Local makers, artisan delis and tapas bars make the small capital city of Mahón — also known as Maó — the perfect base for your island trip.

Known for having one of the longest natural harbours in the world (as well as — niche fact incoming — being the place that mayonnaise was invented) you’ll likely have a view of some famous superyachts during your stay. We spotted the new Four Seasons ship and had a chat with some taxi drivers about the co-founder of Google sailing in a few weeks before. On land, Mahón has a real local feel to it with unhurried streets and historic buildings peppered with colourful design.

We stayed for 3 nights at the Cristine Bedfor Guesthouse — 21 uniquely-designed rooms in a style that blends the whimsy of ‘rich grandma’s townhouse’ with unmistakably Mediterranean white walls and woven baskets.

This guide holds my favourite spots we found, plus a few on my radar for next time.

The restaurant scene is special on this part of the island. If I had to pick just one. Oysters is an iconic spot in this city for a reason.

We went here on my 31st birthday and there was a Sade album playing the whole night. I cried. It felt like the perfect atmosphere with a menu of my favourite dishes. Fresh prawns. Marinated anchovies. Croquettes. Seafood pasta. We were totally spoiled for choice.

Now you might not think of Menorca as a shopping destination. Barcelona, yes. Seville, yes. Mahón? YES.

The independent shops here could borderline as art galleries. You’ll find a few high street favourites — including the island’s only Sephora — plus curated edits of local crafts that make you question why you travelled with hand luggage only.

Starting strong with design and craft house, Tabouret — set out like an apartment, you can browse their homeware and clothing edit while feeling like you’ve moved in.

Next door you’ll find Can Sab with a colourful homeware edit across multiple floors. I picked up some local Menorcan salts which were displayed next to their Addison Ross salt & pepper shakers, which sold it to me as the perfect refill.

Located centrally — within a 5-10 minute walk of all places listed so far — you’ll find the Cristine Bedfor Guesthouse where we based ourselves.

I booked us in via Mr & Mrs Smith and noted that we’d be arriving on my birthday. August Leo here, of course I told them it was a celebration!

We arrived to welcome drinks on ice in a beautiful top floor room with a private terrace (and a bath, which would have been first on my list to enjoy had it not been 34 degrees). I was blown away by the place.

I’ll share a more detailed review of our stay but as a topline: we’d definitely stay here again. It’s on the Michelin guide for a reason, with attentive staff who really make you feel at home and decor that mirrors this.

See what I mean by the decor? It’s the colours and whimsical style that really sells it to me as a place that wants you to feel at ease and looked after.

Finally, things to do nearby. Here are the places we loved and some on our radar — missed off because there was a storm during our stay that caused some closures due to fallen trees. We watched the lightning from our window and decided that a boat trip was going to be unlikely. But in a place we loved as much as this, saving a few places for next time can never be a bad idea…

I hope you’ve found this useful for your visit to the small Spanish city. One that manages to bring together the charm of a local fishing village, with the appeal of a modern city break. Plus it happens to be 20 minutes from both the airport and the crystal blue waters of the southeastern coastline.

Safe to say, we’ll be back!

Let me know where we should add to our plans, I’d love to hear your recommendations too.

I don’t feel spending guilt.

Now that isn’t because I’ve gone for the best value options or even stuck to a strict budget. If anything - especially if you’ve been here a while and know my style of travel - it’s by far the most expensive area of my life.

For context… our kitchen is 5 years old and still hasn’t been tiled. Our garden looks the same as it did when we moved in, except for a rattan bench from Facebook Marketplace that’s seen better days. Yet we always try to travel at least 4 or 5 times a year. I used to feel a sense of discomfort in that. Like we were doing it wrong by not funding “the basics”. But the older I get, the more confident I feel in the prioritising that’s really at play.

Over a decade of travel and 30+ countries later, I’ve become much more clear about what kind of experiences truly add to my life.

My travel values, if you like.

Mine are:

1. Comfort — after spending my 20s experiencing all the discomforts of long-term travel. Backpacking. Moving abroad. Learning, changing, growing. In my 30s, travel gives me precious pockets of time to feel my most free, rested and at ease. So comfort matters.

2. Curiosity — somewhere that inspires me. Somewhere new and different to explore, that makes me feel creative and sparks a real sense of wonder.

