Don’t Let Rain Spoil Your Minorca Vacation, Instead Embrace It

The Balearic islands are a perfect Mediterranean vacation destination. Each island has its own attractions and style.

The Balearics are perfect for British visitors as flying time is short. You can leave a wet United Kingdom and hop over to a sunshine vacation in a few short hours but how disappointing if the weather is bad when you arrive.

However rain in Minorca, the island which is a personal favourite vacation destination, can be heavy at times but rarely lasts more than a day or even a few short hours.

That said we arrived back from Minorca May 30th after a two-week holiday and the weather was not as good as in 2017. Even local people were saying the weather was weird this year.

We still enjoyed some gloriously sunny days and little rain but some days were overcast at least for part of the day and it was early in the season.

The Balearics

There are four main Balearic islands though plenty of tiny ones dotted around the area. Situated in the Mediterranean the islands enjoy a mild to hot climate with some wet winter months.

Majorca also called Mallorca is the largest island with Ibiza the second largest. Minorca is next in size followed by the small island of Formentera.

Minorca has been a firm favourite with us since our first visit in late October 2010. It is small and perfectly formed.

The peak vacation season in Minorca runs from May to October each year though Majorca still has incoming flights off season.

Flight time from the U.K. is a little over two hours which means British people love to visit but so do people from Spain, France, Italy and Germany. One a recent vacation we even encountered tourists from Korea.

American visitors tend to arrive via cruise ships.

The local people are friendly, the currency is the euro, the language is mainly Spanish and Catalan and the days are relaxing and warm.

However even in peak season there may be a break in the weather.

And when it rains boy can it pour.

Weather advice

Pack a light raincoat and or a telescopic umbrella. You may not need them but you may be glad that you did.

Our regular hotel loans brollies out free to guests. You can always tell if it is going to fain as a full umbrella stand is put out in reception. Not bad you may say as free but their is method in this. Each umbrella carries the hotel logo which is visible when opened.

Check for the latest weather updates online or better still ask a local. In Minorca the weather forecast can change rapidly and we tend to ask staff at our hotel reception as we receive accurate information.

The hottest months of July and August are usually very dry and temperatures soar but in Minorca that can trigger a thunderstorm or very heavy rain. If you are lucky it will be at night. The noise may wake you but lightning is a spectacular night-time sight over Minorca.

Non-weather related advice

• Minorca can be a bit pricey. If you are on a budget go local and use the supermarkets
• Look for cafes used by local people for a great experience and better price
• Pack a lunch for a beach visit rather than pay a premium for eating at a beachfront bar or restaurant
• The airport sells the usual duty free goods land a wide range of gifts but at a high price. It is cheaper to buy duty free goods in one of the towns
• Cigarettes and other smoking goods are only on sale at Tabacs
• Many shops close during the traditional afternoon siesta period
• The bus service is pretty good with a changing timetable during high season. Grab a timetable from the front of the bus or check online.

Whatever the weather

But what can you do about the weather where ever you are? Nothing!

So embrace each day’s weather and switch you itinerary accordingly.

We stay between Mahon the island’s capital and Es Castell when we visit Minorca. We have a firm favourite hotel which now feels like a second home. It is small and friendly and some.

If it rains we

• have a lazy day and sit listening to music, reading a good book. Our hotel has a library of books on offer
• have a game of table tennis or pool, also on offer. A game of pool costs one euro though
• have a game of cards
• catch up on the outside non-vacation world by checking the internet. Our hotel has excellent WiFi available and yes it is free for guests
• visit the large Museum in Mahon
• take a bus to Ciutadella the former capital of the island where there are shops, restaurants, a cathedral and more to visit
• visit the museum in Mahon
• pop into the Santa Maria Cathedral and enjoy the lunchtime organ recital which is phenomenal for the price of five euros each
• hit the shops and grab your duty frees rather than have to do it when the sun is shining
• browse the indoor market and grab a coffee and or lunch at the same time

You cannot put your vacation on hold because of a little rain. In no time at all your vacation will be mere memories. Make sure those memories are happy ones.

Most English tourists call this island Menorca.

Perhaps that dates back to our colonial days or just the English Language.

However the Maj in Majorca and Min in Minorca are Latin referring to the larger and the smaller of these islands.

The climate of the Balearic Island of Minorca tends to be dry

During the winter months locals may experience some very wet weather but the locals still struggle to have sufficient water throughout the year. Visitors are encouraged not to drink the local water but rather buy bottled water. Local water is safe enough for cleaning your teeth.

The island does have a desalination plant but still struggles with its low water levels during the summer months.

However even in summer the odd torrential downpour of rain occurs.

This can help ease demands on water and refresh the landscape but is a pain for tourists.

But why let some rain spoil a vacation?

We watched the rain come down and opted to film it.

The downpour in the footage was forecast.

We just made it back to our hotel as the heavens opened. Other guests had already taken to their rooms for a siesta.

We know the hotel has specific drains which need opening for excess water to drain away but raising someone to do the job was tricky.

As you can see water was already gathering by the time Augustine the hotel’s maintenance man arrived.

So watch our brief footage and enjoy the rain in Spain but remember the sun will soon return.