My Grandma was big on celebrating, especially Christmas and birthdays. Even from some 4,000 miles away there would always be a card through the post to mark my birthday, a phone call where she’d sing me the birthday song and usually a little something to open with some ‘change’ dropped into my account. When she passed last year, I didn’t really fancy celebrating my birthday without her. It felt weird, wrong almost, so my 26th year came without any acknowledgement of it. This year however, I wanted to celebrate the way my Grandma would have. I didn’t want to do a night out in Manchester, a brunch in London, nor a dinner at home – I wanted to go away. So, that’s what I did!

Being the quietest of the Balearic Islands, I figured Menorca would be the perfect place for a very chill, very relaxed few days in the sun. 

Our days consisted of waiting for the clouds and rain to clear, (the weather tried very hard to spoil our fun), before lying by the pool in the sun. Lunches were a classic ‘girl dinner’ – think a mismatch of pasta, cheese, bread and the superior fruit and veg you get in Europe, drowned in olive oil. We played games, chatted about all sorts, and attempted to catch golden hour every evening. 

We stayed in Binibeca on the east side of the island, close to the island’s capital, Mahon. Home to the longest natural harbour in the world, Mahon has a marina and the vibe of an Andalusian city with moorish architecture obvious throughout. With it being the quietest island and having travelled off season, Mahon felt like a ghost town. There was almost nobody around with some restaurants completely empty! We managed to find life at Paput, a very relaxed open bar & restaurant by the marina and Contrabandu, which is more of a club with a rooftop terrace, (which wasn’t open). 

For my actual birthday, we travelled to Ciutadella, (about 1hr and £70 in a taxi) which is the other main town on Menorca. Although it’s not the capital, from what Tiktok has told me, it seems to have the most going on. After dinner, (which I’ll tell you about soon), we headed out for a wiggle. At the end of the canal, you’ll find Kopas, Iguanaport and Jazzbah. All 3 have super cute rooftop terraces, serving drinks & shisha with the downstairs parts being clubs. Iguanaport had Reggaeton blasting but Kopas actually had a decent number of people in it for a vibe.  I reckon that in season, on a Friday or Saturday these places would be lit. 

On our final night, we went for dinner at Bambú which came highly recommended. Unfortunately, our experience was pretty disappointing. The service was good but the food was average at best. The menu you see online isn’t the menu which is actually presented to you which is jarring. There were one too many mistakes for me to rate this place for food, although I think it would be a lovely setting for an evening drink. 

All in all, I’d say Menorca is the perfect place for a young family holiday or even a baecation. If you’re looking for a very quiet, ‘lie by the pool and beach’ girls trip, it works but I reckon you’d get a better balance on Mallorca. Binibeca is very sleepy but stunning. Its white washed buildings are like a rabbit warren with a small but decent beach with fine sand within walking distance. Taxis are pretty readily available but I’d recommend renting a car – it really is just easier and probably cheaper.

If you decide you want to head to Menorca and stay in Binibeca, I’ve got the perfect villa for you. More on that tomorrow…