Latest news with #Menorca
Times
22-07-2025
- Times
Menorca's soulful second city that stays well out of the spotlight
Ease and elegance in equal measure: you could be talking about abarcas — Ciutadella's artisan-made slip-on sandals — or the vibe of the city itself. Above a pint-sized marina on Menorca's west coast, medieval fortifications cradle bougainvillea-clad baroque palaces and cobblestone lanes lined with independent boutiques and art galleries — all in the honey-rippled cream of local limestone marés. The island's capital during Moorish rule, Ciutadella was relegated to second city status in 1714 by the Brits, who favoured Mahon's larger natural harbour. And it has happily stayed out of the spotlight ever since, dancing to a different beat (read: slower-paced, soulful) than its busier, party-loving Balearic neighbours. At harbourside cafés, chic residents gather for sunset pomadas (Menorcan gin with lemon) after yacht trips to nearby coves. Listen out for locals chatting in Menorcan, a dialect of Catalan, and you might catch the phrase Vella i Bella ('Old and Beautiful') — their fitting nickname for Ciutadella. • Morning Placa des Born• Eat at Es Tast De na Silvia• Afternoon Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Mary• Drink at Tap Room by Grahame Pearce• Evening Fundacio Numa• Eat at Café Balear • Morning Lithica• Eat at Katu in Smoix• Afternoon Cala en Brut• Drink at Café Catedral• Evening Esparteria de Magi• Eat at Nonna Bazaar • Menorca travel guide ● Get your bearings in Placa des Born, its central obelisk commemorating citizens who died trying to ward off 16th-century Ottoman invaders. Most of the imposing palaces around here were rebuilt after the siege, but behind the town hall there are remnants of medieval ramparts to clamber up for ocean views. Then you can delve into the Can Saura museum's archaeological displays to clue up on Menorca's earliest settlers (£4; ● The influences of foreign conquerors are writ large on the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Mary. Built on the site of a mosque, from when the city was called, in Arabic, al Manurqa, the belltower incorporates the original minaret. Fragments of the 14th-century Catalan gothic structure that survived the Turks' destruction can be glimpsed beneath the neoclassical exterior. The resident cat, Whitey, can often be seen slinking around the neighbouring cloisters and convent (£5.50; ● The latest gallery to emerge in Menorca's flourishing creative scene, Fundacio Numa is a small but perfectly formed hilltop mansion in the up-and-coming Sa Quintana neighbourhood. Explore the dreamy sculpture garden and two floors dedicated to temporary exhibitions, then continue to the rooftop for a stunning city panorama (£8; ● On the city outskirts, the abandoned quarry turned cultural site Lithica will give you a new appreciation of the raw materials used to craft the city's magnificent buildings. Wander through limestone labyrinths and pits that dramatically plunge 27m deep into the earth. Some sections have been turned into peaceful botanical gardens — quite the transformation (£5; ● One of Ciutadella's main selling points is its proximity to nature, so cross the harbour and follow the coastal path northwards to find a series of Mediterranean-lapped coves. The sandy shallows of Cala en Brut are a favourite for snorkelling and local kids take turns leaping off the sun-warmed rocks. ● Esparteria de Magi, run by a third-generation artisan, is one of the few places still making abarcas the authentic way, hand-stitched onto soles made from recycled car tyres; and weaving baskets from esparto grass, another traditional island craft. Watch the handiwork at the on-site studio before stocking up on sustainable souvenirs (Mon-Sat, 9am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 8pm; Es Tast De na Silvia shows off the abundance of fresh, seasonal ingredients that this tiny island can produce, from spring's sweet-and-sour loquat fruit to foraged mushrooms in autumn. Served inside a former chapel, many