Moving to Menorca

Matthew’s article this week concentrates on moving to the Balearics’ Menorca

Moving to Menorca: if you’re after a bit of peace and quiet on the Balearics

Ups
You’ll only have to shield your peepers from the sun on Menorca. In contrast to other Spanish islands, with neighbour Mallorca and not-so-near Gran Canaria springing to mind, this tiny Balearic isle shunned the trend of putting up eyesore tourist developments along its coastline in the 1970s. Meaning that its 200km of shoreline remains relatively unspoilt.

Downs
Tourism is seasonal in Menorca, with the result that its summer months are more attractive than its winter ones. Accordingly, the average temperature dips to 11°C in January, more than 50% lower than July’s high of 25°C. And Guns N’ Roses could have penned November Rain in homage to the island.

Ins and outs
The average flight time of planes travelling from London airports to Menorca is two hours and 15 minutes. From Menorca’s airport, you can reach the capital Maó-Mahón in under 10 minutes. There are also ferry services to the island’s only city from Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Valencia.

Education
Bear in mind that Spanish is very much the second language to Catalan on Menorca. You’ll hear that in the local Menorquí dialect. International schools can only be found on Mallorca, so you’ll have to go local on the education front.

Shop until you drop…
Cheese, gin, sobresada (spreadable sausage sandwich filler), and shoes are Menorca’s main exports. Buying them at source will save you money. The Xoriguer distillery in Maó-Mahón’s port was constructed to supply the demand of the Brits during their 18th-century occupation of the island, and you can try before you buy here.

Property types
Whilst the prices of properties in Spain have dropped substantially, they’ve not fallen as low in Menorca. There’s a limited amount of space on such a small island and the building regulations are very strict. Meaning the towns grow at a very slow rate, enabling the island to maintain its charm and traditions.

Market watch
Apartments from around the €30.000 mark whilst a casa del campo can go all the way up to €7.500.000.

In Praise Of
“As October ends, Menorca’s population decreases and the island starts its hibernation. The noise has gone, the parking spaces are empty, and the coast towns turn in to ghost towns. Calm mornings with bird’s singing can be waiting for you as you wake. You can also enjoy a huge amount of outdoor activities on offer. Like exploring the Cami de Cavalls, a trail that circles the island, or taking to the water. Menorca’s the untouched gem of the Mediterranean. It’s vastly rich in history, boasting Talaiotic sites which are currently starting to get recognized as a unique global heritage.” Scott Perkins (Bonnin Sanso)

• Are you an expat in Menorca? What do you like/dislike about it? Let us know below.

Matthew Hirtes

Matthew Hirtes, our resident broadsheet journalist, moved to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria back in 2004. He’s travelled extensively through Spain, covering it for such publications as Telegraph Travel, Metro, and The Independent. The author of Going Local in Gran Canaria: How To Turn a Holiday Destination into a Home, Matthew truly is a resident expert.

Matthew writes for two sections of Spain Buddy: Moving to Spain and Spanish Football as well as providing Reviews