Maó is the capital and main port of the island of Menorca. Menorca is the second largest island of the Balearic archipelago, located in its north-eastern part, in the Mediterranean Sea; it belongs to Spain. It is named so because it is smaller than the neighboring island of Majorca. Menorca is called the island of fire and winds, a museum in the open air. The population of Menorca is 94 875 people (2011). The main towns are Maó and Ciutadella. In October 1993, Menorca was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Maó, the island’s main town, lies beyond an unusual harbor stretching for 5 km, which is considered one of the best natural harbors in the Mediterranean. There are no exact data on the founding of Menorca’s capital. Tradition attributes the founding of the first settlement to Mago, a Carthaginian military commander, the brother of Hannibal. You should walk around Maó: all the sights are located close to each other, and you can see them all in one go. In the squares of Colom, Bastió, Sant Francesc, Reial, Miranda, and Conquesta, city life is concentrated. Here you will find magnificent palaces and historic buildings.
But Maó, and the whole island of Menorca, of course, owes much of its special character to its treasured asset-since time immemorial, the object of desire of all peoples and empires whose ships sailed across the Mediterranean expanses. This cherished pearl is the largest natural harbor in our sea. Around it, a city full of light grew up. The port is the center of Maó. It is easy to verify this by strolling along the picturesque Fish Market located here, or at another market nearby, in the former monastery cloister of Claustro‑del‑Carmen. Many other buildings also rise on the coastal rocks, sometimes leaving openings through which magnificent views of the Port of Maó can be seen-an actual marvel of nature.
ClimateThe island lies in the zone of the Mediterranean climate. It has hot summers. The air temperature usually ranges between +27 - +29 degrees. Winters are snowless. The thermometer rarely drops below +15. The beach season begins in April. It is comfortable to swim until the end of October. But in August, the weather on Menorca can turn cloudy, with heavy but short-lived downpours. In winter, however, the island experiences a “dead season.” Despite the comfortable (compared to Russia’s harsh frosts) temperature, strong and gusty winds blow here, and the sea rages with storms.
