Menorca Tourism Guide - Mao, Menorca & East Menorca

Mao Sights and Scenes

You begin to notice the pattern of British colonial architecture in Mao. They tend to be buildings painted wine red with corresponding white window and door frames. Check out the Placa de s'Esplanada with it's adjacent original British barrocks. Watch out for the Franco era war memorial as well. This is a busy square, which comes alive particularly at weekends. To reach the old town head out on C/Ses Moreres which changes into Costa de sa Placa.

Parc D'es Fraginal is a most attractive park covered in pine trees. Close to the park on C/D'en Deia is the Teatre Principal, which was built in 1829. There's a large statue up this street also of a woman holding the masks of comedy and tragedy. This theatre is now particularly renowned for it's operatic performances.

There are various important historic buildings in Mao including the church of Santa Maria which was built in the second half of the 18th century. Just next door is the Ajuntament or town hall built in 1789 and you can walk right upto it, noting the statue of St Sebastian, the second patron saint in Mao after Verge de Gracia. Check out also the Can Mercadal, an large mansion on Placa de sa Conquesta square built in 1761. It's the library now. Move further back in time to the only remaining Medieval gateway to the city on the Pont de Sant Roc. This was built in 1359 and is all that remains of the original city walls.

There's also a Franciscan convent adjacent to the town hall, notable by it's large white bell tower. Unfortunately it's restricted access. Take a stroll down C/Isabel II, probably the most elegant and attractive street on the island. It's crammed with 18th century mansions and many have the renowned bow windows, sometimes called boinders which were introduced during the British colonial period. As you wander around, you'll note various stairs and alleyways leading off streets which will take you back down to the port such as Pont des General.

Mao Port

At the Port of Mahon are the remains of the Castle of Sant Felip, and the well conserved fort of La Mola, which was used as a military prison during the Franco dictatorship, and the island of Llatzeret, the site of a hospital for cholera victims is also a bit of a grim reminder of some of the darker history latent here. Menorca, unlike Mallorca, supported the Republicans (not Franco and the Nationalists) during the late 1930s Spanish Civil War.

Rei Island in the port was the spot where King Alfonso III disembarked. Here you'll discover the remains of an early Christian basilica, well worth a look. Also of interest is the building known as Golden Farm, part of a group of houses located on the seacoast. Apparently Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton lodged there, lots of myth around that visit!

Mao Festival

The horse is rather important in Menorca, you'll discover. The Menorca horse is usually patron-saint of many fiestas in villages and towns across Menorca. The fiestas of Mahon, in honour of la Mare de Deu de Gracia, the city's patroness since 1890, pulls on traditional religious celebrations dating back to the last third of the seventeenth century.

The annual September festival in Mahon is rather a raucous affair. It's known as the festa de cavalls, and it has some rather strange rules and regulations, with strict roles assigned to certain participants and so forth. The Junta de Caixers, the commission entrusted with organising the fiesta is made up of representatives from the different social classes including a representative of the Church, a nobleman or representative of the civil authorities, a countryman, an artisan and a bachelor. Other characters include the flabioler or flageolet-player, a man who plays the flageolet and drum while he leads the cavalcade on donkey-back through the streets of Mao. The most eagerly awaited moments are the cargols, when riders circle specific points along the route and especially the jaleos, during which riders rear their horses over the crowd's heads to the rhythm of music - eek exciting stuff. The costumes of the riders and ornamentation of the horses are renowned and if you're lucky enough to be in Mao during September then you're in for a few treats. Wouldn't get too close to the rearing horses though!

Fiestas de la Mare de Deu de Garcia, held from 7 to 9th September annually.

Mao Museums

Head first for the Museu de Menorca on Placa des Monastir which holds a selection of artefacts across the range of colonial occupants including Roman, Moorish, and Catalan Menorca relics. The kids will love the skeleton of Myotragus Balearicus, the now extinct Menorcan goat. As you'd expect perhaps in a port museum, there's a few maps plus various 18th century paintings.

Boat Trips in Mao Harbour

A great way of exploring the harbour and port of Mao is to hop on one of the many Menorca boat trips available. One of the most popular is Yellow Catamarans - their boats are easily spotted, they're yellow! Boat cruises with Yellow Catamarans sail the full 6 km of Mao harbour and there's not much their guides don't know about it!

One boat tip takes about one hour and takes in all the sights and scenes, including the islets of: Isla Pinto, Isla del Rei, Isla Plana, Isla del Llatzeret, the forts of Isabel II and Sant Felip, and the town of Es Castell.You get a great historical commentary as you weave around the harbour and beyond, and there is open or covered seating. The main deck is well equipped with a bar and w.c. Kids and adults alike will love the 16 large viewing windows situated in the lower deck. You can see the seabed from these!

Yellow Catamarans boats depart regularly, approximately every 45 minutes from the port, and they operate in peak season only from mid-April to the end of October.

Moll de Llevant, 12, Mao (Berguiners Port). Tel: 971 352 307 / 609 659 645.

Eating & Drinking Mao

Fish dishes are rather popular in Mao, and you're in for some treats! Check out one of the many fish restaurants along the port strip. Very reasonably priced! A good one is S'Espigo on Moll de Llevant

For a bar where the locals go look in at Ses Palmeras on Placa Colon and take a seat at one of their tables in the square.

Most of the bustling nightlife and bars in Mao are situated on Moll de Ponent and Costa d'es General. There's more of a mix in the music at various venues, covering genres like jazz, salsa, and the clubbing house and tecno. Shuts down around 4pm!

Menorca Resorts near Mao

If you fancy the best of both worlds with easy access to great Minorca beaches, yet close enough to Mao to visit museums, theatres and so forth then choose from a selection of Menorca resorts to the very south and on the south east tip of the island.

Punta Prima is a quiet resort, but there's a very good white sandy beach which gets busy a the weekends with the Mao crowds coming in. Watch the sea waters though, as they can be a little rough and a flag system does operate on the beach - red means no swimming, yellow means take care and green means ok for swimming. Punta Prima has reasonable amenities including supermarkets and a sprinkling of shops. Likewise, neighbouring S'Algar is a quiet little resort, without really a good beach but it's near a good cove at Cala Alcaufar and it's renowned for it's good sports facilities and is one of the cleanest little spots on Menorca!