BALEARICS Menorca Magical
Half-price properties, uncrowded beaches and a lovely laid-back way of life - what’s not to like about the island, reports
I
n recent years, you’ve probably read much about the property markets in Mallorca and Ibiza, which have both outperformed those of
the Spanish mainland because of continued demand from international buyers. Historically, the Balearic Islands have been
stricter with planning permissions for homes on their beautiful shorelines, so oversupply of properties has not been a big issue. T e valuation company Tinsa reported
that in April prices in the Balearics went up by 3.3 per cent compared with a year earlier
— against an average decline of 10.5 per cent in properties on the Spanish mainland. Yet the Balearic island that we haven’t
heard much about lately is Menorca, which doesn’t enjoy the high profi le or marketing budgets of Mallorca and Ibiza, yet has much to off er visitors and buyers. Property prices have fallen by 30-50
per cent in Menorca since the downturn, so if you prefer the Spanish islands to the mainland, and can’t aff ord Mallorca and Ibiza, then your money goes surprisingly far on this unspoilt isle.
“It’s so peaceful and calm that
when I look at the view [of Mahon harbour] I take a deep sigh. It’s nothing like Mallorca or Ibiza.”
So what can if off er exactly? Much more British than the other two islands, which have become highly cosmopolitan in the past 20 years, Menorca has 4,000 UK residents out of a total population of around 68,000. Anglophiles will be delighted to know
there are cricket, tennis, bowls and rugby clubs, and English is widely spoken, especially by doctors and vets — the English own a lot of businesses there. T e second largest Balearic island, it has as many beaches as Mallorca and Ibiza combined — many of them virgin – and is
relatively fl at, with gentle, rolling green countryside and wetlands rather than dramatic coastlines. T e island, which has an uncommon
sense of calm, is a haven for nature lovers, bird watchers and walkers, and was designated a biosphere reserve in 1993. Measuring 20 by 10 miles, it has two large
commercial tourist hubs — Mahon (or Maó), the capital and one of the largest natural harbours in the world at the eastern end; and Ciutadella, a pure resort area, in the far west. A highway road runs through the middle
between the two, from which minor roads snake to legions of sheltered coves, fi shing villages or other tourist areas, such as Fornells or Es Grau (on the north coast, pictured above). With the airport nearby, the area around
Mahon is popular with buyers because it off ers a bit of everything, alongside the most amenities, and the harbour area is one of the most desirable areas. T e Butterfi eld family chose the area
more than ten years ago, because it off ered a contrast to their hectic home life in Westminster. “It’s so peaceful and calm that when I look at the view [of Mahon harbour]
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