Having our stomachs full of what is probably the best pizza we ever had, and our minds assured that for the next 3-4 days the wind would be ideal for sailing northwest, we went to bed hopeful and ready for our next trip to…Menorca! Yes, after hours of discussion, analysis, counter-arguments, and research, we decided to skip Sardinia (with the promise to visit one day by plane and car) and sail directly to the Baleares.

And so we did. On Saturday morning, August 11th, we released our lines and started our engine. After the first two hours of motor sailing, we stopped the engine and Libra glided into the Italian waters. Our wind vane was piloting, the wind was blowing, and the sun was shining, what else is there to ask for? Well, that answer came quickly as the wind allowed us to hoist the spinnaker, to the great amusement of Elena, who was ecstatic at the view of our purple/blue/green balloon-like sail. Things were going so smoothly that we even took a shower indoors, all three of us, we played, we napped and I even cooked 3 meals! We managed to keep the spinnaker up for more than 30 (!) hours before we had to take it down for the second night of sailing. The night sailing was pure joy; clear skies full of stars, like a black canvas with a million diamonds accompanied by the sound of silence. We had an amazing sailing trip, with 5.5 average knots of speed, and 9.6 knots of top speed and we managed to sail 433 nautical miles in 78 hours! We arrived in Menorca well-rested and happy!

Arriving at Mahon was a completely different story, however! Based on our beloved tool, Navily, we had decided to first throw anchor at Cala Teulera, a very secured bay before entering the water river to Mahon. By entering though, with full hoisted sails, we were shocked to see the number of boats in anchor! It must have been more than 30 boats in what seemed like a tiny gulf, and we somehow managed to put our sails down while zig-zagging through the numerous sailboats. Determined NOT to anchor there, we quickly motored our way out of the pretty but bustling bay and Jelle started steering the boat while I frantically started to call all possible marinas and floating pontoons in Mahon. The luck was with us in the end, and we managed to secure a berth in the best place, all the way tucked in, in Marina Amares Poniente. The staff was friendly and they spoke English, the rate was great and we were across a burger place with live music! Life is indeed good.

Mahon is the capital of Menorca and one of the largest natural harbors in the world, measuring 5 km long and 900m wide! It is home to mahonesa or mayonnaise as we now know it (you learn a new thing every day!) and Xoringuer gin (definitely worth a try!). People here speak Spanish but also Menorquín, a local dialect of Catalan. Of course, as Menorca and especially Mahon is quite touristic, most locals also speak or at least understand English, which makes life easier for us and all other tourists! Mahon looks like it is built in levels; the sea level is packed with marinas, sailboats, fishing boats, motorboats, and even container ships and cruise ships! You walk your way up to meet houses, cafes, restaurants, and museums. You keep climbing up either the long way on foot or the fast way by stairs and lift or you are lazy and take the traditional red train (as we did) to explore the old city center, tucked in a bustle of cute tapas places, the impressive Mercado de Mahon and all the twists and turns of the narrow, colorful buildings. Mahon is a poem of a town, rich with history, a laid-back atmosphere, and a smell of saltwater and sangria. We experienced that and many more, it was such an experience to be here!

We also visited the Museo de Menorca, an imposing white-pillar temple-like museum that showcased the history and pre-history of the island and featured many interactive playrooms, which Elena particularly enjoyed! To top that, we also went to Llorc de Menorca, a small zoological park with many animal species and even more games! Elena had the time of her life on both of these trips!

After plenty of days in the town of Mahon, we decided to experience the coasts of Menorca, so we left our beloved marina and set sail to Calo Blanc, a rocky bay with sandy beach and turquoise waters. The next day we motored and anchored to Cala en Porter, a cove with imposing limestone cliffs and light-blue waters. Anchoring, swimming in the crystal clear Med waters and playing in the sand felt like a dream! But our plans for relaxed beach hopping would change dramatically…