No, we’re not thinking of homing in on all the Britons who travel to the island – and there are quite a few of them – or visiting the places they frequent, which could well be the subject of another post. Instead, let’s take a closer look at a period of Minorca’s past which still lingers there. Apart from boasting many beautiful beaches, the fact is this Balearic island occupies a strategic location in the Mediterranean. In previous centuries this led it to become a prize coveted by all in their jostle to control the trade routes across the Mare Nostrum. This small stretch of sea was fought over by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Normans, Arabs, Spaniards, English and French.

This time we are focusing on the British crown, which occupied Minorca for nearly a century – from 1708 to 1802 – which ended with the signing of the Treaty of Amiens. A period when the British left their mark on the island’s people, architecture, language and cuisine and in many other ways.

The first example that comes to mind is the presence of Anglicisms in Minorcan,with such words as fáitim (fight him), joques (jokes) or fingles (fingers), or expressions like quatre mens i un boi (i.e. “four men and a boy”, meaning very few people) or fer un trinqui (“have atrinqui” from “drink”).

Gastronomy is another facet of Minorcan culture where the British have left their imprint. In the old recipes, lard is used instead of the native olive oil, while one of the island’s traditional desserts –greixera dolça– is a reworking of an English steam pudding. The pomada,one of the most popular cocktails in Minorca and a mainstay in all its festivals, contains gin – Minorcan gin – which, as you may have surmised, was introduced by the British.

Also well preserved are numerousarchitectural remainsdating back to the period of the British occupation which are well worth visiting when you happen to be on the island. Here are some of the most noteworthy examples:

The area around Mahón harbour. During their time on the island, the British made concerted efforts to build defence works around the harbour in the form of numerous forts and towers designed to withstand enemy assault. Once such example is Fort Marlborough, located in the Esteve Cove south of the port. It was built from 1720 to 1726 and named after Sir John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. It is now a museum dedicated to the history of both Minorca and Europe in the 18th century. Be sure to stroll around its moat and to take in views of the historic areas of Mahón harbour.

Also located on the south shore of the harbour mouth is St Philip’s Castle, originally built by the Spanish in the 16th century as a defence against the Turks. With the British occupation its exterior was reinforced. A striking feature of this castle is the network of underground galleries, a veritable labyrinth of passageways which was used as a shelter by both the British and Spanish during times of enemy attack.

Hard by St Philip’s Castle is the municipality of Es Castell, which was founded by the British in 1771 and originally named Georgetown. It was built to an orthogonal ground plan and its standout feature is the Esplanade, which now houses the town hall. When the island was returned to the Spanish, it was renamed Villacarlos, in honour of Charles III.

Lastly,  situated in Mahón harbour is Isla del Rey, also known as Bloody Island, as it was there that King Alfonso III landed in 1287 on his way to reconquer Minorca from the Moors. Apart from vestiges of an early-Christian church, there are remains of a military hospital built by the British.

El Camí d’en Kane (Kane’s Walk). Sir Richard Kane was lieutenant-governor of Minorca during the first two periods of British occupation. One of the many infrastructure works he committed was a road linking Mahón to Ciutadella, of which the only surviving stretch runs from Mahón to Es Mercadal. It is well worth travelling, preferably by bicycle, as it is ideal for enjoying the island’s scenic interior. At some stage along the route you will come across an obelisk commemorating the endeavours of Sir Richard Kane.

Watchtowers. Still standing are numerous watchtowers built by the British as lookouts to alert to enemy incursions. The largest of them is the Fornells Tower, but you will find many more around the island’s perimeter – Torre des Castellar (Ciutadella), Torre de Sa Mesquida and Torre Cala Molí (Mercadal), among others.

Our last recommendation when retracing the British presence on the island consists of two colonial houses which now offer accommodation – Hotel Son Granot, built in 1712, with magnificent views of Mahón harbour, and Hostal El Almirante, dating from 1809, located in Es Castell.

While roaming from cove to cove across the island, be sure to also seek out Minorca’s past – book your Vueling here!

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by jorapa , Fundació Destí Menorca

The provenance of Minorcan gin clearly goes back to the time the island formed part of the British Empire, from 1713 to 1802. Indeed, demand by the British and Dutch seamen inundating the taverns was what prompted Minorca’s master craftsmen to embark on geneva or gin production. Thus arose the first distilleries to produce this coveted elixir.

The Doyen

Gin Xoriguer Mahón was probably the first gin to be made in the Mediterranean. Its origins go back some three hundred years when, on account of its strategic position, the port of Mahón became one of the most prized enclaves among the major maritime powers. The earliest recipe for Mahón gin was drawn up in 1750 by Miguel Pons Justo, who founded the legendary Minorcan distillery. Here, the secret formula for what is known as “Gin Xoriguer Mahón” has been preserved until the present. With its authentic bottling tradition, Xoriguer is one of the few distilleries in the world that still uses craft production methods, listed under the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) as “Gin de Mahón”. Its special character resides in the craft methods applied to production, and the wine alcohol and juniper berries selected and left to stand for years that go into the making.

