Guide

MENORCA BY OUR HAND
KING'S ISLAND

10:00 h. Twenty-four degrees on this spectacular Menorcan autumn morning. The sea breeze and the sun accompany us to the Yellow Catamaran that awaits us at Moll de Llevant. It still feels like summer and the smell of cream and salt takes me back to mid August. It takes a fifteen minutes boat ride to our destination, to which I am always looking forward to return. Illa del Rei.

HISTORY

 Nature, art and history The forty-one thousand square metres of land located in the port of Mahón are home to an old British hospital, the ruins of an early Christian basilica and a delegation of the prestigious art gallery Hauser & Wirth. Called Illa del Rei for being the place where King Alfonso III disembarked in 1287, settling his troops to recover Menorca from Muslim control. Nature, art and history coexist in a unique setting, surrounded by the waters that enter the port from the Mediterranean. 
The small pier with white walls welcomes us to the island. We get off the ferry and head towards the old hospital. As we walk up the hill, we are greeted by beautiful Mediterranean gardens designed by Piet Oudolf, the Dutch landscape artist who redid the grounds next to the pavilions when Hauser & Wirth opened in 2021.

Pleasant stroll

A tour of sculptures As there is still an hour left for the guided tour of the former hospital, we decided to wander around the island and visit the permanent sculpture trail. A tour of the surroundings where you can find works by Martin Creed, Franz West, Camille Henrot, Joan Miró, Louise Bourgeois and Eduardo Chillida. We surround the island and arrive at the ruins of the early Christian basilica. It was discovered in 1888 along with some adjacent rooms, which has led to believe that it could also have been a monastery.
After a pleasant stroll, we take our table at the gardens of La Cantina, the restaurant of Illa del Rei, to have an snack before the visit. The views of the sea are marvellous and we have a delicious sobrassada llonguet as a preview of what you can taste. At two o'clock we will return for lunch (previous reservation is essential).

Hospital Foundation

At the highest point of the island The imposing stone façade of the hospital stands majestically on the highest point of the island. The U-shaped building was built in 1711 by order of the British Admiral John Jennings. The hospital had 1,200 beds for the welfare of the crew of the Mediterranean squadrons. It was then known as 'Bloody Island'. In 1964 its function as a hospital ended and it fell into ruin until 2004, when the Hospital Foundation was created for the protection and conservation of the island, where a group of volunteers began its restoration and transformation into a museum. The visit is highly recommended to understand the history hidden behind its old walls and to learn about the great work of the foundation and its volunteers. After almost two hours of long corridors, countless stories and carefully restored rooms, we set off in the warm autumn sunshine headed to the temporary exhibition of Hauser & Wirth.

Countless stories

A pleasant autumn sun Hauser & Wirth opened its doors on Illa del Rei in 2021. Its founders Iwan and Manuela Wirth fell in love with the project of the Fundació Hospital Illa del Rei and the energy of the local community that was coming to rehabilitate the island. They decided to expand their gallery (London, Hong Kong, New York, Gstaad among others) and open an art centre in Menorca, commissioning the restoration to architect Luis Laplace. I must say that the 1500 m2 space has been refurbished with great respect for its architectural past. 

Highly recommend

The current exhibition, `Sodade´, By the American Rashid Johnson, refers to a Cape Verdean song from the 1950s, popularised by Cesária Évora, which relates a deep state of emotional nostalgia on the 'long road' to São Tomé. A collection of paintings and bronze sculptures is displayed among the long halls of Hauser & Wirth, which can be visited until 13 November - highly recommended! The shop is a must-see.

THE WHOLE ESSENCE OF THE
Menorcan history

The morning has been fantastic and as a finishing note it's time to sit down again at the gardens of Cantina. This time we will try the menu of the day, which looks great. A large boat full of fresh vegetables stands in the middle of the garden inviting you to whet your appetite. Pumpkin soup with Mahón cheese and spinach, seasonal mushrooms stewed with farm eggs, and for the main course, seasonal vegetable rice and stewed chickpeas with fish of the day. Delicious!

Illa del Rei captures the essence of Menorcan history. Ships, conquests, invasions, trade and beautiful art permeate this marvellous island. An obligatory stop on your trip to Menorca.

In the shade of the trees, by the sea, I will leave you to enjoy my coffee, the smooth breeze under this glorious afternoon sun. See you soon!