Discovery Days

Menorca Moments for August 2012

Everyone who visits Menorca always comments on how beautiful the island is, with its unspoiled beaches, picturesque countryside, quaint towns and villages and general Mediterranean charm, not to mention its more peaceful and relaxed way of life. Yet behind this calm exterior lies a fascinating and turbulent history, a passionate and traditional culture and a zest for life and to protect its qualities for generations to come.

So much packed into one small island, it’s impossible to take it all in at once. Even those who live in Menorca or visit regularly still discover new places, sights and sounds to enchant them. At Menorca-Live, we thought we’d bring you our Menorca Moments throughout August for those people who may not have the opportunity to travel around the island or for those who would simply like to share a snapshot of daily life in Menorca with us. Each Menorca Moment will be posted onto our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/menorca.live.website

If you haven’t already joined us, please do and let our Menorca Moments bring a smile or perhaps a memory to your day or even inspire you to discover more about this magical island on your next visit. Our first Menorca Moment was taken at Calas Fonts in Es Castell, not chosen because it is the best photograph but because it sums up tranquillity in the early evening sunshine, learnt from an early age.

Spring Fills Menorca With Wild Flowers

Throughout spring, Menorca becomes a floral paradise. From March to the end of May, the island is rich with a multitude of vibrant wild flowers that line the hedgerows and dry stone walls, carpet the fields and meadows and thrive in woodlands, dunes and on cliff tops.

With well over 900 species of plant recorded, including some 16 varieties of orchid, there are around 150 different types of wild flowers, many of which are typical of the Mediterranean but some are endemic to Menorca. Attracting birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife, they make a stunning spring landscape, especially in the nature parks and wetlands that are protected under Menorca’s status as a biosphere reserve.

Menorca’s Temporary Pond, Sa Bassa Verda

Although frequented and loved by locals, many visitors to Menorca will not have heard of Sa Bassa Verda (literally translated as ‘healthy green pond’), which is truly one of Menorca’s best kept secrets on the north coast overlooking Algaiarens, but one most definitely worthy of discovery.

It has to be said that Sa Bassa Verda is not the most obvious or easiest place to get to, which contributes to its continued anonymity amongst tourists. That, and the fact that this breathtakingly picturesque pond is only temporary, relying entirely on rain water to fill it. It dries up completely during the hot summer months, making a winter or spring visit essential to appreciate fully this natural phenomenon.

We Love Menorca in the Springtime

The spring is a wonderful season to discover or re-discover Menorca before the heat of the summer kicks in. The air is lighter, the views are crisp and clear and beautiful the spring colours make the lush landscape so much more vivid. It’s a great time to take a well-earned break after the grey skies of the British winter and simply enjoy the outdoors.

From early April onwards temperatures start to climb to around a very pleasant 20 – 22ºC, making you long to get out into the fresh air and sunshine. The island is in full bloom with an abundance of wild flowers in wonderful yellows, pinks and violets in the fields, hedgerows and along the roadsides, followed by masses of vibrant red poppies.