Voyage
April 2016 | http://www.boatinternational.comPHOTOGRAPHS: PHOTOSHOT; ALAMY; GETTYthe island (and even a style of open-toed espadrilles called
Menorquinas), and another royal, Prince Rainier, used to
come here for handmade footwear.
Ciutadella is the best place for a little wander around
shops and markets, and is a beautiful town. You can moor at
nearby Son Blanc but the pretty town harbour, with little llaüt
fishing boats rigged with triangular lateen sails, is too small
for superyachts.
Like many places known for being the opposite of party
destinations, when they do let their hair down, they really
do. The Festes de Sant Joan de Ciutadella, which takes place
on the summer solstice, is a day-long bacchanal, with people
drinking pomada (the island’s Xoriguer gin – another legacy
of British occupation – with sweetened lemon juice) while
horsemen perform Spanish Riding School-type tricks on
their beautifully decorated steeds and young men prove their
mettle by getting dangerously close to the flying hooves.
It is part of the island’s intriguing history. Before the
British arrived, there were other visitors from the sea.
Turkish pirates, including Barbarossa, attacked both
Mahón and Ciutadella in the 16th century. Almost all of the
4,000-strong population of the latter was killed or kidnapped
into slavery in one attack and the island was repopulated with
convicts from Valencia.
That is recent history, however, and the island is dotted with
hundreds of well-preserved neolithic structures, including tombs
called navettas, shaped like upturned boats. It turns out that those
caves in the cliffs are actually 10,000-year-old tombs, too (apart fromthe ones that form the Cova d’en Xoroi nightclub at Cala en Porter).
Palatchi proudly states: “Eighty per cent of the archaeological sites in
Spain are found on this island.”
A great way to explore them is by horseback along El Camí de
Cavalls, the path encircling the island established in the 14th century
and recently restored. It’s 186km round and can also be walked or
cycled with mountain bikes. Alternatively, both the wild volcanic
rocky coves of the north and the long sandy beaches of the south
provide a great backdrop to sea kayaking.
Back at Club Marítimo Mahón, Andreu Genestar Femenias,
bartender of the Akelarre cocktail bar and club, is mixing Xoriguer
G&Ts with a flourish – in those huge goblets that are part of the
Catalan gin craze – for thirsty sailors. Unfortunately, in 2016, the
Menorca Maxi cannot be fitted into the Mediterranean regatta
schedule, but this will not stop Palatchi coming during the months
when Galma is fitted for cruising, from June to August. It is around
four hours of motoring from Palma to Mahón (eight hours from
Ibiza) but Palatchi has another suggestion. “You can make a fantastic
combination by sailing along the north coast of Mallorca and then
crossing to Mahón.”
The island seems to call those with a true love of the sea and wild
coastlines, be it Lord Nelson or America’s Cup-winning crewman
Matthew Mason. The Kiwi former member of Oracle Team USA says:
“After the 2007 America’s Cup, I cruised the Med with my family for
months and it didn’t get any better than Menorca. There are places
where you are in 25 metres of water but it looks like six, it’s so clear.”Port information: Mahón – max length/draught: 40m/8m (Marina Port
Mahón); 30m/6m (Menorca Moorings); 25m/5m (Marina Menorca Sa
Colársega); marinamahon.es
Ciutadella – max length/draught: 30m/2-5m (Club Nàutic Ciutadella);
160m/12m (Son Blanc); cnciutadella.com; portsib.es
Fornells – max length/draught: 15m/3m (Ports de les Illes Balears) but
anchorage possible; portsib.esWhen not
on board, stroll
around the
whitewashed
houses and
shop at
Ciutadella
marketBMahón, the
largest natural
harbour in the
Mediterranean180