“Cocktails Perquesi” Mahón Gin Cocktail

To delight in its exquisite flavour, who better to guide us than the experts in combining these stimulating drinks? Cocktails Perquesi gifted us the recipe and the method for making a cocktail based on the Minorcan gin par excellence, Gin Xoriguer. The recipe, known as Frozen Pomada, is a variation on a fresher note of the classic gin-and-lemonade pomada.We hope you like it:

Ingredients:

6 cl. gin Xoriguer
2.5 cl. liquid sugar
1.5 cl. lemon juice
1.5 cl. lime juice
Crushed ice
5 cl. premium fever tree lemon
Lime twist garnish

Method:

Place all the ingredients – except the premium lemon refreshment – in a blender and mix with lots of crushed ice to yield a crushed-ice drink.

Serve in a glass, top up with about 5 cl. premium fever tree lemon and garnish with lime twist. Ready to serve.

Cocktails Perquesi is an ongoing project by mixologist, Mauri Jiménez. It is a cocktail catering service in the classical sense, although not limited to this. His mission is to socialise the world of cocktails and present it to the public in a clear, simple and honest way. The above cocktail is designed to bring a bit of Minorca into the home.

If you liked this cocktail, why not come and enjoy it in its original setting? Minorca awaits you – check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación and Cocktails Perquesí

Cocktail by Cocktails Perquesí

Images by Marcelo Salomao

Minorca is one of the most fascinating islands in the Mediterranean. Its peculiar geological structure makes it an exceptional enclave. It also supports numerous endemic species; that is, species exclusive to the island, or else shared only by neighbouring islands such as Majorca, Corsica or Sardinia. The blend of both common and differentiating traits endows this land with an especially attractive natural heritage, which saw intense human development as far back as 4,000 years ago. Indeed, it was the first of the Balearic islands to be inhabited. Its earliest settlers came not from the Iberian peninsula but from other parts of the Mediterranean, including Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians and, later, Turks.

When it comes to slow tourism, three distinct parts of the island can be identified – the east, west and south. As the possibilities are endless, we are going to focus on the south and, in particular, the south-west of the island, centred around Cala Galdana as the main hub.

Beaches to Levitate on

Cala Galdana is also known as Cala Santa Galdana or Cala Santagaldana. It lies seven kilometres from Ferreries, between Morro de Ponent and Penyal Vermell, and alongside the development of the same name, flanked by the vantage points of des Riu and sa Punta which afford excellent panoramas. The place-name derives from the Arabic Guad al-Ana. This beach is one of the best known and most popular destinations in Minorca, as well as one of the most beautiful. It constitutes an isolated tourist resort surrounded by large swathes of practically virgin natural terrain. It is sited at a point on the coastline where two streams, the Algendar and the Algendaret, meet the sea where the latter forms an inlet, giving rise to a wetland, fitted with a jetty, featuring a wealth of animal and birdlife, notably peregrine falcons, frogs, toads, shrews and bats.

Cala Galdana offers countless options for relaxing, geared to all types of visitors. Minorca is well-known for being an ideal destination for vacationing families, as well as for those seeking solitude on a tranquil island, and children do not always fit the ambience of peace and quiet. Hence the existence of “adult hotels”, like the Hotel Audax. We tried it out and were treated to an experience of total relaxation, spa and library included. The hotel also offers wholesome food in its restaurants: Oliva, a gastronomic space with live cooking, a fusion of the best of Italian pasta dishes with Minorcan cuisine, and Galdana – slow cooking. In addition, there they manage all kinds of activities for you through Sports & Nature. Mateo, who is in charge of these services, is an enthusiast of nature activities and knows the island like the back of his hand.

Western Beaches

If we opt to do the western beaches, just a half-an-hour’s walk from there takes us to Cala Macarelleta. It is advisable to go there off season, which peaks from 15 June to 15 September, as it can be jam-packed during the high season. Spring is the best time to enjoy it. It breathes a special atmosphere, especially when fairly deserted. The route to this cove runs along the Camí de Cavalls, which skirts the whole island perimeter and is 184 km long. In bygone times, its function was to connect the island’s various defence towers. The Macarelleta cove is accessed via a timber staircase with 216 steps, spanning a drop of 150 metres. The walk is well worth doing as this is certainly the island’s most widely photographed cove. Its waters combine shades of blue, green and turquoise, while on land the chromatic scale ranges from greens to browns. If you head about two and a half kilometres further afield you come to Cala en Turqueta, a cove set in a stunning landscape. And, if you want to continue enjoying this pleasant walk along the Camí de Cavalls, you will reach Cala des Talaier (some 7 km from Cala Galdana) and Son Saura (at the 10-km mark). In addition to this coastal path, there are also trails winding their way inland along the island’s various gullies. Minorca has three rivers and their gulleys stay green all year around. If you can, it is worth going on a hike to d’Algendar to visit its caves.

Sea and Tranquility

Another way of finding peace and quiet is to enjoy the toing-and-froing of the waves on a boat. You can hire one, which is a good way of interacting with the island’s inhabitants, or take a ride on a pleasure boat. One of the best experiences, however, is to go kayaking, which you can do alone or with a guide. We recommend the latter option, as it has the advantage that you also get descriptions and recommendations. One of the most popular pursuits here is to witness the sun setting in the open sea. This is always best done in summer, although in winter it is also feasible, as long as you don a wetsuit.

Minorca offers a good variety of options for enjoying a holiday at a slow pace. Check out our flights here.

Text and images by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación