Even the air smelled sweet in the cool white lobby of Villa le Blanc, on the sunny south coast of Menorca . It could be the trailing lavender plants framing the vast central pool, or the just-squeezed lemonades handed out to my kids at reception, but the sweetness lasted for our whole week on this calm, child-friendly island.
Menorca, the grown-up older sister to its party animal siblings Mallorca and Ibiza, revealed itself to be a version of Maldives-like tropics, only a two-hour flight from London.
We came for an inter-generational holiday: my husband and I shared an ocean-facing suite with my two youngest kids, whilst my mum was next door with my eldest son in this new hotel from Spain’s family-owned Gran Melia group.
The rooms were ideally connected via a large sun-drenched terrace that wraps around vast windows, the sea showing off its glittering varying shades of turquoise at every angle.
The sand glints too: Menorca has more beaches than Mallorca and Ibiza put together — and because it’s more of a Balearic secret, there’s plenty of room on them too. Our spring break at the end of May revealed just how family-friendly Menorca is. We took the €5 bus from right outside the hotel to Ciutadella, with its glistening port, historic bridges, shoe-filled market, museums and miniature streets seemingly set up for wandering. Kinder, yogurt and lime ice creams at Sa Gelateria de Menorca, outside the cathedral, and Plaça dels Pins’ shaded playground ensured the kids enjoyed the town too.
Back at base, we found Villa Le Blanc’s (free) kids club to be the antithesis of the garish, Ikea-stocked dens many hotels offer. This Montessori-run club has dozens of baskets full of open-ended toys, pastel building sets, fossils, art options and Settlers of Catan and its ilk.
Set up steps from the pool, with friendly staff, my kids loved dipping in and out relaxedly all day: relatedly, I managed to finish three whole books. The hotel’s service is perfect: no pushy poolside waiters, but start thinking of a cocktail and a tray almost miraculously arrives.
The hotel’s decor is white, wood, and chilled: layers of natural materials with teak seating, wooden beams, white-washed Menorcan finca walls, marble, and beautiful local pottery, glassware and art. The main (unheated) pool, surrounded by olive trees and Balinese beds, is hard to leave, but there are a host of pools, including a children’s paddling pool, a rooftop adults-only one, and a warm spa pool where children are welcomed during the morning.
A traditional white wooden gate leads out of the hotel onto a boardwalk to the sandy Santo Tomás beach, where rock pools and turquoise waters entertain my three kids for endless hours. The island’s famous Cami de Cavalls walking path skirts the edge of the resort, with Sou Bou beach 5km walk away — pleasant before breakfast, steamy afterwards. During our May stay, the path was dotted with jewel-like fuscia and yellow wild flowers; the whole area is immaculately clean, and devoid of the August crowds, when popping to a beach can involve an hour’s wait for a car park.
We did hire a car for the day (€120 for a seven-seater) to explore the coves and caves of the island. Menorca has amazingly diverse beaches, from volcanic red sands and raw nature in the north to tropical-style powder white sands and azure waters (Arenal de Son Saura and Cala Turqueta stood out), to the particularly child-friendly shallow coves of Es Grau (with kayaks and paddle boards) and craggy Binidalí in the south. Older kids loved kayaking in and out of the island’s many prehistoric coves and caves.
Other Menorcan highlights for the children included the Lloc de Menorca mini zoo — with snakes, crocs, zebras, a petting park, and splash playground (take swimwear). Waterparks are dotted all over the island — the best for younger children is Carema splash park, with small, safe thrills and gorgeous views; Splash, near Punta Prime, had bigger slides as well as a lovely lazy river. There’s so much to do and explore in Menorca, we know we’ll be back before long.
Villa Le Blanc, though, was tough to leave, with free morning yoga sessions, oodles of space on teak loungers dotted around the grass, gazing out at the crystal-clear Mediterranean. Secluded nooks in the sun-drenched lobby give plenty of room for families to relax with Spanish orange juice.
The spectacular breakfast buffet even drew Premiership footballers down from their suites with private pools. My kids loved spotting big-name players picking charcuterie and pancakes just like them; piles of exotic fruits, cherries and papaya lay alongside sugar-dusted local favourites, pastissets, and an array of Mahón cheeses.
Macarons and other delicacies also arrived in our room each evening, as if by magic. At the main restaurant, Nivi, our highlights included a platter of barbecued local vegetables, big bowls of gazpacho, and outstanding veal. Live music drew a chorus of dancing children from their tables, pirouetting to a backdrop of a typically stunning Menorcan sunset.
Back upstairs, the huge wooden bath tub on our third-floor terrace was big enough for our family of five to bathe in bubbles together under that hot pink-streaked sunset. With waves roaring in the background and moustached warblers chirping above, there felt like no greater luxury.
Rooms, including breakfast, at Villa le Blanc start from £300 low season, and £447 high season. melia.com
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