"The quiet one", Menorca is the 2nd largest of the Balearic Islands - just 33 miles from West to East and 14.5 miles from North to South at its widest point. Its 138 miles of glorious coastline offers the visitor many contrasts - from long, sunny beaches to quiet sandy coves, striking sheer cliffs and natural harbours.
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This natural beauty should remain untouched as the present law prohibits any type of development within 100 metres of the sea. Menorca is a Unesco Biosphere Reserve meaning that the island's aim is to protect the environment whilst supporting traditional industries and tourism.
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Driving across the island, from Mahon to Ciudadela one passes by rural villages and gentle, roaming countryside with grazing cattle, drystone walls and wild olive trees. From the summit of Monte Toro, the highest peak, the eye can span the whole island and take in the clarity of its sparkling, turquoise waters.
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Numerous invasions have no doubt helped shape the Menorcan character - self-sufficient and fiercely independent. They are however courteous, open and welcoming to the visitor. Most people speak Menorquin - a dialect of Catalan and since 1983 both Catalan and Castilian Spanish have enjoyed official status on the island.
Romans, Byzantines, British and Spanish have all left their mark - mostly evident in the two main towns - Mahon and Ciudadela.
Sun, sea and sand is what most visitors are seeking and seldom are they disappointed. Menorca has more beaches than all of the other Balearic islands put together. Some are in busy tourist resorts, others in unspoilt fishing villages, pine fringed coves and breathtakingly beautiful sweeping bays.
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