"La Isla Bonita".....(The beautiful Island)

Easter Holiday Inspiration......the beautiful spanish island of Mernoca.

Lucy........

As the days grow longer and the sun shines brighter, one can’t help but think of the holidays. After the long, cold & dreary winter we just had, one really needs something to get back the positive energy.

Say a holiday on a beautiful mediterranean island......basking in heavenly sunshine at the beach, & the ocean breeze blowing through your hair. Walking bare feet in the sand like you have no care in the world.......hhhmmm!!! what a feeling :-)

walking bare feet in the sand........what a feeling !!!! :-)))

The Easter break provides a rare opportunity for the whole family to get together and have some fun, so why not make the most of it? The Easter break is celebrated with flair in Spain. Lots of "Fiestas" celebrations throughout the country. This creates a very lively and pleasant atmosphere with lots of great outdoor activities to enjoy and plenty good food :-))

"Fiesta de Sant Joan"...... Menorca`s famous folks celebration

Hey, so what are you waiting for? Go on guys, book your holiday if you haven’t booked it by now. It’s always the best time to get the great deals, unless you’re the adventurous & spontaneous kind that prefer to book last minute deals.The kind who walks into the airport with a packed bag, looks up the deals & hops on to the next plane...sounds cool too, but hey.. why not?

My Holiday Inspiration for you today is the beautiful island of Menorca (Minorca) in Spain. The first time i was here i had this song from Madonna "La isla bonita" constantly in my mind. As a little girl i use to dance to Madonna´s song and dream i was on a spanish island, just like in the video clip. It felt like a dream come true stepping foot on this little gem of an island...... :-)))

....the Island of Pleasant Breeze.

Smaller and quieter than its famous neighbour Mallorca, Menorca is the second largest of the Balearic islands. Situated just 34 km / 21 miles from Mallorca , the island of Menorca has many family-friendly resorts and almost as many beaches as Mallorca and Ibiza combined. Peaceful holiday resorts line the south coast of Menorca and a string of quiet fishing villages are along the island´s rougher northern shore.

It has a current population of around 68,000. Compared to its neighbor island Mallorca, it is of course lesser in size and has a more hushed environment. This is probably the main reason why many wholesome family holidays are geared towards this tranquil island. It follows that a lot of family-friendly resorts are situated in the island, most of them at the southern shoreline. Ironic as it may seem, despite its smaller size among other Spanish islands, the number of beaches that Menorca has equals the number of beaches that can be found in Mallorca and Ibiza combined. Over the years, Menorca has undergone very minimal changes. It has certainly been sheltered from the effects of development. It has successfully avoided becoming a full-blown urbanized and tourist-stricken land mass. (Source: aboutmenorca.com)

a yacht paradise

While we were there, we stayed in Binibeca on the south east coast of Menorca and a 15 mins drive from the airport. It is famous for its beautiful white washed houses and great views. It is perfect for couples or families wanting a quiet relaxing holiday.

The beautiful binibeca village with the white washed houses.

One can hire a car to drive around the island and visit the different tourist attractions, most of which are a short distance from the beaches & the coves. The bus transport system is also quite flexible if you prefer that. Having a car actually made it easy for us to go sightseeing without necessarily having a guide to take us around .

Unfortunately i can not exhaust all the attractions in detail, thats why i’ll list them with a few pictures to give you an idea.. You know the saying "a photo speaks volumes”

Below are some of the attractions we saw......

Cala en Porter: Very famous for its cave disco... "Cova de’n Xoroi"

terrace with sea view

entrance into famous cave disco "Cova de’n Xoroi"

the cave disco....."Cova de’n Xoroi"

outside view of cave disco

El Toro mountain : the highest mountain on the island.( 357m high)

If the weather is good/ clear one can actually see the island of Mallorca from the top of the mountain...:-)

El Toro mountain

Fornells beautiful harbour

Platja de cavalleria: One of the small secluded beaches

Cap de Cavallerias: light house at the northern tip of Menorca

One of the land marks of Menorca – the famous windmill that was later transformed into a restaurant in Es Mercadal

Ciutadella on the west coast.

It was the capital city of Menorca until the 18^th century, was also the city for the noble & the bishops!

Mahon the Capital city of Menorca.

Here we went to the Fortress la mola, walked about in the city center, checked out the local curio shops & local arts and crafts.

We also took a coastal tour of Menorca. We took a cruise from the natural harbour in Mahon in a glass bottom boat which was quite a thrill for us.

Hope you got some inspiration by now,.....just think sun, relaxation, and lots of positivity!

If you need any more information on menorca, below are some of the internet sites i found in a travel guide..

www.spain.info/portal

There is a Menorcan legend that says, the wind of menorca modifies the personality of the people. Maybe that is the reason why those who go there mostly return..... :-) My hubby is in love with this island and cannot get enough of it :-))

....cheers!! to a great Easter Break

Happy booking & cheers ! Tell me about your experience if you happen to visit the island :-) I will be off now but i will leave behind one of my favorite songs as a little girl.....La isla bonita" from Madonna. Enjoy and let your spirits be carried away to that spanish island : -))) Stay cool as usual until we meet again.