dishes feature heirloom grains sourced from the owner's family-run farm (mains from £13; The name may not sound exotic, but the dinky Tap Room by Grahame Pearce on Placa del Merca brews craft beers uniquely flavoured with island botanicals including thyme and camomile. In the wood-beamed interior, regulars shoot the breeze with whomever's on the neighbouring bar stool. Curious about the anglophone name? It's a homage to the owner's British brewing mentor (half-pints from £2.50; Come sunset, bagging an alfresco table at Café Balear is a reason for serious smugness. This buzzy harbourfront spot serves superlative seafood caught by its very own boat; the lobster stew is the stuff of legend (mains from £21; In the historic centre, sample a joyful meeting of Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine at Katu in Smoix. Miquel Sánchez, the chef, tops his tacos and tostadas with farm-grown veggies and there are great ceviches made with local seafood, as well as colourful salads and inventive mezcal-based cocktails (mains from £10; With its pot plants and raw plaster walls, Café Catedral makes an ideal boho-chic pitstop for an iced latte or fresh fruit smoothie between sightseeing; its beans are sourced from Mallorcan roastery Arabay. Grab a director's chair beneath the white awnings and soak up the basilica views from its street-corner location (coffee from £2.60; Although Nonna Bazaar looks like a rural idyll — 1,000 acres of gardens and orchards — it's only an eight-minute taxi from the old town. And the atmosphere's far from sleepy at its farm-to-table, wood-fired suppers of mezze platters, pizzas and barbecued 30-day-aged Menorcan beef. It plays sets from the island's top DJs, so dancing after dessert is highly encouraged (mains from £16; This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue • 14 of the best family hotels in Menorca Best for biking and budgetsBehind its sunny yellow exterior, the Alfons has a light-filled lobby suited to the co-working crowd, a spacious fitness centre and smart, contemporary rooms. Its location, just steps outside the old town, makes it a savvy choice for visitors. Exploring the island on two wheels? An in-house Cycling Centre offers servicing and storage as well as rentals and tours (B&B doubles from £54; A grown-up hideaway As it's adults-only and television-free, calmness reigns at this bijou bolt hole, on a street leading off Placa des Born. There are just six beautifully designed rooms, all airy studies in Balearic minimalism, with their exposed stone walls, wood-beamed ceilings and natural fabrics. Sunbathe on the rooftop terrace or (if staying in a suite) your private patio (room-only doubles from £104; Luxurious old-quarter oasisAt this Relais & Châteaux-approved charmer, rooms are spread across a trio of beautifully restored historic townhouses, each with its own lap pool. Arguably the best is Cal Bisbe, where the cathedral walls are close enough to touch. Seductive fashion photography and bespoke floral murals add flair to the classic interiors, courtesy of the hotel's Parisian owner, while a subterranean spa and jasmine-scented courtyard restaurant add to the sense of being in on a stylish secret (B&B doubles from £218; British Airways, Tui, easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair operate seasonal direct flights from various UK cities to Menorca Mahon airport. From there, it's a 50-minute drive to reach Ciutadella, or one hour and 30 minutes by coach via Mahon city centre. Ferries run from Barcelona to Ciutadella. Most sights are walkable within this compact city, so there's no need to hire a car. And TMSA and Autocares Torres run regular bus services connecting Ciutadella to other towns and beaches across Menorca ( Shardlow was a guest of Faustino Gran ( and Menorca Turismo ( What are your favourite recommendations for Menorca? Let us know in the comments below
Vogue
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
What's Going on Aboard Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas's Yacht?
