Ever since the Romans, upon conquering the Balearic Islands in 123 BC, christened the easternmost isle in the archipelago 'the minor one', Menorca has suffered (or enjoyed, depending on your viewpoint) a considerably lower profile than her larger and more famous neighbour, Majorca.
Menorca may be less than half the size of Majorca, but her charms bear no correlation to her size and the island has a very distinct appeal all of its own.

Menorca has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and boasts over a thousand Bronze Age monuments scattered throughout the island. Situated in the midst of farmland, these ancient 'talaiots' (watch towers), 'navetas' (burial chambers) and 'taulas' (intriguing T-shaped structures) can be accessed freely.
Subsequently, the island has been fought over by Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines and Moors, has belonged to the crowns of Catalunya, Aragón and Castille, and came under British rule for nearly 200 years during the 17th and 18th centuries.
As well as introducing dairy farming and gin production to the island, the British made their mark at Maó, the island capital. Maó boasts the world's second longest natural harbour, and the British established an important naval base here, bestowing a distinct Georgian architecture on the city.
In sharp contrast, the former capital, Ciutadella, at the opposite western tip of the island, looks and feels decidedly Catalan, and its showcase Plaça des Born rates as one of the prettiest town squares in all of Spain.
Opinion is divided over whether Maó or Ciutadella is more beautiful - Ciutadella tends to attract more tourists, hence we prefer Maó, which in spite of its British architecture and more formal, naval elegance feels more authentically Spanish.

Perhaps the main reason to visit Menorca, however, has to be the proliferation of beautiful beaches - Menorca has more beaches than the other Balearic islands put together, and most of the coastline is made up of picturesque sandy coves separated by rocky headlands.
There are virtually no coast roads, so whilst exploring the coast requires a certain amount of backtracking to the main road that runs through the centre of the island from Ciutadella to Maó, the island has escaped the sort of ribbon development that has marred parts of Majorca and some of the Spanish costas.
Those beaches that are served by the more major roads usually have a small cluster of hotels (never more than four or five, even in the largest resorts) and a good range of facilities aimed squarely at couples and families - Menorca does not cater to the young and lively crowd. Venturing down some of the minor roads and rougher tracks will lead you to beaches that remain totally undeveloped, and naturally, the absense of any coastal roads also means that there are some wonderful coastal walks - from the resort of Cala Galdana, for example, it is a 45-minute ramble across a pine-scented headland to the gorgeous little coves of Cala Macarella and Cala Macarelleta. Other completely unspoilt beaches that can only be reached on foot include Cala Pregonda and Cala Pudent.
If you occasionally fancy a long walk along the shore with the sea lapping your feet, head for Son Bou, the island's longest beach backed by sand dunes and protected marshland.

Thanks to ample rainfall during the winter, Menorca is the greenest island in the Balearics, and the gently rolling hills and lush pastures of the interior are quite reminiscent of a rural corner of Britain, were it not for the Mediterranean sunshine and the whitewashed villages. With its gentle countryside, its strikingly beautiful coast, its fascinating prehistoric sites, its enchanting cities, its wonderfully relaxed, contented atmosphere - and not forgetting such picturesque fishing villages as Fornells, which is so renowned for its lobster that King Juan Carlos regularly pops over on his private yacht from his summer palace on Majorca - Menorca may be minor by name, but is certainly a major attraction in its own right.