This Boutique Luxury Hotel Is The Perfect Base For Exploring Menorca

Arguably no destination on Earth packs as much punch into its relatively small surface area as Menorca, the second largest of the Balearic Islands. At one-fifth the size of Mallorca–its high-profile neighbor to the southwest in the Mediterranean Sea–the isle’s mere 270 square miles belie its innumerable gifts, which span the natural to the cultural, and virtually every realm in between.

Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1993, Menorca has long reveled in its enviable status as one of the world’s best-kept secrets, painstakingly preserved by proud residents who’ve managed to stave off the over-development and tourism sprawl to which large swaths of its nearby neighbors (and many islands further afield) have fallen prey. The result is a pristine, understated gem that wows visitors with its rich history, complex culture, and ineffable atmosphere.

Thanks to the dearth of international chain resorts, accommodations on the island encompass a beguiling mélange of whitewashed villas, refurbished farmhouses, and soignée boutique hotels. Case in point: the Can Alberti 1740 Boutique Hotel, tucked away on a quiet street in the heart of Menorca’s east-coast capital of Mahón. Just steps away from the central Plaça de la Constitució and a short, scenic stroll to city’s impressive waterfront, it’s an ideal base from which to explore the island’s myriad charms.

Fronted by an elegant salmon-hued façade, the hotel, whose 14 spacious, cozy-chic rooms are spread over three floors, seamlessly melds refined creature comforts–like fine linens, cane furniture, sisal rugs, and oversized bathrooms with freestanding tubs–with a storied history and an enduring allegiance to the arts that permeates every inch of its hallowed halls. Built in 1740, the property was the former home of nobleman Vicente Alberti Vidal, a gifted linguist, man of letters, and champion of the theater, who became locally renowned for his adaptations and translations of 18^th-century European authors, including the Venetian playwright Carlo Goldoni and Molière, the French writer extraordinaire.

After acquiring the luxe mansion in 2016, the current owners embraced Alberti’s artistic leanings–a passion that’s palpable the moment you walk into the grandly proportioned, vaulted-ceilinged entrance hall, where a print bearing the message, “Make Art, Not War” hangs above the grand staircase. The hotel now does double-duty as a showplace for an ever-changing array of contemporary art: an exhibition in June will mark the beginning of a collaboration with Casa de Velázquez, followed by another in July with Antwerp’s revered IBASHO gallery.

Notably, Can Alberti also serves as a presenting sponsor–along with Fundació Foment del Turismo de Menorca and Fundación La Caixa and CaixaBank–of an annual concert at the Teatro Principal de Maó, Spain’s oldest opera house, benefiting the Fundació Discap/Carlos Mir, which aims to improve the quality of life of disabled people in Menorca. The second edition, featuring five international opera stars, will take place on May 18^th, and is fast becoming a highlight of the island’s social calendar.

Beyond its distinguished status as a Menorcan cultural hub, Can Alberti offers a top-tier guest experience, complete with unfailingly friendly service and beautifully appointed common spaces–including a rooftop terrace that overlooks Mahón’s picturesque waterfront, the largest natural harbor in the Mediterranean. Breakfast, served in a quaint courtyard teeming with greenery, is a particular highlight: a buffet laden with a variety of fruit, freshly baked pastries, Spanish charcuterie, and other local specialties complements excellent egg dishes and coffees made to order by the lovely staff.

The hotel can arrange a slew of can’t-miss experiences on the island–like a delightful boat trip with Balearic Journeys, which offers half- and full-day excursions, as well as customized cruises, for groups of up to seven aboard a gleaming, teak-decked Apreamare 32 Comfort. The company’s congenial owner, Daniel Delis Rubio, serves as captain, host, and chef, whipping up bountiful seafood barbecues aboard, accompanied by crisp local vintages aplenty. As you leave the glittering port en route to your sun-splashed day at sea, you’ll cruise past Illa del Rei (King’s Island), home to Hauser & Wirth Menorca, an art center and conservation project that’s an outpost of the esteemed Swiss gallery, set in a refurbished, 18th-century naval hospital, and a must-visit for art aficionados.

For another exhilarating sojourn that captures the astonishing breadth of Menorca’s treasures, book a full-day tour with Menorca Discovery (and request Pere Lopez as your guide–his vast knowledge of his island home is matched only by his contagious enthusiasm and love for it). For six scintillating hours, you’ll explore the isle from north to south, meandering along winding country roads lined with dry-stone walls (nearly 7,500 miles of them) in a Land Rover Defender, as you’re fully immersed in the island’s fascinating and wide-ranging magic.

Stops include the postcard-worthy Cavalleria Lighthouse on Menorca’s northernmost tip–where the lunar-like landscape has been shaped by the relentless Tramuntana northern wind–and El Toro, its highest point at some 1,200 feet above sea level. From this vantage point, the island unfurls below in all directions like a shimmering, emerald-green carpet; snap some pics, and then grab a simple, scrumptious tapas lunch at Sa Posada del Toro, home to possibly the best patatas bravas in Spain.

You’ll also visit some of the more than 1,500 prehistoric sites–one of the highest concentrations anywhere on the planet–that comprise “Talayotic Menorca,” which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list last year. These riveting ruins include talayots (fortress-style, cone-shaped towers) and taulas (huge Stonehenge-like, T-shaped structures) that date from the Bronze Age (1600 BC) to the Late Iron Age (123 BC).

Be prepared to marvel at Pedrera de Santa Ponça, an abandoned limestone quarry that nature has blissfully reclaimed over the last half-century; fig and pine trees flank the path through a canyon floor blanketed with wildflowers, while ferns and other foliage burst through virtually every crack and crevice in the soaring walls. Birdsong and the wind rustling through the limestone-wrapped valley provide a soothing soundtrack for this verdant oasis, whose overarching effect is enchantingly otherworldly.

In a nod to Menorca’s considerable culinary bounty, there’s also a stop at the bucolic, 300-acre estate of Son Mercer de Baix, one of the most acclaimed producers of the island’s celebrated Mahón-Menorca cheese, a cow’s milk delicacy dating back to the 13^th century, when the island was ruled by the Moors, who shared their cheese-making expertise with the locals. You can tour the factory where the cheese, which earned Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.) status in 1985, is made and aged using centuries-old methods, then sample some and buy a vacuum-sealed hunk or two to take home.

If this action-packed day of adventure has you feeling peckish, you’ve come to the right island: Menorca’s culinary scene is world-class, and some of Mahón’s best restaurants lie within walking distance of Can Alberti. Beeline to El Rais, overlooking the port, for delicious dishes like grilled flatbread with Menorcan olive oil and anchovies and prawn carpaccio with pesto, served in a casually festive atmosphere–and be sure to save room for the decadent peanut coulant with chocolate ice cream for dessert.

And for a unique culinary journey you won’t soon forget, head to El Romero, which presides over the nearby Plaça de la Conquesta, just steps away from the hotel. Here, Italian husband-and-wife team Francesca Baroni and Fabio Tullini collaborate daily with more than 30 local fishermen and farmers to create imaginative, refined, and delectable tasting journeys–all entirely gluten-free–where wild seafood takes center stage. Courses include warm calamari tartare with caramelized cherry tomatoes, sous-vide moray eel with artichoke sauce and poached pears, and passatelli with black garlic gazpachuelo and carabineros prawns, which you can (and should) pair with selections from a carefully curated wine list that brims with biodynamic, natural, and organic vintages. The restaurant’s warm service, elegantly spare décor, and artful tableware amplify the rarefied ambience–one that’s right at home on this inimitable isle.