You know how it is: You're with your extremely famous, rich, successful rumored boyfriend on an 'intimate' little yacht vacation in Menorca, just the two of you (and his various Scientologist disciples via Zoom, I assume), when suddenly paparazzi encircle the vessel and find what appears to be incontrovertible proof that the two of you are a capital-T Thing. What do you do? If you're Ana de Armas, you say nothing, letting a 'source' tell the tabloids that you're single and just really 'focused' on your role opposite Tom Cruise in Doug Liman's upcoming thriller film Deeper. And yet…the yacht images persist! Setting aside the sheer hilarity of any luxury-yacht-based trip being called intimate—oh, I'm sure!—I can't stop wondering whether Cruise and de Armas could be, in fact, dating. (Some mentally pore over questions of particle physics or 18th-century British history for work…I, personally, am lucky enough to devote the lion's share of my gray matter to celebrity hookups. Yes, I'm quite blessed!) Is Cruise just an 'incredible mentor' to de Armas, or is she 'losing her patience' at having to hide her relationship with the 63-year-old action star? All this rumination brings me to another key question, one I've had for years: Do women actually find Tom Cruise sexy? For some reason that I can't quite put my finger on (ahem, the aforementioned Scientology), I'm tempted to say no, but some of the things that make Cruise a less-than-traditional leading man—such as his height, which is famously a modest five feet seven—are actually kind of attractive when I consider them outside of the context of his specific personality. Does the man wear lifts? Possibly-slash-probably. And yet short kings like Tom Holland and Jeremy Allen White are pulling their own modest statures off with aplomb. (As a side note, remember when Nicole Kidman said that she was happy to be able to wear heels again after her marriage to Cruise ended?) While I would undoubtedly find Cruise hotter if he embraced having taller girlfriends whom he could literally look up to, there's no arguing that he is exceedingly well-preserved for a man in his 60s, not to mention a father of three children whose ages range from 19 (Suri) to 30 and 32 (Connor and Isabella, respectively). This isn't about what I find attractive, though; it's about what de Armas values in a man. And if we can glean anything from her prior relationships with the likes of Ben Affleck and stepson to the president of Cuba Manuel Anido Cuesta, it's that she clearly likes a man who's left his mark on the culture in some way or other. Who better to fill her ex-boyfriends' shoes, then, than the star of once and future Top Guns?
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Tom Cruise, 63, and 'new love' Ana de Armas, 37, look smitten on yacht as insider dishes on romance
Tom Cruise and his 'new love' Ana de Armas showed their romance was heating up during a yacht break in Menorca this week. The Hollywood icon, 63, and the Blonde star, 37, who were first linked in February, looked smitten as they relaxed at sea in each other's company - with an insider dishing on romantic Cruise's generosity towards his new partner. De Armas was seen placing a tender hand on Cruise's leg as they chatted, with the two Oscar nominees wearing matching fedora straw hats. The No Time Do Die actress looked chic in a white lacy dress for her day with Cruise, who showed off his own buff frame in a white shirt and black shorts. 'Tom has been showering Ana with gifts ever since they met, it's his thing, he is thoughtful,' a source exclusively tells 'First it started with her favorite flowers then books he thought she would want to read because she's an avid reader,' added the insider. The Hollywood icon, 63, and the Blonde star, 37, who were first linked in February , looked smitten as they relaxed at sea in each other's company - with an insider dishing on romantic Cruise's generosity towards his new partner 'The more they got to know each other, the bigger the gifts became. There has been jewelry like gold bracelets and designer clothing, things like that, things every girl would love. 'Probably the biggest gift he has given her is being able to go anywhere in the world at a moment's notice, not many people can do that. She loves to travel.' has contacted representatives for Cruise and de Armas for comment but has yet to hear back. De Armas was last known to be dating Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of Cuba 's president with the pair photographed kissing during a night out in Madrid, Spain, in November 2024. Meanwhile, Cruise was previously linked to Russian socialite Elsina Khayrova who is the ex-wife of oligarch Dimitry Tsvetkov and his Mission Impossible co-star Hayley Atwell. Cruise and de Armas first sparked romance rumors on Valentine's Day, when they were spotted for what was reportedly a professional dinner in London. The following month, they were pictured with cheeky smiles on both of their faces after their flight landed at the London Heliport. They have been friends ever since they co-starred in the 2019 movie Wasp Network. The No Time Do Die actress looked chic in a white lacy dress for her day with Cruise, who showed off his own buff frame in a white shirt and