18 MAITE SANTONJA / BIQUBICA DEPARTURES TRAVEL GREAT ESCAPES Menorca, Spain ART WORLD TITAN Hauser & Wirth rarely puts a foot wrong, so its arrival next year to Menorca – with a sprawling arts centre set on a private island – heralds a jet-set return for the Spanish isle. Development is more restricted here than on its neighbouring isles, which means, gastronomically, there are fewer accolades but hardly fewer opportunities to indulge. Try Ca Na Pilar (canapilar.com), where chef Victor Lidón, formerly a Michelin threestar toque, has returned to his roots, or sample the seafood at Es Cranc (escranc. com), a local favourite boasting laidback style but a very serious kitchen. For bedding down, both of the neighbouring properties by Fontenille (fontenillemenorca.com) offer sophisticated ambience amid rural splendour, while Menorca Experimental (menorcaexperimental.com) is a 19thcentury finca centred on 21st-century sustainability. A can’t-miss experience on the island is sundowners up on the cliffside at Cova d’en Xoroi (covadenxoroi.com).
FROM TOP: JACK JOHNS (3), ISTOCK Clockwise from right: a bird’s-eye view of Casita Grande at Islas Secas; an ancient stone staircase on Kea; paddleboarding at Islas Secas; the airy Terraza eatery, at Islas Secas; opposite: cliffside cocktails at Cova d’en Xoroi, on Menorca Kea, Greece Islas Secas, Panama BLOSSOMING ORCHARDS, olive groves as far as the eye can see, ancient statues amid ancient ruins and, beyond a craggy, chaotic mess of cliffs, the glittering Aegean Sea: with its vast natural and historic splendour, it’s a wonder – and, frankly, a blessing – that the tiny Cycladean island has not long since gone the way of Santorini or Mykonos. Despite recent interest, Kea has maintained its pristine allure, offering adventurehungry tourists some of the best hiking paths in the archipelago, scubafriendly underwater cities (including the fascinating wreck of the Patris, which sank in 1868), next to a growing number of ambitious resorts and dining options. Among them, the upcoming One&Only is one to watch, featuring a handsome clutch of two- to five-bedroom villas, with contemporary interiors, private infinity pools and generous open-air dining areas, available for purchase. oneandonlyresorts.com FEW PLACES on Earth can boast the eco-credentials of these 14 specks of land, set 33 nautical miles from the nearest town off Panama’s Pacific coast. One hundred per cent of the energy is solar-powered, one hundred per cent of food waste is recycled and one hundred per cent of waste water is used for irrigation – plus, seventy-five per cent of the archipelago has been left undisturbed. As such, just 18 guests share the idyllic oasis with the sun, the sea and over 800 species of wildlife, from the humpback whales that patrol its shores to the great blue herons that roost in the dense canopy of palm trees above them. Guests here overnight in sun-flooded standalone casitas and spend days on naturalist-led expeditions across groomed trails; catch-and-release fishing for marlin and tuna; or luxuriating on their own private beach before a feast of seared octopus or ceviche at the cathedrallike eatery. islassecas.com DISTANT REDOUBTS 19 DEPARTURES
