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Travel in Menorca Spain

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Menorca is the second largest of the Balearic Islands and issmaller and quieter than its main neighbour Mallorca, but biggerthan it's other neighbour Ibiza. It is only 9 miles (15km) wideand 32 miles (52km) long and located just 34 km / 21 miles fromMallorca, the island has many family-friendly resorts and almostas many beaches as Mallorca and Ibiza combined. Peaceful holidayresorts line the south coast of the island and sleepy fishingvillages are dotted along its rocky north shore. Menorca has escaped much of the effect of package holidays andthe island's small towns and villages offer a fairly quiet andrelaxed holiday, even during the peak season, with manywonderful attractions. There are plenty of tourism and touristinformation offices situated in the towns of Menorca and theseprovide up-to-date information about Menorca touristattractions, museums, events, Menorca festivals, Menorca travel,Menorca sightseeing and general Menorca tourism and touristinformation. Largely protected from development, Menorca is a real haven fornature-lovers. Menorca is a very green island, with pinewoodsand many fields for the islands 25,000 grazing cattle. Cyclingtracks meander vigorously across the meadows and scrublands,offering some spectacular views of the island and the seafront.The north coast of Menorca is rocky and rough, whilst incontrast; the south coast of Menorca is full of sandy coves,with fine, golden sand, sheltered by cliffs. Menorca is litteredwith prehistoric remains, giving much evidence of a bygonesophisticated culture. Little is known of those weather beatenstone monuments, but it is thought they are linked to those ofSardinia and date around the second millennium BC Talayoticperiod. The oldest and largest towns in Menorca are Mahon on it'seastern side, the walled capital of the island, which is at theend of an enormous natural harbour and Ciutadella, Menorca'sancient and co (western) end of the island. Mahon is aparticularly busy port and has many impressive acrchitecturalfeatures whilst Ciutadella is a more graceful town, full ofwinding streets and characteristic old buildings, reminiscent ofthe Moorish and Spanish influence, including several churches. The town does not offer much in terms of sightseeing, but it hasexcellent eateries, shops and a very relaxed ambience forwandering around. Mahon itself is a sedate and conservativetown, consisting of classical Georgian houses from its Britishpast (Admiral Nelson once lived at the Golden Farm Mansion) Forsightseeing, a trip to the famous Xoriguer Gin distillery iswell worth a visit. Menorca is the greenest and least developed of the BalearicIslands. It has a slightly gentler feel than neighbouringMallorca and is the perfect holiday destination for couples andfamilies: everything is easy, peaceful and close by. The bestpart of Menorca is its abundance of beautiful beaches - it hasmore beaches than the rest of the Balearics put together. Thecoastline ranges from pristine coves to long, sandy beachesseparated by rocky headlands. Inland, Menorca remains essentially rural with restful


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sceneryof rolling fields and wooded ravines Fiercely protective of itsnatural beauty and fully aware of the potentially damagingconsequences of selling out to mass tourism, Menorca has clearlydemarcated most of its holiday areas. Resort villages are dotted around the coast andcharacteristically amount to just a small selection of hotelsand self-catering apartments, with enough quality shops, barsand restaurants to provide fully for visitors. As such theresorts are safe, modern and sympathetically designed tocomplement the surroundings. A proud island, Menorca is cleanand uncluttered, with an excellent climate - qualities thatpromote a sense of space and well being for everyone. Menorca is not expensive and a daily budget of around $35 isenough for a good time. However splashing out and experiencingeverything can be done within a daily budget of $80. The museumof Menorca is easily the biggest building on the island and thebest museum. It holds a wide array or prehistoric artefacts from 4000BC andTalayotic times. Another well-known sight is the Naveta DelsTudons, also known as the cathedral of prehistoric monuments. Itis shaped like an upturned boat and is one of several Navetas onthe island. Navetas were old funeral structures and aresurrounded in mystery and legend. Travel by Taxis Taxis in Menorca are a useful way to travelaround the towns and visit nearby sights and attractions. Thetaxi meters starts at a basic fare, but additional charges areusually made for luggage, night time driving and travel onpublic holidays in Menorca. Driving Tips Citizens of EU member countries require a nationaldriving licence to drive cars in Spain Citizens from non-EU member countries need an InternationalDriving Permit, as well as their national driving licence. Youmust be at least 18 years old to drive a car in Spain and have avalid driving licence and car insurance. It is compulsory forthe driver and all passengers to wear seat belts and childrenunder 14 years old are not allowed to travel in front seats. InSpain, cars drive on the right-hand side of the road. Give wayto traffic coming from the right at junctions and roundaboutsBeware of what appear to be shortcuts on maps - these often turnout to be unpaved roads or mountain passes. Unless indicated,other major routes are 56 miles per hour / 90 km per hour andslower speed limits of 30 miles per hour / 50 km per hour areenforced in urban areas It is an offence not to carry some formof identification, such as passport or driving licence Travel by Car Hire/Rental Driving in the centre of busy townsand popular resorts is best avoided if possible, as many of thestreets and narrow, with one-way traffic. Cars parked alongsidethe pavements can also making driving conditions difficult.However, a car in Menorca provides a useful way to travel aroundthe island and a current map of Menorca's roads is essential.There are many winding roads around the island that offer sometruly spectacular views. About the author: For information on car hire or car rentals visit Every Car Hireat Car Hire Menorca Spain .

Written by: Ispas Marin

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