black shorts 'First it started with her favorite flowers then books he thought she would want to read because she's an avid reader,' added the insider The pair looked relaxed and happy during their break The couple were seen chatting on the day In April, the pair were spotted arriving together in London again to spend de Armas' 37th birthday together before fans spotted them on a romantic stroll through the park that same week. In mid-May, an insider spoke about how Cruise is 'super smitten' with de Armas even though it is still early into their romance. Cruise and dr Armas are co-starring in Doug Liman's supernatural thriller Deeper. On GMA in May, the actress said: 'It's so much fun. We're definitely working on a lot of things. Not just one, but a few projects with [filmmakers] Doug Liman and Christopher McQuarrie and, of course, Tom. And I'm so excited.' Cruise shares a daughter Suri, 19, with ex-wife Katie Holmes. Katie and Tom began dating in April 2005 and after declarations of love they revealed they were expecting their first child in October the same year. They welcomed daughter Suri in April 2006. They married in November the same year at the 15th-century castle Castello Orsini-Odescalchi in Bracciano, in a Scientologist ceremony. David Miscavige, the head of Scientology, served as best man. In June 2012, Katie filed for divorce and on July 9, the couple signed a divorce settlement worked out by their lawyers. The acrimonious split saw Tom state that Katie divorced him in part to protect Suri from Scientology and that she is no longer a practicing member of the organisation. Late last year, it was reported that Suri, 19, is now able to access the substantial trust fund set up by her famous father. Holmes has since enjoyed romances with Jamie Foxx, chef Emilio Vitolo Jr and musician Bobby Wooten III. Cruise was wed to Nicole Kidman from 1990-2001 and they adopted two children together, Bella, 32 and Connor, 30. Kidman is now married to Keith Urban and the couple have two daughters.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Medals for Guernsey on final day of Island Games
Guernsey's Alex Tapp and David Trebert have won silver in badminton's men's doubles at the 2025 Island Games. The duo, who reached the last 16 two years ago on home soil, had not dropped a game on their way to the final. But they could not find a way past Faroe Islands' top seeds Magnus Dal-Christiansen and Runi Oster as they were beaten 21-11, 21-12 in the final. "We believed we had an outside chance of getting a medal - the final might have bene pushing it a little bit far," Trebert told BBC Guernsey. "But had we performed at our best in the final we might have had a better chance of winning the gold." Having been seeded outside the top four the Guernsey duo had to overcome Faroes' third seeds Jonas Djurhuus and Asbjorn Heide Olsen in the quarter finals. They thenh went on to defeat Menorca's second seeds Albert Navarro Comes and Carlos Riudavets Sintes in the semi finals. "We came into these games as a five to eight seed, and having looked at the draw we thought if we could play at our best level there was a chance," added Tapp. "Did I think we would get a silver medal? No probably not, but to have knocked out the number two seeds on the way here we can't really complain with that." Guernsey's Bown wins more Island Games gold medals Inderwick helps Guernsey win cycling gold medals Meanwhile Guernsey's men's half marathon runners Sammy Galpin, James Priest and Ethan Woodhead won a bronze medal in the team event. Galpin was 24 seconds off an individual medal as he finished in fourth place behind Faroe Islands' Julian Gregersen. Priest was 10th while Woodhead finished in 17th place.
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Medals for Guernsey on final day of Island Games
Guernsey's Alex Tapp and David Trebert have won silver in badminton's men's doubles at the 2025 Island duo, who reached the last 16 two years ago on home soil, had not dropped a game on their way to the they could not find a way past Faroe Islands' top seeds Magnus Dal-Christiansen and Runi Oster as they were beaten 21-11, 21-12 in the final. "We believed we had an outside chance of getting a medal - the final might have bene pushing it a little bit far," Trebert told BBC Guernsey."But had we performed at our best in the final we might have had a better chance of winning the gold."Having been seeded outside the top four the Guernsey duo had to overcome Faroes' third seeds Jonas Djurhuus and Asbjorn Heide Olsen in the quarter thenh went on to defeat Menorca's second seeds Albert Navarro Comes and Carlos Riudavets Sintes in the semi finals."We came into these games as a five to eight seed, and having looked at the draw we thought if we could play at our best level there was a chance," added Tapp."Did I think we would get a silver medal? No probably not, but to have knocked out the number two seeds on the way here we can't really complain with that." Meanwhile Guernsey's men's half marathon runners Sammy Galpin, James Priest and Ethan Woodhead won a bronze medal in the team event. Galpin was 24 seconds off an individual medal as he finished in fourth place behind Faroe Islands' Julian was 10th while Woodhead finished in 17th place.
