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A
delightful
island,
among
the
Balearic
group,
ideal
for
its
relaxing
beach
holidays
along
its
rugged
coastline,
rocky
coves
and
inlets.
Small
resorts
have
grown
up
around
the
beautiful
bays
and
sandy
beaches.
Mahon
is
Minorca's
capital
and
the
location
of the
island's
airport.
It
lies
at the
eastern
end of
the
island.
It
boasts
one of
Europe's
largest
natural
harbours.
It has
an
attractive
mixture
of
colonial
and
local
architecture,
built
on a
hill
overlooking
the
port.
There
is a
good
selection
of
shops
and
bars
in the
town
centre.
The
area
around
the
harbour
has a
buzzing
nightlife
of
restaurants
and
pavement
cafes
which
give
the
harbour
a
special
atmosphere.
In the
Placa
de la
Constitucio
you
must
visit
the
Church
of
Santa
Maria
which
houses
an
enormous
organ
with
3,006
pipes
and
four
keyboards.
Daily
concerts
are
performed.
Near
the
church
is the
Mercat
Claustre
del
Carmen
where
you
will
find a
market
selling
local
cheeses,
meat,
fruit
and
vegetables.
The
former
monastery
houses
the
provincial
museum.
Gin is
produced
in
Mahon
and a
visit
to a
distillery
is a
must. |
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Another
main
town
on the
island
is
Ciudadela
which
was
the
capital
until
1722.
Like
Mahon
it has
much
to
offer
in the
form
of
wonderful
buildings
and
streets.
At its
centre
is
Placa
d'es
Born
with a
huge
memorial
to
those
who
died
defending
the
island
in
1558
against
the
Turks.
The
pink
painted
town
hall
which
was
once a
fortress
reflects
the
Arab
architecture. |
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Fornells
is
an
attractive
fishing
village
on
the
north
of
the
island
at
the
mouth
of
a
spectacular
bay.
It
is
ideal
for
windsurfing
and
water
sports.
4km
away
is
the
exclusive
resort
of
Playa
de
Fornells
and
close
by
is
a
superb
beach
by
the
name
of
Cala
Tirant.
Cala
Galdana
is
one
of
the
most
popular
spots
in
Menorca,
set
in
a
horseshoe
bay.
Santo
Tomas
is
a
small
resort
with
a
long
stretch
of
golden
sands
ideal
for
families
and
couples
looking
for
quiet,
quality
accommodation.
Son
Bou
has
one
of
the
longest
sandy
beaches
on
the
island,
backing
on
to
open
countryside,
which
at
present
has
not
been
spoilt
by
development.
There
are
shops,
bars,
restaurants
and
a
discotheque.
Binebeca
and
Binisafua
on
the
southwest
coast
are
Menorca's
first
holiday
resorts,
pretty,
mainly
residential
areas
of
privately
owned
villas
with
numerous
sandy
bays
to
enjoy. |
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Minorca,
for
almost
100
years
was
under
British
rule.
It
was
ceded
to
Spain
in
1802.
There
is
still
a
strong
British
influence
on
the
island.
In
general
the
nightlife
on
the
island
is
pretty
much
low-key
with
few
discos
and
clubs.
Warm
evenings
are
more
often
spent
in
the
street
cafes
and
bars.
The
local
menu
is
predominantly
seafood
or
cheese
based
especially
in
Fornells
where
lobster
is
of
the
highest
quality.
Mahon
is
where
mayonnaise
originated.
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Minorca
has
the
greatest
concentration
of
discovered
pre-historic
and
bronze-age
settlements
in
the
world
and
at
only
30
miles
by
12
miles
it
has
been
a
favoured
site
for
many
nations
including
Romans,
Arabs,
Turks
and
Greeks.
The
Romans
gave
the
island
its
present
name
which
means
'little
one'
in
contrast
to
Majorca
which
means
'large
one'.
The
island
is
covered
with
evidence
of
settlements
and
the
burial
grounds
dating
from
1500BC
are
well
worth
a
visit.
There
are
about
45
burial
grounds,
some
of
which
are
accessible. |
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