The interior decorator and product designer falls for the island&rsquo;s low-key charms, colourful hotels and hip art scene.

I&rsquo;ve spent many years travelling to Ibiza but I&rsquo;ve always been keen to explore the rest of the Balearic archipelago. This summer my husband and I took our two-year-old daughter on her first summer holiday to Menorca (she was a lockdown baby so only knew the English coast!) We rented a charming villa in Alaior and had a rolling roster of different friends and family staying.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s always fun to explore on holiday and the scale of the island is perfect for that - we could spend a morning on one beach and have lunch and the afternoon on another without feeling like we were in the car too much. The island is unpretentious - you won&rsquo;t find any souped-up cars or blingy beach clubs - yet there are a few cool openings that attract the art and design crowds and a low-key, insider-y vibe.&nbsp;

For the clearest water and most reviving swims, I love the peachy-coloured rocks at tiny Cala de La Olla. It&rsquo;s the perfect place to rejuvenate following a long lunch at the pretty blue-and-white chiringuito <a href="https://www.nauticobinisafua.com/es/restaurante-club-nautico-binisafua/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">N&aacute;utico de Binisafua</a><a href="https://www.nauticobinisafua.com/es/restaurante-club-nautico-binisafua/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">.</a> One memorable day we took one of the traditional wooden fishing boats &ndash; known as&nbsp;lla&uuml;t - out for a day from the charming little fishing village of Fornells. We packed a picnic and some music and a backgammon board and spent the day exploring crystal-clear waters and secret coves &ndash; bobbing around off Menorca&rsquo;s coastline was the happiest I&rsquo;ve been all year.

For a culture hit we loved the <a href="https://www.hauserwirth.com/locations/25040-menorca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hauser &amp; Wirth</a> gallery so much that we went back several times. You hop on a dedicated ferry that leaves hourly for a ten-minute boat ride from Mahon to Illa del Rei, a tiny island in the city harbour. Wandering around the gallery followed by lunch in the cantina, run by Bodegas Binifadet, is the perfect escape from the beating midday sun. The interiors are deeply chic, so my head was full of inspiration. My photo reel is also filled with endless photos of the antique tiles that line the streets in Menorca. The old town of Ciutadella, in particular, has the most magical, colourful array.&nbsp;

For supper we fell in love with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nonnabazaar/?hl=en">Nonna Bazaar</a>. It's almost hidden in the north of the island and it is really special. The entrance is a long dusty camino to a standalone building set in acres of farmland. That drive at sunset was something really quite spectacular! The atmosphere is buzzy and the food was delicious &ndash; I&rsquo;d happily go time and again. The hotel I wish I&rsquo;d stayed at but didn&rsquo;t is <a href="https://www.revistainteriores.es/espacios/cristine-bedfor-hotel-te-hara-sentir-como-en-casa-menorca_53549" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cristine Bedfor</a>. It&rsquo;s a historic townhouse hotel in the centre of Mahon and the interiors are just divine, a riot of colour, pattern, stripes and rattan &ndash; <a href="https://matildagoad.com/collections">all my favourite thing</a>s! All the rooms are individually decorated and totally charming and I&rsquo;ve only heard great things from friends who&rsquo;ve stayed there.

Matilda’s Goad’s guide to Menorca

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