Sunset at the lighthouse and lobsters at the village of Fornells

Menorca, Spain, May 2022

I discovered the beauty of an island in the Balearic Islands, Spain, at a time totally out of season: at the turn of May and June, the colors and landscapes of Menorca left no doubt why it was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

I must confess one thing: I have a soft spot for lighthouses, especially if they overhang the sea. They have that veil of mystery, and then let's face it: how nice it is to be in a secluded retreat listening to the wind, waves on the cliffs, saltiness in the air...

I had never had the chance to see one up close. One afternoon I stop at a supermarket to pick up some beers and chips for an impromptu aperitivo by the sea, when we find out we have one 20 minutes down the road and we didn't think twice about it. The Cavalleria Lighthouse, in Cap de Caballeria, has a museum that you can visit by buying a ticket, but the surprising thing is that all around it are remnants of buildings that go down a piece of coastline, and it was on one of these little walls with a view that we enjoyed our cerveza.

The surprises do not end. One evening we met a Menorcan girl debunking false Spanish and Italian myths in the company of a juicy sangria, and on her advice we discovered a fishing village on the North coast of the island: the past of Es Fornells is linked to defense against Barbary pirates, while today it has 1,000 inhabitants and in its natural marina a lot of boats have the typical lobster fishing nets!

We ended up in one of the oldest family restaurants in the village, where the owner was of incredible kindness and hospitality, considering that he even sat with us at the table to explain the various species fished: a world opened up to us. Have you ever tasted the lobster soup? We tasted several dishes of the day but...we were totally enraptured!