A perfect package for all the family

Travel: When I first came to live in this country from America more than a decade ago, British television was awash with programmes depicting the �horrors of package holidays gone desperately wrong.

When I first came to live in this country from America more than a decade ago, British television was awash with programmes depicting the horrors of package holidays gone desperately wrong. With no prior knowledge or experience of such trips, it was several years before I was persuaded to undertake such a venture.

I quickly realised there is a darker side to the pre-packaged vacation: more often than not, it's difficult to tell whether you have actually left the UK. This is particularly true in purpose-built resorts, where everyone speaks English and the pubs have stolid British names.

However, package holidays don't have to be an all-or-nothing choice between tourist frippery and erudite travel. We like a bit of both, and that's exactly what we get in Menorca.

The four of us are staying for a week at the Menorca Sea Club Apartments in Cala'n Forcat, a resort near Ciutadella on the south-western coast of the island. Built over the past two decades for the accommodation of tourists, Cala'n Forcat has all the fixtures of any destination dependent upon trade from British visitors. It is a bustling resort at the height of the season, and remains reasonably busy when we visit in mid-October.

Menorca is a small island, with barely more than 700 square kilometres of land. This makes it easy to get about and explore both the interior (which has largely been undisturbed by modern tourism) and the coastline, which boasts more than 120 beaches and untold hidden coves.

For those happy to motor along the "wrong" side of the road, car hire is reasonable and readily available. Rates vary depending upon the time of year, but are generally in the region of £70-£80 per week. Cars can be reserved for collection at the airport in Mahon, or can be picked up after arrival.

The island's bus service offers good connections between the main towns and some of the resorts, but many rural villages - and some of the best beaches - are less well-served. Limited services are in operation on Sundays, during public holidays and outside the main tourist season.

Unlike its neighbouring Balearic islands Mallorca and Ibiza, Menorca has little in the way of clubs and nightlife. Evening entertainment is low-key and centred on hotels, bars and restaurants. Our forays are focused on nearby Ciutadella, the religious capital of Menorca and a scant 15 minutes away by bus. The service is cheap, clean and modern, and runs across the whole of the island.

In Ciutadella, we get off at the bus rank at Plaza de los Pinos. The centre of the square is an extensive outdoor play area that is refreshingly free of animal foulings, unmarked by graffiti and unmarred by impromptu bonfires - and reminds you of just how child-friendly Menorca is.

With history dating back to the Bronze Age, Menorca is a curious blend of Roman, Moorish, Greek, British, French and Spanish influences. Nowhere is this better seen than in Ciutadella, whose narrow cobbled streets unexpectedly open up to a surprising variety of architecture. Though there are specific points of interest - especially the Gothic-style Ciutadella Cathedral in the heart of the old city - it is the ensemble that gives this compact municipality its appeal.

A stunning narrow harbour lies below the main part of the city, and seafood is a must when dining in Ciutadella. We eat a few times at El Bribon, near the end of a long line of restaurants sitting below Ciutadella Ajuntament, the town hall built over the ancient Moorish citadel. The food is fresh and honest, and the views make it easy to linger over a few final sips of wine.

As a result, we miss our bus back to base camp on our final evening in the city. We hire a taxi from the nearby rank, and manage to get home for not much more than the cost of our single bus fares.

It may sound silly, but we're eager to return: the night-time entertainment for the children is about to begin, and the boys love it. They've spent a couple of hours most days in the children's group at Menorca Sea Club, which they enjoy immensely, and which also gives us a welcome period of relaxation.

It's a win-win situation, and just goes to show how careful planning can marry the demands of youngsters with the needs of adults.

Need to know

The tourist season in Menorca runs from May to October, peaking in July and August. Though the package-holiday trade dominates, there are plenty of villas for rent throughout the island, plus a number of independent boutique hotels in the main cities of Mahon and Ciutadella.