Menorca

An island of surprises irst-time visitors to the istand usually say that it is unique, distinct F and surprising. It is undoubtedly unique, as any corner of this world may be, since there will always be a particular trait that makes us see it in a difterent, yet surprising, way, something not easy to achieve in today's world, but which seems to us the most appropriate. As luck would have it, Menorca still surprises its visitors. Its qualities are so many and so unexpected and disparate, that there is no one way of describing them, but even the briefest of visits will provide enough clues to the surprising nature of this very special island. The second largest and most north-eastern of the Balearics, Menorca differs from the other islands in both climate and morphology. Throughout the course of history, successive changes of fortune have left their mark here, as have the diverse cultural influences of the many races who have occupied the island over the centuries. This turbulent past history has endowed Menorca with an original, distinctive character about which much has been written. The island not only offers a wealth of things to see, but also much food for thought and discussion. Here, in the past, a high degree of independence existed between one township and another and, on occasions, this even degenerated into conflictive rivalry. Each centre of population sought to protect itself against loss of identity and living space by keeping its distance from its neighbours. In modern times, both the need for a more global territorial policy and improvements in transport and communications contributed to a rapprochement between them which put an end to the exaggerated insularity of these “islands” within an island. In total contrast to this attitude, and perhaps as a result of the cultural and ethnic melting pot from which they descend, Menorcans have always been open and generous in their dealings with outsiders. Until quite recently, it was customary for front doors to be left unlocked at all times.