Menorca is the second largest of the Balearic Islands and differs considerably from its neighbours, Majorca and Ibiza. It was the last of the Balearic islands to promote tourism so has developed with the benefit of lessons learnt from the other islands. It now offers the perfect location for families who enjoy quiet holidays boasting wonderful weather, unspoilt sandy beaches, picturesque villages and enjoyable village fiestas. Most UK airports fly direct to Mahon throughout the holiday season.

The local dialect, Menorqui, derives from the Catalan language. The locals all speak Spanish and don’t expect you to master their dialect. But it always goes down well if you can manage a few words.
The Menorqui for Mahon is Maó and you may see this printed on road signs or maps.

Local currency is the Euro( €) which replaced the peseta in January 2002. Euro coins have denominations 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2 euros; notes range from 5 to 500 euros. For the most up to date advice click here.

Some more info you may need to know about the Spanish way of doing things.

• Shops generally open from 9am to 1.30pm and from 5pm until 8pm. Saturday 9.30am - 1.30pm and are generally closed on Sunday.
• In tourist resorts, some shops stay open all day and at weekends. The large supermarkets on the outskirts of Mahon and Ciutadella are open all day Monday to Saturday. The Mahon Harbour shops are open all day Monday to Sunday, June to September.
• Government offices are open from 9am until 2pm Monday to Friday.
• Banks are open from 9am until 1pm Monday to Friday.
• Post office hours are from 9am until 2pm and from 4pm until 7pm. They close on Saturday afternoons and all day Sundays. Stamps can be bought from post offices, tobacconist shops and souvenir shops selling postcards.
• For international calls, dial "0044" followed by the area code (minus the initial zero) and the number you want. Calls are cheaper Saturday and Sunday after 6pm and weekdays after 11pm. Local calls are very cheap. Remember to dial the local code for the Balearic Islands (971) before each number.
• Buses run every two hours from 8am - 7pm along the main road from Mahon to Ciutadella, and from Mahon to all the beach resorts from 9am - 8pm. There are also services from Mahon to Fornells.

For more Menorca info try www.menorca.net