Across to Menorca

The passage from Mallorca to Menorca was our first real stretch of open water in the Mediterranean. We set off with little wind and a clear horizon, but part way across a thick fog descended on us. The radar was reassuring as freighters passed ahead and astern. Then, almost as quickly as it had arrived, the fog lifted and the high cliffs of Menorca appeared ahead.

Ciudadela

Ciudadela has a narrow entrance that opens into a harbour just wide enough for the inter-island ferry to turn. Being early in the season, we secured a berth on the waterfront. The old city showed its long history in the narrow streets and buildings, while the market and its covered arcades made a good place to explore on foot.

We also took the bicycles into the countryside. Menorca is exceptionally rich in prehistoric stone structures — taulas, navetas and talayots — and we spent two days riding between these remarkable sites. Exploring from the bicycles gave us a much better feeling for the island than simply seeing it from the harbour.

Fornells and Mahon

Reluctantly we left Ciudadela and sailed clockwise around the north of the island to Fornells, rather than taking the more usual route along the south coast. From there we continued to Mahon, the great natural harbour on Menorca’s eastern side.

We moored stern-to on a floating pontoon in the long harbour. The RIB made it easy to get ashore and climb into the old town, and once again the bicycles took us farther into the countryside. Provisioning was good and I stocked Malua with Spanish wine, which at one or two euros a bottle represented excellent value. Malua’s waterline went down accordingly.

Eastward again

From Mahon we waited for the weather for the roughly 220 nautical mile passage towards Sardinia. With a full moon and the wind in the right direction, we sailed at about 9:30 for what would be a two-night, three-day crossing. The Balearic chapter was behind us and Corsica and Sardinia were next.