3. Connection — life is full of noise and things that demand attention. I’ve learned that energy truly is our biggest currency so for me, travel needs to give me space to connect with my people and myself.

4. Character — I want to feel a real sense of place. Somewhere beautiful with personality, history and charm.

For want of a better (and albeit slightly less corporate description) we’ll call it my 4 C’s to help make them memorable.

They’ve become my lens for how I book and plan our travels. Before I even open the Skyscanner app, it’s these values that I’m considering.

My starting points are not: best places to go in 2026 or cheap flights in August from the UK.

Instead I’m filtering through my lists of places with these 4 values in mind. Where can I go in the world that leans into each of them the most?

This can still prompt a cheap flights search. But cheap flights to somewhere that I actually want to go, not somewhere an airline wants to sell seats to.

Our most recent trip to Menorca - from which I’m writing this article - is an example of how powerful these filters can be.

Before we pinpointed where we’d spend our week off in August, I was clear that it needed to leave me feeling rested, looked after and reset before the autumn rhythms began.

In practice this meant: short flight. Minimal faff. Somewhere with a cool hotel scene. Tasteful shops. Traditional food. Scenic viewpoints. By the sea. Somewhere I could feel at ease but still experience culture and leave fulfilled. That brought Menorca up to the top of my radar.

I chose two hotels: Cristine Bedfor Guesthouse in Mahon (3 nights) and Menorca Experimental (2 nights). Both drenched in tasteful colour, local ceramics, coffee table books that I’d love to add to our living room at home. They have character.

Our plans for Menorca Experimental included a loose itinerary of pool time, top tier food and garden rooms for coffees outside each morning. Plenty of space for connection.

Time in the small city of Mahón was all about exploring. Local artisan delis serving traditional ensaimadas, shops that borderline as art galleries and tapas bars that could be the sole reason for visiting. I was curious to discover this part of the island.

Finally, comfort. Now this one is where I’d advise you to get super specific. Think: more sunbeds doesn’t mean more relaxing. What is it that actually puts you most at ease?

For me that’s a room that I want to spend time in, with decor that says: you’re at home here. People that care you’re there, whether that’s in a restaurant, hotel, shop or in the street. A pool with a view - I’m not a sun worshiper so a place to cool down is a big deal. Enough plans that make me feel relaxed that I’ll get out of the trip what I’m after, with space to flex and go with the flow. That’s comfort to me.

This level of intention and intuitive planning is precisely what I’d credit for the absence of spending guilt after a busy summer.

I spent where it mattered to me, on experiences that truly add to my life.

The note to self: notice exactly what you value most in travel and prioritise it heavily.

I’d love to hear yours, let me know in the comments and I’ll share recommendations…

That’s why I reckon it’s best to just start. Make a squiggle on the page, even. That way we can start from a place of freedom to write beyond trying to make something perfect, and instead make it feel meaningful to us.

That’s the level of intention that I bring to planning my travels.

With an estimated 250 million place pins on Google Maps globally, “doing your research” is no small feat when choosing your next stop these days.

One scroll on Instagram is like opening a lifestyle catalogue. The Argos book (millennials, unite) of how to live, how to eat, how to dress, how to travel. Not to mention how to grow your account to become a leading voice in some - if not all - of the above.

I think that’s where your personal lens holds more value than any social account ever could. It’s how you see the world and it’s the place from which you should choose how you want to experience it.

That’s what The Next Stop Edit is about. Sharing my lens with you. These are the places and pieces that help me to build a life of warmth and intention, at home and away.

It’s for people who want to know the answer to “why go?” in a way that goes beyond a list of nearby attractions and facilities. It’s not the square footage of a room or the vicinity to the pool that’s going to make your stay, stay with you.

The Next Stop Edit is about finding places that feel like you.

Places to stay that strike a seemingly impossible balance of being new, exciting and yet homely enough for you to slow down like you’re having coffee in your living room.

Restaurant experiences that make it to your travel stories and influence your kitchen menu.

Pieces to pack that make you feel your best to the point that they become souvenirs in your wardrobe back home.

Cafes that start your day with calm connection and top tier specialty coffee (bonus points for exceptional pastries).

Scenic drives and rooms with a view that become your windows back to a trip of a lifetime.

This is the place to answer “why go” in a way that makes travel worth your while.

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