See a quieter side to the Balearics by booking into a Menorca hotel, on the coast or hidden away in the countryside, but always a far cry from Ibiza’s hectic hedonism and Mallorca’s summer-holiday crowds.

BEST MENORCA HOTELS

From Crete to Bodrum and Sicily to the South of France, the Mediterranean is packed with beautiful places for a beach getaway and Menorca is one of our favourites when it comes to choosing an underrated destination.

The wilder, more rugged Menorca has a slower pace and is proudly much more low-key than its neighbours, swapping slick hotels for rustic fincas, boutique guesthouses and carefully renovated historic hideaways. Its pine-lined coast has rocky coves, long stretches of sandy beaches and cliff-top towns above ancient harbours.

A peaceful island, it's great for families – but since there are lots of adults-only agriturismos (farm stays) too, it’s also perfect for couples in search of some rural romance.

For the ultimate home-from-home retreat, check in to Cristine Bedfor, where the glamorous but imaginary host gives guests a seat at her table – and lets them admire her impeccable taste in antiques. Or if your holidays have to have free-flowing cocktails, try the Experimental group’s Menorcan outpost, where the drinks are still stiff but there’s a contemplative, more artistic side, too.

Fashionable fincas rule around here, such as the Fontenille estate, home to both Santa Ponsa and Torre Vella, and the rural perfection of Torralbenc, eight years in the making and worth every second.

Read on for the loveliest Menorca hotels beckoning for this summer…

Named after an imaginary English lady who’ll gladly give you a bed for the night, Cristine Bedfor is an impossibly charming collection of houses in Mahón. The owner has packed every room with antiques sourced in brocantes (flea markets) and there are lots of cosy corners to sit out on and enjoy the sunshine (we especially love the patio), as well as lounges with fireplaces for the cooler months.

The hospitable host is known for always having friends gathered around her table (as well as her love of wine), and guests can be sure of equally-inviting treatment.

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A former watchtower with grounds that lead all the way to the water, Torre Vella is a rural retreat with a bohemian decor of gauzy white fabrics, driftwood, local stone and lots of woven things. The kitchen restaurant puts produce from its garden to good use in vegetable dishes, along with sharing-size paellas and barbecues on the patio.

The peaceful green surroundings span paths to the vineyard, cliffs and limestone quarry, sea-facing yoga platforms, sports trails and resident goats, horses, donkeys and turtles to go and greet. Book a massage under an olive tree, but be sure to be back in time for the chef’s daily cake o’clock (4pm to 6pm), taken on one of the terraces or in the living room.

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Bringing France’s coolest cocktail club to Menorca, this unsurprisingly hip hotel is in a 19th-century finca on 75 acres of land. Nine of Menorca Experimental's rooms have their own plunge pools, but there’s a lively main pool, too. It’s an exercise (or experiment) in stylish simplicity, with the feel of an artist’s rural holiday cottage and extra deco details.

In keeping with the group’s other properties, the restaurant specialises in the locally sourced, much of which is so local that it’s picked from the hotel’s own garden. Of course, the cocktails are heady, but there’s also a whole list of sangrias to try.

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Bougainvillea-draped and bucolic, Biniarroca is a charming rural hotel in a traditional country house on the edge of Sant Lluis in the island’s south-east. The romantic retreat has a bistro for lunch and a restaurant for elegant evening meals.

Spend your days out in the gardens, which import a little Italian Riviera into the Menorcan countryside, or beside one of the pools – the main one has a bar for cocktails regardless of what time of day it is. In the afternoon, tea gets traded for gin and cake, and at dusk it’s time for cocktails again, this time by candlelight.

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A heritage house in Mahón, Hotel Hevresac is an 18th-century building crafted by well-to-do merchants putting their trade wealth to good use. It was once the home of a captain and diarist who documented the maritime activities. The rooms have art nouveau tiles on the floors, stripped-back panels on the walls and ceiling beams made from pine.

The sustainable stay is as fashionably eco-friendly as its rural sibling Ses Sucreres, but it’s the urban edition – only one that’s close to the island’s northern beaches, as well as the walking trails of the Cami de Cavalls, a path in existence since 1330.

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On an island filled with fincas, it’s hard to stand out – but Llucasaldent does for its endless olive groves, vineyards and bountiful breakfasts of mostly home-grown produce. The farmhouse is hidden away inland, which means maximum peace and quiet. Guests can request barbecue packs or premium picnics to enjoy out in the grounds, and staff can also set up tables with spectacular backdrops for dinner.

