The beach at Punta Prima is without doubt one of the major attractions of the
resort, and offers visitors a fair selection of facilities and water sports.
Looking out so sea, the nearby Aire Island is clearly visible. This is a small
protected area of special environmental interest that is a winter stopover point
for many types of migratory birds as well as being a breeding ground for
Menorca's waterfowl.
A short distance inland from the resort brings you to the village of San Lluis,
here you will find the Aero Club and Hippodrome. The aerodrome originally built
during the Spanish Civil War, as was until 1969 the island's only airport. It
still operates as an airfield and today houses the Royal Mahon-Menorca Airclub,
who throughout the year offer visitors leisure flights around the island as well
as private piloting courses. The facilities on site include a bar/restaurant,
along with a small karting track. Contact details for more information are:
Real Aeroclub Mahon - Menorca
Carretera San Luis Km. 3
San Luis
Menorca
Telephone: +34 971 361 672
Adjacent to the Aero Club, and certainly worth a mention is the Hippodrome, who
hold horse trotting races at the weekend throughout the year.
Throughout all of Spain and the Balearic Islands there has always been a strong
association with the annual cycle of local fiestas. The traditions of the
Menorcan fiesta are possibly the strongest of all, with many tracing their
origins way back to the 14th Century.
To the local residents, the word fiesta conjures up images of beautifully
groomed horses, the drink “Pomada” which is a combination of gin and lemon, and
the traditionally baked cake “Coca amb Xocolati”, which is served with a sweet
chocolate drink.
A typical fiesta begins in the afternoon before the Saint's day with the horses
and their riders meeting and parading through the streets before congregating at
the church for Mass. In the evening there is often live music and traditional
folk dancing, and then a magnificent firework display ends the celebrations at
around midnight.
The annual fiesta of Sant Lluis is always held over the weekend closest to
August 25th each year, and features a parade of floats through the town along
with a varied selection of sporting and musical events to get the whole
community involved in.
For the more active, the nearby resort of
S'Algar
may be the answer. This small purpose built resort has possibly the best
sporting facilities on the island, and with a choice of windsurfing, tennis, and
horse-riding at the Club Hipic Es Beoret, there's usually plenty to do. Quite
strange for Menorca, S’Algar also has seven lawn bowling greens and a number of
places where you can hire woods.
Although the city of Mahon is the commercial and cultural centre of Menorca, the
depth of history, culture and nightlife there often takes visitors by surprise,
and a visit to the world famous Xoriguer gin factory, which is found along the
harbour front, is always included in most of the tour operators "see Menorca in
a day" type island tours. Inside the factory there are several tasting tables
where visitors can sample every type of gin they produce. There is no entrance
charge to go in and absolutely no pressure to buy anything.
Mahon also holds a daily fish market, and certainly worth a mention is the twice
weekly fruit and vegetable markets that are held every Tuesday and Saturday
throughout the year. These being first established way back in 1301 by Jaime II
as part of the Christian conquest of the island.
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