Tania Muser

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Menorca: an Island of Nature, Light and Colour

In September I went on holiday to Menorca, an incredible Unesco heritage site. It’s a bewitching island with its unique landscape, amazing colours and magnificent light.

My first stop was to the small island of Illa del Rey, famous for its XVIII century naval hospital. It’s also famous for its wonderful art gallery which was opened in 2021 by Hauser&Wirth. Piet Oudolf, a well-known gardener, redesigned the green spaces accordingly.

A small jewel, where thanks to a retrospective, I discovered the Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillada. He spent many summers on the island and the white light, wind and stones inspired his works.

His unique vision accompanied me throughout the rest of my holiday. From prehistoric remains to brilliant small white villages, from elegant historical palaces in Ciutdadela and Mahon to beautiful nature.

I chose a quaint little village in the North of the island, where I stayed in a slow design hotel which used to be a candy factory in 1844.

Every day the light changed the colours and the island atmosphere.

In the North, the landscape was almost lunar-like with its intense light which gave warm shades of reds, yellow-gold, green and blue.

Going West to the natural reserve of Es Grau, gave way to a much cooler palette of greys, blacks, greens and light blues.

In the South, a brilliant intense light changed the sea colour from green to crystalline turquoise against a breathtaking backdrop of pure white sand and the deep bottle green of Mediterranean vegetation.

My last morning was absolutely magical amidst the Minorcan countryside enveloped in a dreamy white mist!