Menorca, Balearic Islands

One of Spain's stunning Balearic Islands, Menorca is traditionally a little more quiet than neighbouring Majorca and Ibiza. With its turquoise waters and sandy beaches, Menorca is the perfect nearby quick break at only 2.5 hours away by plane from London.

The island is quite small, so I would definitely recommend hiring a car so that you can explore the whole island. You can drive from the largest town in the west, Ciutadella, to the largest town in the east, Mahon, in around 45 minutes. As we were lucky to have a car on hire, we thought it would be rude to not go beach hunting and here are some of the stunners that we came across;

• Cala Pregonda - north Menorca. This beach is a 30 minute walk from any parking so pack for the day (if you intend to stay a while) and remember that the walk is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. This was one of my favourites, the copper-hued sand and clear water make is pretty unmissable. The beach is surrounded by some large rock formations that you can swim out to and explore, this was super cool!

• Playa Cavalleria - north Menorca. One of the largest unspoilt beaches with no other surrounding buildings apart from some old bunkers from the war. Large parking area and an 8 minute walk down to the beach.

We stayed in Binibeca, set in a calm cove which characteristically has narrow streets and white washed houses. It was also a very short drive from the airport which is always a plus.

If you're visiting Mahon and staying for dinner, be sure to check out Perla - www.perlakitchen.com which is located in the old town. Easy to miss as it is down a quaint cobbled side street, but delightful to sit outside and enjoy their delicious food.

If you're a fan of Majorca but not too bothered about the party scene, then trust me when I say that you will adore Menorca. I'll be back soon!