Property for sale in Menorca

A guide to property in Menorca, Spain.

Menorca was named by the Romans meaning “the little one” compared to Majorca – “the large one”. It is just 35 miles long and a few miles wide.

Those looking for property in Menorca will find that the island is a lot less extreme both in geography and in the attractions offered by its more sedate family orientated resorts. The landscape is flat and stony in the south, hilly rather than mountainous in the north and west. The emphasis in the coastal resorts and properties tends to be on villas and apartments rather than hotels and there are plenty of superb unspoilt beaches. The best of these is probably Son Bou with over a mile of soft, white powdery sand.

Cala Galdana with its semi-circular bay is very popular. There are many other attractive villa developments offering property for sale in Menorca including Binibeca, Son Parc, Shangi-La/El Grao and the more rugged area around Fornells.

The two main towns are the Capital Mao (Mahon) in the east and Ciutadella at the opposite end in the west.

Mao (Mahon) has been the capital of Menorca since the British moved it from Ciutadella in 1721. The reason being the harbour at 5km long, over 1km at it’s widest point and 15-30m deep it is one of the largest natural harbours in the world, this coupled with its location in the Mediterranean has made it a strategic stronghold for many nations throughout history. The British and French took turns in holding sway until finally Britain ceded the territory in 1802 under the treaty of Amiens and returned the island to the Spanish. Even to this day the architecture shows evidence of British influence. Today there are 20,000 inhabitants, although this figure swells in the summer months. The port itself is relaxing by day and buzzing by night. The bars and restaurants along the portside come alive at night and it is easy to spend many hours down in the port, watching the ships, admiring the view, enjoying the hospitality of the restaurants, or just sat taking in the atmosphere. The town itself has many narrow streets to explore, pleasant shady squares with welcoming pavement cafes and shopping that ranges from the twice weekly market on Tuesday and Saturday to the expensive designer boutiques, Mao is a must on every visit to the island and great place to find property for sale in Majorca.

Unlike Mahon, Ciutadella is a typically Mediterranean town. It is an historic place that has held up well to the pressure of tourism in the twentieth century. It was originally named by the Cathaginians who called it Jamma and was originally capital of Menorca until the British came along and moved it to Mahon in the eighteenth century. Ciutadella still remains the religious capital of Menorca. Nowadays Ciutadella has a resident population of 15,000.

Most people will enter Ciutadella for the first time by road arriving past the new statue on the roundabout on the new city bypass. It is a magnificent statue of a rearing stallion and symbolizes the famous Ciutadella fiesta – “Fiesta de San Juan”, usually celebrated at the end of June, not to be missed if you’re lucky enough to be here when it is on.

The harbour, a narrow inlet, is one of the smallest ports in the Mediterranean. Here, sitting in good company, at one of the harbour side cafes you can experience what Menorca is all about. Relaxed and bathed in sunshine watching the boats bob up and down and the people strolling by the worries of the world vanish. One of the best places to view the harbour is from the main square, Plaza de’s Born. The centre of the square is dominated by an obelisk which commemorates the defence of the city in 1558 when it was attacked by the Moors. Investing in the property for sale in Menorca will allow you to soak up the languid lifestyle and culture that the island offers.

On one side of the square is the Town Hall across from this is a Palace Torre Saura (open to the public) and to the side of this is an alley, which leads up into the old city. Most of the streets are narrow and typically Mediterranean. The arches of Ses Voltes provide welcome shade from the sun whilst shopping along the main street. The Cathedral in the Plaza de Pio XII, completed in 1362, took over 50 years to build. Without doubt, the best way to see Ciutadella is by foot. Forget the time and your map and just wander through narrow streets soaking up the atmosphere.

We have a wide range of property for sale in Menorca, please use our property search facility to browse our extensive range of villas, apartments, townhouses, fincas, businesses and land for sale. Our database is updated daily to ensure we bring you the very latest available property in Menorca.

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