Mahon, Minorca - what are the hilights

[srosenz]

Looking for information regarding booking a car/taxi with an English speaking driver to see the hilights around this port. The only site I've found so far is an old fort/prison with underground passages/tunnels. Would also like info on taking the "yellow" tour boat around the coast. Not too keen on getting off a cruise boat to get on another boat unless it's really something special. We are two couples on the Windstar Oct. 4 cruise from Rome to Barcelona. This is the last port before getting to Barcelona and we do have a full day.

[taffNo1]

Noticed that no one has been able to help you...have you tried the tripadvisor web site or just search-engined Mahon and trawled through what comes up

[edinburgher]

We were there in June. Our first time on a cruise was into Cuitadela at the (near) opposite end. We tendered in and as it was only a morning call we just explored the town.

 

Mahon we sailed right in, be sure to grab a vantage point up front as it is a pretty sail in, passing lots of villas, tiny marinas, forts and all sorts. Same on the way out...no surprise there. You dock right in the heart of the town. By the time our tour was finished we had little time left and there was no point exploring the town as it was all closed anyway.

 

The island is tiny, very natural, tourism is extremely well controlled as far as building is concerned and it is quite serene but with various sightseeing and/or beach options. You can cover the entire island in a day.

Our call in there was a Sunday so pretty much everyone has a "family" or beach or sailing day and most things are closed so we opted for a tour.

 

La Mola (the fortress) was one tour option, another was a scenic island drive. We opted for the one which gave us a mix of scenery and sites....prehistoric ones. Beautifully opened up, revealing much of the original buildings. It is one of the best places in europe for prehisory.

 

For these, we went to Taula de Torralba and Torre de Gaumes. We were also taken up to the highest part of the island (Monte Toro) for views of almost the entire island....it really is small.

 

A hire car would be a good option.

 

We liked this island a lot.

 

Frommers is often a good online site for "first stop" info. There are others. Also check what your ship is offerring in tours, these give you an indication of what there is on offer.

[srosenz]

Did you take your ship's tour? If yes, which ship? If not - where did you get the tour? We're on the Wind Surf. We're trying to avoid the ship tours - we prefer a smaller group. The ship offers 3 different 4 hour tours. I think if we could get a driver who speaks english we could map out our tour for the day that would cover all the hilights at our own pace.

[edinburgher]

Yes, it was a ship tour, because on our particular ship most excursions were included in the overall price and we therefore had no need to look for a private tour anywhere on this itinerary.

 

However you drive or tour this island I think you will have a lovely day as it is so uncommercial. They worked hard not to repeat the ugly high rise building mistakes of other Spanish islands and resorts.

[Hlitner]

Minorca would rank as one of our favorite islands in all of Europe! Why? Well, when Franco ruled Spain he gave all kinds of economic aide to the island of Majorca since their residents were big supporters of his political party (Republicans). But on nearby Minorca, the residents did not like Franco and he repaid them by giving them very little economic help. As a result, the more famous Majorca was overdeveloped (the beach area is like Miami) and Minorca was left relatively unspoiled. For us, an ideal day on Minorca is to simply rent a car and drive all over the island. We also love the beaches some of which are small, gorgeous, and not crowded. We used to go to a small beach that could only be accessed by driving across a cow pasture (you had to get out of the car to open and close the gates) but I cannot recall the name of that beach (perhaps it did not even have a name). By the way, if you are a shopper this is a good island to find some decent leather.

 

Hank