BINIBECA VELL

You'll either love or hate this place it is difficult to feel anything in between. To some it is an example of tasteful tourist development, based on architectural beauty and local style; to others it is tacky, artificial and ugly. One of the earliest coastal developments in Menorca, it was designed to resemble a Mediterranean fishing village, with whitewashed houses, orange trees and sundrenched patios filled with geraniums. A maze of narrow alleys, Moorish archways, boats and sea views, it would be stunning if only it were authentic. Look beneath the steeple for the village church and you find an alcove with a crucifix inside the architect needed a church for the postcards but the temporary 'villagers' have no need of a real one.

You could easily spend your whole holiday here there is a supermarket, souvenir shops, restaurants and bars, swimming pools, squash courts, a children's play area and a car hire office in case you should want to see Menorca. The nearest beach is 1 km away at Binibequer here you can hire sunshades, loungers and pedal boats and have lunch at a simple wooden shack which claims to be the only place in Menorca where you can drink with your feet in the sea.