Great Things to Do Near Casa Aina
Pastissets
Once your Monte Toro photocall is completed make your way to the cafe bar and enjoy the delicious pastissets (traditional shortbread biscuits coated in icing sugar) with a cup of coffee.
Walk or drive to the beach of Son Parc,
and enjoy the wide expanse of white sand at the foot of the dunes - maybe stay for lunch at the beach café.
If you enjoy a walk to sharpen your appetite,
go through the wooden gate on the left of the beach, and walk to cala Pudent, the small beach that you can see between the rocks bordering Son Parc.
Hort Sant Patrici
is a working farm just north of Ferreries that produces cheese, wine and cured meats. Visitors can stroll through the vineyards, wander through the marble sculptures in the gardens, see the cheese being made and learn about how it was made in the past in the cheese museum, visit the state-of-the-art wine cellar and purchase quality Menorcan products in the shop.
Instead of using the main road,
drive from the steamroller roundabout at Es Mercadal down to Mahon harbour by way of the Cami den Kane - Kane's road. Following the route of the original road across the island, constructed by order of the British governor Sir Richard Kane in the 18th century, it is a very pretty and quiet alternative route.
Drive north from Es Mercadal to the fishing port of Fornells,
the only town on the north coast. This is the home of many quality seafood restaurants where you can try the traditional caldereta de langosta - a delicious (but expensive) lobster stew.
The diving centre on Fornells waterfront offers scuba diving lessons for beginners,
and boat dives for the more experienced - don't forget to bring your certification with you. Or you could hire a kayak to explore the bay.
Go south to the resort of Son Bou, with the longest beach on the island,
and look for the terrapins in the fresh water pond . The marshlands behind the sand dunes are home to a large variety of birds and plants.
Drive down to Mahon harbourside,
and take a trip around the harbour on the glass bottomed boat. This is the second largest natural harbour in the world - Pearl Harbour is the largest. It is steeped in history, especially from the British occupation, and the boat often stops outside the harbour entrance to see the underwater life through the glass bottom.
Take a stroll along the length of Mahon harbour,
with its fishing boats and modern pleasure yachts, perhaps stopping for coffee and a croissant at one of the many waterside cafes. Or go by night and have dinner - Il Porto 225 is a good choice of restaurant.
Drive out to Es Grau,
a small fishing village on the north coast not far from Mahon. The sheltered sandy beach and the warm shallow sea are ideal for relaxing. The nearby nature trail winds around the back of the sand dunes, through the woods, and skirts part of the fresh water lake, the Albufera, which is a bird sanctuary.
Es Mercadal
Life hasn't changed much over the centuries in Es Mercadal. Have a wander around in the evening and stop for a drink and tapas and soak up the relaxed atmosphere.
Explore the Woodland Park
which is just over the road from the villa. Hidden among the pine trees, you will find swings and climbing frames for the children, gym equipment, boules pitches and shaded benches.
Walk along the Cami de Cavalls
The path leads from the beach car park and gently meanders through the shaded pine forests that are typical of this area of the Island. The views along the way are stunning and towards the end of the path it is possible to see Ses Salines in the distance. Make sure that you take plenty of water with you, a camera and if you fancy it, a picnic.
The parish church of Mahon, the Santa Maria,
houses one of the largest and finest organs in the world. Don't miss the chance to hear it being played, at one of the recitals held on every weekday morning at 11:00 o'clock.
Spend an afternoon at the trotting races,
at the Hipodromo on the road from Mahon to Sant Lluis. Pick your favourites from the race card and bet on the tote. Held on Saturday afternoons.
On Sunday morning
how about looking for bargains and antiques at the car boot sale in Mahon's Es Freginal park.
A few yards from the American Bar, in Calle Deya,
on the left as you look up hill you will see a small wall sign beside a covered entrance, saying Parc des Freginal. Go in here to find one of Mahon's best kept secrets - a green, shady park, away from the bustle of the town, where you can rest, or perhaps enjoy a picnic lunch.
For a respite from shopping in Mahon,
stop for coffee at the American Bar, and watch the world go by.
While in Mahon,
make time to visit the covered market in the cloisters of the church of Carmen. Many of the shops sell typical Menorcan produce, and in the café you can see photos of the market in its heyday, when it was Mahon's fruit and veg market. An escalator leads down to a supermarket beneath.