The same family has lived here for two decades and it’s not hard to see why they’re staying put. And for anyone hoping to bring the kids along, there’s a family-friendly version a few metres away (La Llucasaldentet).

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Within the same several-acre estate as Torre Vella Fontenille, Santa Ponsa is a 17th-century palace with protected terraced gardens, a crimson façade and a spa with stone steps leading to an underground pool, Nordic baths and a hammam.

Slow food is on the menu at Nura, the restaurant helmed by a Catalan chef with a passion for Menorcan produce (and ingredients from his garden). At the aforementioned spa, organic treatments are carried out with essential oils that are extracted from plants grown on the estate, and there’s a terrace on top of the cistern for post-swim naps and an incredible view.

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The passion is evident at Ses Bruixes, the vision of a Menorcan couple who have created their dream destination. Their reverie consisted of slow breakfasts and Sunday brunches in the courtyard, zero-kilometre produce and home-made cakes, turquoise shutters and sun-trap terraces.

It also involved jasmine-scented candlelit dinners out beneath the bougainvillea, a wine cellar with a resident sommelier and a spa with a sunken stone pool and trios of baths and showers for the ultimate in ablutions. Rituals use bespoke organic ingredients, including massages performed with hot-cloth sachets filled with rosemary, olives and bay leaves.

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A painstakingly restored farm that took the owners eight years to perfect, Torralbenc gives its guests a taste of the island’s agricultural life. Formed from 19th- and early-20th-century whitewashed buildings and now with an added wine cellar, the original character has been preserved.

The homestead is on a Med-facing, vineyard-surrounded hillside near the town of Alaior, and between Mahón and Ciutadella – which also means proximity to some of the island’s biggest beaches. It’s the good life, but for the 21st century, which is especially visible at the indulgent restaurant, deemed revelatory by Balearic journalists. True to form though, it still uses the land’s bounty: olive oil, wine and vegetables all made on the estate.

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In the port city of Ciutadella on the west coast of Menorca, Faustino Gran is in a 16th-century palace amid the ancient sandstone streets. There are 21 rooms, three suites and a villa with a kitchen if you’re bringing an entourage. The walls are lined with photography of the island’s San Joan festivals and you’ll also be able to spy heraldic shields carved into the stone.

The restaurant has a sunny terrace and a pretty garden with native flowers, and there’s a spa just in case that doesn’t sound relaxing enough.

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On the island’s south coast, this beachfront hotel is right on one of the best stretches of sand in Menorca. Breezy coastal views are a given, as are clean lines and welcome air-conditioning; in some of Meliá Cala Galdana's rooms, you’ll even be able to admire the bay from your bath tub.

Some suites have their own deck with a private plunge pool, too. Restaurants include a beach club with easy access to both the sea and the swimming pool, and the smart, terrace-enhanced Italian, Casa Nostra.

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This adults-only, eco-friendly hotel is 10 minutes away from the centre of Ciutadella, right on the marina of Cala’n Bosch and close to all of the best beaches in the south. At Suites del Lago, there’s a heated outdoor thalasso pool with a swim-up bar, rooms with terraces overlooking the palm trees and boats in the marina, and several bars and restaurants to choose from.

These include an innovative Japanese-Menorcan restaurant by a Michelin-starred chef, a Peruvian Pisco bar for ceviche and cocktails, a brasserie with a charcoal grill and a wine bar.

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The rural edition of heavenly Hotel Hevresac, Ses Sucreres shares its sibling’s enthusiasm for sustainability, restoring a building that dates back to 1844.

The charming boutique hotel is in one of the oldest streets of Ferreries in the centre of the island, between the rocky coastlines and lighthouses of the north and the pine forests and white-sand beaches in the south. It’s one for the hikers, since there are various tracks to set off on for treks with a view – with a hospitable home from home awaiting your return.

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Menorca excels in the art of the agriturismo and Son Vives is yet another shining example. The rural retreat is on one of the highest points of the island, with views out across the north coast. There’s an outdoor pool, a vegetable patch and bicycles to borrow; and the team can arrange activities including boat trips and horse-riding.

The characterful rooms feature beamed ceilings and wooden floors, and some have their own terrace. As if that wasn’t enough multi–tasking, the farm also makes its own cheese and breeds racehorses.

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For something a little more urban (relatively speaking), try Can Alberti in Mahón. This boutique hotel is in an 18th-century building with a maritime heritage. There’s a grand staircase, courtyards and cosy bedrooms, plus a roof terrace with a view out across the town’s bell towers and historic buildings.

It’s perfectly placed for sundown strolls through the old town’s winding streets, stopping for drinks on one of the many terraces, and shopping.

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