They are called Les Inseparables, the waiter said as he poured our iced lemonade.
Lovebirds, originally from North Africa.
The fincas facade is painted Menorcas classic English red, a shade designed to look like brickwork.
Cala Binidalí, one of many white-sand beaches on the southeastern coast of Menorca, Spain.Credit:TRANS-WORLD PHOTOS/PREMIUM STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY GMBH/ALAMY
And yet, with its white trim and signage, the building is more reminiscent of an Argentinean estancia.
Menorca is quietly unassuming, yet in my view the true beauty of Spains four Balearic Islands.
Its often overlooked by those who dont know better and cherished by those who do.
From left: A living area at Menorca Experimental, which was designed to look like an artist’s vacation home; the garden at Santa Ponsa, where Moorish influences mix with traditional Balearic architecture.From left: From left: Karel Balas/Courtesy of Menorca Experimental; Yann Deret/Courtesy of Fonteneille
Since then a new international crowd has descended.
Next came a sublime sunset dip off the almost two-mile sandy beach at Son Bou.
We dined in one of the propertys courtyards while bullfrogs chirped under a crescent moon.
Elogio del Vacío VI, by Eduardo Chillida, on display at Hauser & Wirth Menorca.Daniel Schaefer/Courtesy of The Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth
But the highlight of our stay came the next morning.
Marta Perez/Courtesy of Torralbenc
Our next stop wasMenorcaExperimental,less than a mile away.
A sign indicating agriturismo took us through olive groves to a gracious 19th-century finca surrounded by extensive gardens.
Bedding at Menorca Experimental is by the Marrakesh design studio LRNCE.Karel Balas/Courtesy of Menorca Experimental
We dined in the hotels boutique, where tables had been laid out.
I discouraged my children from dive-bombing.
And just like that, I found myself dreaming about a finca of my own.
From left: The courtyard dining area of Torre Vella’s Siempreviva restaurant; a salad of tomatoes, beets, cheese, and pomegranate at Santa Ponsa.From left: Nathalie Carnet/Courtesy of Fontenille; Yann Deret/Courtesy of Fontenille
A courtyard at Torralbenc, a pioneering Menorcan farm stay.Marta Perez/Courtesy of Torralbenc
The pool at Torre Vella, a hotel centered around a centuries-old lookout tower.Yann Deret/Courtesy of Fontenille