Menorca holidays - travel guide - lifestyle

Shopping

Various shops that sell local crafts, essentials and souvenirs are available in most resorts. Locally produced pottery is good value. Each major town boasts a local weekly market, many held in the open-air. Markets in Mahon are held on Tuesday and Saturday, and in Ciutadella on Friday and Saturday mornings. Good buys are leather goods, the local gin, local cheese, ceramics, Lladro porcelain and jewellery.

Food & Drink

Like the rest of Spain, food and drink plays a major part in their culture. Being an island Menorca has some fine fresh fish and seafood dishes, Caldereta de Langosta, a lobster stew, being a particular favourite. Also delicious are Les Pilotes meatballs in tomato and almond sauce, Tapas, local Gin Xoriguer from Mahon, and a variety of local cheeses. Menorca has 3 harbours, Mahon, Ciutadella and Fornells, and all known for their restaurants, ranging from traditional Spanish to International. These start cheap and cheerful and go up to expensive. There is also a selection of fun cafes and beach-bars (some open-air). At lunchtime try 'Menu del Dia' (menu of the day ), it's usually a good-value 2 or 3 course meal, sometimes including wine.

Night-life

This is very relaxed throughout the island and centres around local bars and nightclubs in towns varying from small, quiet local bars to English-style pubs. The lively pubs can be found in the main tourist resorts such as Cala'n Forcat, Cala'n Bosch and Cala Galdana. The most famous nightclub on the island is the Caves of Xoroi which is a nightclub built into a natural cave on the side of a cliff over looking the sea at Cala'n Porter. Many of the larger hotels have entertainments teams who organise nightly shows.