She's got a reputation of being a quiet and peaceful holiday island, but a new tourist facility will enable Menorca holidaymakers to see parts of the island they might well have missed otherwise - jeep safaris have arrived!
2009 is going to be an uphill struggle for Menorca's tourist industry - but with the new jeep safaris uphill will be no problem as holidaymakers see terrain in 4x4's that even a lot of Menorcans themselves haven't seen before.
Jeep safaris have proved to be popular in quite a few European tourist destinations, and will be a great day out for both holidaymakers spending a week or two on the island, and for the thousands of cruise ship passenegers who arrive in Mahon each week during the holiday season.
Menorca is a calm island with good countryside and history, so the jeep safaris have a rich tapestry for those who want to take one while on their Menorca holidays
For those on the island for the day with a cruise boat for example one safari takes in the lanes of San Clemente before cutting down to Calas Coves via Binicalaf. From there after some exploring it's off again via Torralba, sometimes stopping to see the taula, through the narrow streets of Alaior, and then taking a rocky track through woods and countryside to Es Mercadal, up lanes to Binime-la on the north coast where it's a lunch stop and the beach. After lunch it's in a 4-wheel drive to get close to Cala Mica before turning back and going to Cape Cavalleria, before heading back to the cruise ship.
Another example is to drive through the fortress of the Mola to the most easterly point of Spain and then to one of the water parks of the island, so a Menorca jeep safari can be combined with a few hours at the water park and sometimes a horse show as well on other trips.
And for British tourists aware that their pounds aren't buying many Euros this year, is a jeep safari during their holidays in Menorca expensive?
It's surprisingly inexpensive. The cost of a jeep safari which lasts between 7 and 9 hours is 165 Euros, and if shared with others this can come down to 24 Euros a person - even with a poor exchange rate that represents fantastic value for money for a day out seeing Menorca's nature and beauty close up with a professional guide.
The man behind the jeep safaris is Francis Hoare. Francis has lived on the island for eleven years and knows it really well, and will be hoping to share his knowledge with quite a few people taking their holidays in Menorca this year.
Before establishing his own company, Francis worked for a holiday company doing conventional tours on Menorca, and so knows the tourist market - and how to improve the range of trips on offer.
'I've worked as a guide in Menorca for many years doing all types of trips, but undoubtedly the trip everyone enthuses about the most is the jeep safari. You see more and you have a lot more fun!' Francis says.
If you're thinking of or already booked holidays in Menorca for this year, be sure to take one of Francis' safaris for fun - and discovering some of Menorca as well!