By Chad Olcott

As attentive readers of this blog may know, we are headed to Menorca Island in 2027 – one of Spain’s famed Balearic Islands 150 miles or so into the Mediterranean off the coast of Barcelona. And one of the great perks of my job is that I get to scout most of our new itineraries. This means heading to our newest destination to do the hiking, eat the food, sample the wine, and dip in all of the coves. And, amigos, Menorca did not disappoint. The trails are rugged, beautiful, and very well-marked. The towns are lively and interesting. The food hit all the right notes of the Mediterranean diet we’ve all heard so much about. The sea was warm – and the water was unbelievably clear. The pictures below will take you through my scouting trip chronologically – I’ve minimized the words to let the island speak for itself. Our Beta trip next spring is full, but, as of the date of this post, we do have some availability on our fall trip running from 3-9 October 2027. Reach out to us at info@parallel-adventures.com if you would like more info!

Getting the lay of the land before leaving… Menorca is much smaller and generally flatter than it’s big sister, Mallorca, to the west. And it has many fewer German discos.

I arrived on Menorca in the pre-dawn darkness. This ancient sentinel greeted our enormous ferry on arrival.

A quick taxi ride took me from the quay to the center of Ciutadella on a quiet Saturday morning.

Gorgeous narrow lanes behind our fantastic hotel in the center of town.

The trail we’ll follow most days on the island is the famous “Cami de Cavalls” – named for the knights on horseback who once patrolled the island and established the trail now used by (usually) sword-less hikers.

You’ll find the occasional beachside hobbit hole. These hobbits have much better tans than the ones in the Shire.

Seriously, no picture will do justice to the color and quality of the water, particularly in the coves on the south side of the island. Bathwater-warm and gin-clear.

I was able to stay at the rural hotel our guests will enjoy on the first night of their trip. On a historic farm tucked away from the bustle of the coast but with views of the Med a couple of miles away, it promises to be a magical place to start the trip.

Just up the ancient lane from the aforementioned rural hotel is an incredible example of the prehistoric Talayotic culture that once prevailed on Menorca. This building was about 3000 years old…

We’ll walk this lovely little lane back to the hotel after dinner on Night 1.

Yours truly. Back on the trail the next morning and in need of a shave.

Hikers will open and close many of these lovely Dali-esque wooden gates on the trail

I encountered these unadorned, unsigned stairs at the end of the first hiking day. Descending, I found…

…this super-cool grotto/swimming hole. That water is at least 10 feet deep, by the way.

Shifting gears to the more remote northside, the breeze was blowing and the sea was stunning. We’ll stay in this little resort village of Platges de Fornells on the second-to-last night of our trip.

I walked up the trail from the village and was treated to this view of the moon over the river and Menorcan countryside. With the trail entirely to myself, it was pretty magical.

The last day of hiking starts with an approach to the beautiful Cap de Favaritx lighthouse….

…and finishes at the small fishing village of Es Grau.

Flowers were few and far between at the end of a dry Mediterranean summer, but I found this lovely little guy on the beach.

We’ll spend the last night of the trip in the small city of Mahon – or Maó to the locals. The city has palpable British influences from the period the Redcoats were around (most of the 1700s).

Seen on the scene in Mahon.

I took the very short 30-minute flight from Menorca to Palma de Mallorca – it offered amazing views of everywhere I’d been over the course of the week.

This picture doesn’t do capture it all, but it was very cool to see all of the coves where I dipped my toes!