Being alone is the only state in which you can actualize - you do what you want, when you want to, ideally without the stress of what someone else will feel, think, or say.
This planned alone time at the end of a trip with friends was like a gift to unwrap, waiting at the end of the rainbow. Full leisure, full control - two of my favorite things. If you cannot tell, I am quite particular and was energized by the idea that I could be in a new place, not know anyone, and be fully on my own agenda.
My time alone here was special in that only I know about it. Only I can chronicle it, remember it, or refer back to it. No one on the island knew me either, so my time on the island is one of the only things in this overly connected, overly social, overly verbal world I can keep to myself. It’s fun to keep things secret (even if the secrets are just me taking long swims in the sea, eating stuffed squid, and riding horses.) Or are they?
Menorca Guide
I chose Menorca over the other Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Formentera, Ibiza) because I wanted a nature-focused, slow vacation. This ruled out Mallorca and Ibiza (too big, too popular, too focused on partying). There were no direct flights to Formentera for the dates I needed, so that left Menorca.
Stay:
Quaint, family run bed and breakfast in a historic 18th century Menorcan house. There are only 9 rooms so the extremely kind staff greets you by name and remembers your preferences for juice (watermelon, orange, or melon) at their incredible complimentary breakfast.
I did not stay here but passed a serene afternoon getting a lymphatic drainage massage and taking a sauna and steam at their spa. The restored 19th century finca is nestled in acres of greenery miles from the main road, so it is pristinely silent.
I had been skeptical but curious about lymphatic drainage - as someone who deals with indigestion it seemed like a dream treatment, but there are too many LA influencer girls peddling it for it to be legit ….. I was mistaken. I’ve been bored by massages in the past, so I loved this one because it was a functional massage.
After a Finnish sauna and a steam I had a glass of wine by their saltwater infinity pool and partook in my favorite pasttime… people watching!
Eat
Pez Limon, Ciutadella
Night one dinner after a series of flight delays… incredible rice of the day with tender Menorcan shrimps, saffron aioli, some sort of kelp, pork belly…. and croquettes filled with an aromatic beef stew…
S’Amarador, Ciutadella
My favorite restaurant in Menorca; right on the port. Sophisticated in a laid-back, cool way that is hard to find anywhere but abundant in Menorca. I really enjoyed eavesdropping on five British girls on a girls trip gone very sour here.
El Rais, Mahon
Known for, as the name implies, its rice (but I got the sea bass). Mahon, the capital of the island, is the second largest natural port in the world (behind Pearl Harbor) and while this dad fact may be uninteresting in print, it was breathtaking in real life.
Do
Bodegas Binifadet Winery
Winery dedicated to the production of Menorcan wines. I went for a tour and tasting, learned a lot (wines produced here have a pleasant and subtle character due to the wind and humidity on the island) and made new friends from around Europe :)
Beaches:
Beaches on the north of the island are very wild and unspoiled, while the south side ones are more built out with tourist accommodations. I stuck to the north ones:
Cavalleria:
Algaiarens:
Epilogue
