DAY 1
L, D included
After meeting at Mahon airport in the morning, we have a half hour transfer by road to the south east coast. We walk a restored stretch of the Cami de Cavalls, an old mule trail which encircles the island, passing an 18th century Spanish watchtower en route to our hotel. Following paths through the pines and Mediterranean garrigue on the estate, we see our first Sardinian warblers, hoopoes, wild gladioli and pyramidal orchids and listen to the nightingales singing. A glass of pomada (Menorcan gin, ice and lemon juice) precedes a candle-lit dinner in the vaulted stables of the Manor.
DAY 2
B, L, D included
In nearby Maó (Mahon in Catalan), we see the Georgian mansions built by the British and visit the excellent Museum of Menorca and the Baroque chapel of St. Francesc. We have lunch in a fishing village by the sea and search for rare Audouin’s gulls before an afternoon’s walk round the lake at S’Albufera es Grau, Menorca’s main nature reserve. Paths through cistus, spiny broom, lentisc and juniper lead up to vantage points from where we watch for ospreys, marsh harriers, ducks and Booted eagles.
DAY 3
B, L, D included
We head northwest after breakfast, first seeing the atmospheric prehistoric site of Torre Lafauda, then one of the island’s most famous monuments, the Naveta des Tudons, a cyclopean burial mound like an upturned ship. We follow an old track between stone walls, looking out for larks and pipits in the fields on either side. A sandy track through umbrella pines brings us to an area frequented by bee-eaters and tawny pipits and down to a lovely turquoise cove where we may swim. After a picnic, we walk through some spectacular geological formations to view a series of disused saltpans in a private reserve. Black-winged stilts, shelducks, ringed plovers, little stints and sandpiper species are evident, and ospreys fish the open water areas.
DAY 4
B, L, D included
The water meadows and marshes of Tirant are our destination this morning, hoping for cattle egrets, purple gallinules, great reed warblers, zitting cisticolas, purple herons and red-rumped swallows. We walk through the sand dunes behind the beach at Cal Tirant, looking out for tortoises and Kentish plovers. We drive west through a beautiful stretch of unspoilt countryside to picnic and see a British 18th century Martello tower on our way to the Cap de Cavalleria, the most northerly point of the island. On our way back to our hotel, we pause at the Xoriguer gin distillery. Gin was introduced by the British navy in the 18th century, when Maó’s deep water harbour was the key to control of the Mediterranean.
DAY 5
B, L, D included
We drive to the furthest west of the island to visit the delightful town of Ciutadella, the island capital under the Romans, the Moors and the Catalans. We see the 17th century Castell de Sant Nicolau, which guards the harbour entrance, visit the 18th century Olivar Palace, then walk through the fish and vegetable market on our way to a fish lunch in a well-known restaurant on the harbour. We visit a fascinating series of gardens – mediaeval, botanical, indigenous plants and an old orchard – within a former sandstone quarry, before proceeding to the headland at Punta Nati to seek blue rock thrush, thekla larks and stone curlews and watch for Cory’s and Balearic shearwaters offshore.
DAY 6
B, L, D included
This morning we head to the south coast for a walk into the wooded Gorge d’Algendar, looking for Booted eagles, Egyptian vultures and red kites soaring on thermals above the imposing limestone cliffs, and hearing nightingales singing in the thickets along the stream. After lunch we follow a coastal path westward, seeking orchids (mirror, bee and tongue), rock-roses and spurges. The typical Mediterranean scrub of myrtle, tree heath and arbutus is favoured by woodchat shrikes and hoopoes. Alpine and Pallid swifts nest on the cliffs. We enjoy a wine tasting before dinner, sampling wines from prominent island estates.
DAY 7
B, L, D included
We investigate the extensive Talayotic settlement of Torre d’en Galmés before a morning’s walk by the sea. Sandwiched between the beach and the dunes, the reedbeds of Son Bou on the south coast have breeding Moustached and Cetti’s warblers, purple and squacco herons, northern wheatears and whinchats with Audouin’s gulls loafing on the beach. We encounter many asphodels, gladioli and orchids as we walk along the coastal track by one of the dry limestone gorges (barrancs) which run down to the sea. After a seafood lunch, we relax on or swim from the beautiful sandy beach.
DAY 8
B included
Our visit to Menorca concludes with a transfer to the airport for flights home.
