at Mahon and Ciutadella racecourses.

Go on a horse-ride or pony-trek led by one of the island’s many stables. S’Algar’s Club Hipic es Beoret is one of the best reputed, or ask at your hotel. One of the best routes is the Cami de Cavalls, an old track encircling the island, once used for defending the coast on horseback. For tinies there’s a donkey safari park (near Son Parc, on the road to Fornells), where they can have a ride.

Eat

Mahon gave the world mayonnaise (the name comes from Mahon/Máo), which is eaten here in abundance, usually with fish and shellfish. Although not traditionally Menorcan, paella can also be popular, with everyone picking the bits they like.

With more than 450 restaurants on the island, you certainly get plenty of choice. There’s no escaping burgers and fish and chips, but that can be a good thing once in a while, at least far as kids are concerned.

If you’re self-catering, try to pick up some local farmhouse cheese. And try the Menorquina ice cream, first made on the island in 1940 though now mainly produced in Barcelona.

Cost

Expect to pay from £1,000 to £4,000, per week for a family of four, including flights and accommodation (exact prices depend on the standard of accommodation and time of departure).