Menorca is my new favorite island—here’s exactly how to do it right
A complete Menorca itinerary: what to book, what to pack, what not to miss, and the exact hotel split I’d recommend for the perfect seven-day stay
This is From the Window Seat, a series of deeply researched, design-forward dispatches for people who believe in the art of traveling well. From immersive itineraries to standout hotel reviews, each one offers everything you need to experience a place—or a property—with intention and great taste.
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First things first: no, I did not mistype ‘Mallorca.’ Menorca is its own island—one of the four Balearic sisters off the coast of Spain, alongside Mallorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. While Mallorca and Ibiza tend to steal the spotlight with their nightlife and 5-star hotels, Menorca is quieter, slower, and in many ways, more enchanting. Instead of the beach clubs and DJs, you’ll find secluded coves, rolling hillsides, pastel-painted towns, and water so strikingly blue it deserves a Pantone of its own. If ever you’ve wanted to explore a place that’s more about beauty than it is buzz, this might be your new favorite island.
Read on for:
How to get one of Menorca’s most popular attractions all to yourself
Where to find cliffside aperitifs, the best oysters on the island, and the cheesecake I still can’t stop talking about
What to wear, what not to forget, and the vacation wardrobe staples I wore on repeat
My exact 7-day hotel split—and everything I have bookmarked for next time
I’d recommend Menorca for the traveler who is craving a slower-paced vacation. Their itinerary is loose at best, but includes long swims in warm, crystal-clear water and sunset dinners made with local produce as absolute musts. Their ultimate goal is to unwind without giving up good food, design-forward stays, meaningful experiences, or being surrounded by natural beauty at all times.
Menorca is the quieter gem of Spain’s Balearic Islands, best known for its turquoise coves, protected landscapes, and slower pace of life. It’s also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (and has been since 1993) thanks to its remarkable biodiversity, rural farming traditions, and preservation of natural coastlines.
We visited during the first week of July, which felt like a sweet spot: early enough to avoid the full crush of peak season crowds, but perfectly warm enough to swim every day. Daytime temps were in the high 70s to mid-80s, mostly sunny with little humidity. The island doesn’t get much rain in summer—locals told us it hadn’t rained in two months—but surprisingly, we got a bit of drizzle during our stay.
Some quick facts: The languages you’ll encounter here are Catalan and Spanish, but we found English to be widely understood. The currency is Euros, and while tipping is not expected, it’s courteous to leave 5-10% at nicer restaurants. Most hotels are closed from November through March while peak high season runs July through August.
To reach Menorca from the U.S., you’ll need to connect through a major European hub, then take a short-haul flight on a smaller airline to the island. In our case, we routed through Frankfurt—not my first choice, but it scored us business class seats on Singapore Airlines, so no complaints. From there, we took a 2-hour flight on Discover Airlines (Lufthansa’s leisure carrier) direct to Menorca.
Most airlines only operate one or two flights per day to Menorca, especially outside of peak summer. This means that timing really matters. Our flight into Frankfurt landed after the last outbound flight to Menorca, which added an overnight and 24 hours in Germany. If you’re working around limited PTO or trying to avoid extra layover days, make sure your transatlantic arrival lines up with same-day service to the island.
As is typical for a beachy Mediterranean vacation, you’ll want easy separates, preferably in cotton poplin or linen, and breezy dresses of the same material you can throw on over swimsuits. I brought more dresses than I thought I’d need and I’m glad I did. I also always pack a button-up, which came in handy for more than one occasion. You can see most of what I brought here.
I love a minimal, neutral wardrobe—even on vacation—so jewelry and accessories are where I get to have fun with my holiday dressing. My favorites this trip were a stunning Talia Perla onyx necklace* that went with (and instantly elevated) almost every outfit I brought, and sunglasses from Lapima*. I am not, and never will be, a tiny sunglasses girl!
A few things you might not know to bring: