What an interesting place! This little city on a port really is just a stop-over for other locations on the island. It’s a shame as the people really are lovely and helpful but there isn’t a whole lot to do here. So, as a point of suggestion, if you come to Menorca for the beaches – which means you will have to fly in to Mahon – book an early flight to Mahon and book a late flight out of Mahon: that late flight will allow you to get from your beach resort to the airport in plenty of time, even if you take the bus!
If, however, you decide to stroll around Mahon for a bit, nothing more than an afternoon and night is all that’s needed. Don’t get me wrong, it is a nice place not something that requires a lot of time.
Nights
The Hotel San Miguel (http://www.hotelsanmiguel-menorca.com/) is an absolute dream hotel that deserves far better than its 3 star rating! After finally locating the hotel – 2 blocks off of Placa Reial in a residential neighborhood – I was a bit concerned by the outside. In fact, I wondered “what have I gotten myself in to?” But once inside and you are greeted by the staff, it all changes. The décor is very mideval in style but once in the room… what a pleasant surprise. The rooms are large and gorgeously decorated (not by Ikea). The bathrooms are equally large and even have a whirlpool tub to help ease the aches and pains of walking around the hilly city! And the breakfast a far cry better than I ever expected and to sit in the lovely inner courtyard just a wonderful way to start the day. I will return!
If you want something a bit more posh with a bit of a view, try the Hotel Port Mahon. I thought of staying here – and am glad that I didn’t because I loved the Hotel San Miguel – but I did go here to pick something up and it does look lovely and the staff seemed really quite nice. But, be warned: they say they have a view of the port which is what they have. They are not ON the port, they are on a hill overlooking the port. It is gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but I was expecting it to be down on the port.
Bites
I only spent one night in Mahon so I can only recommend one restaurant: Wepi (Moll de Llevant 227 (+34) 971 354818; no website). Wepi describes themselves as a mediterranean restaurant and I would describe their food as eclectic fun! And it’s not Spanish inspired which, after a while, was a welcomed departure. And for this vegetarian, they had some wonderful vegetarian options that didn’t involve a salad and actually had some protein in it! The restaurant is on the port, where most of the restaurants are located, so go for a stroll and find this restaurant. It’s amazing.
Sites
Well, I must admit that I didn’t find a whole lot of actual sites to take in while in Mao. I walked everywhere, and had fun people watching and see some of the various neighborhoods, but other than that, there’s not a lot. Most people seem to take a boat tour around the harbor but that wasn’t my thing. You can, however, and it will cost 11 euro per person. And that was it.
So there you go. If you go to Menorca for a bit of sun – which I do recommend – you can probably avoid a lay-over in Mahon if you plan your flights from Barcelona or Madrid correctly. And if you can’t avoid the lay-over, or just want to say “I’ve been to Mao,” they stay at the Hotel San Miguel and eat at Wepi. Enjoy!