In Brief

According to a survey carried out by TripAdvisor, and based mainly on their popularity, Es Grau and the port of Maó are among the top ten beaches in Spain, together with Ses Illetes in Formentera, Benirras in Ibiza and Es Trenc in Mallorca.

Ses Illetes, situated within a nature reserve, headed the rankings due to its white sands and turquoise waters; Es Grau came eighth thanks to the shallow waters which provide safe bathing for children; and the port of Maó finished in tenth position.

International tourism down 5.3% in Balearics

The number of international tourists arriving in the Balearic Islands in May, 1,077,413, was down 5.3% on last year, in contrast to the rest of Spain where numbers actually increased by 1.1%. Despite the drop, the archipelago received the second largest volume of visitors from abroad, only bettered by Catalunya with 1.3 million tourists.

The coldest spring in Menorca for 26 years

With the change of seasons last week, Menorca shook off the coldest spring for 26 years according to the Balearic Meteorological Centre. The average temperature for March, April and May is 14.3o centigrade but this year this fell to 13.3o, a slight but noticeable difference. The centre predicts a "hot and dry" summer with higher temperatures than normal and less rainfall.

Four injured in fiestas remain in hospital

Four of the people injured during the Ciutadella fiestas were still in hospital on Saturday night; the most serious of these being the 56-year old man, J.M.S., who fell five metres from a terrace on Thursday night and was transferred to Son Dureta Hospital in Palma where he remains in the Intensive Care Unit with head injuries.

A 61-year old, G.S.C., was kept in the Mateu Orfila Hospital in Maó whilst surgeons decided whether or not to operated on a fractured radius. The patient was also suffering from chest and stomach injuries but his condition was not serious.

Two other patients were kept in at the Clínica Menorca in Ciutadella; one a young boy injured in the "Jocs des Pla" who suffered fractured ribs and bruising on the lungs but was not in a serious condition; and the other a young girl who suffered neck injuries after being kicked by a horse but is in a stable condition.

Electricity surge destroys appliances

Ciutadella residents in calles Sa Creu, Sant Antoni Maria Claret and Formentera has their electricity cut off for a few hours last week whilst Endesa carried out maintenance work. However, when the power was turned on again, an electrical surge destroyed many household appliances, including computers, refrigerators and DVD players. The residents are now contacting the electrical company to claim compensation for the damage caused.

Traffic accidents in towns up by 21%

During 2009 there was a considerable increase in the number of traffic accidents in towns in Menorca, in contrast to the other Balearic Islands, according to the Local Police. The total of 1,569 accidents on the island represented an increase of 21%, whilst in the region overall there was a drop of 3.6%. However, there were no fatalities last year, compared to four the previous year. This statistic also fell, by 45%, in the Balearics overall.

Cricket Sixes postponed one week

Due to unforeseen circumstances the Cricket Sixes competition due to have been held on Saturday has had to be postponed a week and will now be played on 11th July. Details of the participating teams will be published next week.As a result there will be no cricket at Biniparrell on either Saturday or Sunday.

Free tasting of local cuisine in Maó
In order to promote the local cuisine and products, Maó is again running the "De sa plaça al plat" programme in the patio of the Claustre del Carme. Every Thursday until September, between 1030 and 1330 hrs., a different dish made from local products can be sampled free of charge to anyone with a ticket showing they have made a purchase from one of the shops in the Claustre del Carme.

Ciutadella's summer activities start again

The "Estiu actiu" programme run by Ciutadella Council's Tourist Department starts again on Friday with a performance by the Batukada group Esclat in Cala en Blanes. Aimed at bringing entertainment to the district's tourist resorts, town centre and port, the programme has a much reduced budget this year but the same spirit, provided by local artistes.

Musical programme in Sant Lluís

The "Vetllades d'Estiu 2010" programme in Sant Lluís starts on Friday and will run until 26th August. The majority of the 31 acts will be musical, with something to suit everyone's taste, from classical to pop, habaneras to gospel and all but five will be free of charge.