ENG It’s not on any map, nor can it be found on a quick visit, because it only appears when you get to know its inhabitants well enough. This is the magic of Ciutadella, in Menorca, the city founded in 1287, from which the entire spirit of the island emerged. Life is calm here, and the city’s heritage lies not only in its centuries-old buildings, but also in the invisible treas- ures hidden within its cool walls. Without going any further, walking along the harbour, you come across an open gate that could be the entrance to any house: inside is a small museum with paintings and models of lighthouses and Menorcan carriages, which turns out to be the garage of the talented artist Sisco Moll, whose family has lived in the town since the 16th century. After a life work- ing as a driver and then working in a workshop, Sisco found inspiration in retirement: at 94, he is slowly devoting himself to portraying his island ‘to put life in order; the brain needs to keep moving when you stop working’. Culture as a refuge In its own subtle way, culture is a meeting point for the resi- dents of Ciutadella 365 days a year. And although the famous Pedra Viva festival has spectacular summer venues such as Lithica (an old marés quarry, the limestone used to build almost everything in the city), it is the Teatre des Born (Plaça des Born, s/n) that caters for lovers of the performing arts all year round. Its director, Josep Marqués i Oleo, who boasts has more than eight Menorcan surnames, highlights without hesitation ‘the calm and the sea in winter in the city’. Josep thinks daily about the tastes of all types of residents, schedul- ing more than 95 shows a year. The theatre, built on the site of a former English military barracks, is now 150 years old: ‘Cul- ture instead of war’ is the best recipe for our times, he reflects. Ciutadella should be explored aimlessly, losing yourself among its Italianate palaces and little shops. The recent open- ing of Numa, Espais de Cultura (Plaça Quintana de Mar) has shaken up the east of the island with more contemporary art, but the real surprise came when the small gallery and shop Etesian (Castell Rupit, 12) appeared in one of the narrow streets. Founded by Italian-Australian Bettina Calderazzo in this place that captured her heart with its immense blue skies and because ‘there is still no capitalist consumption’, the project is a gem: Bettina selects works by artists who can also apply for a creative residency on the island. ‘The inhabitants of Ciutadella are warriors in defence of their own identity,’ she says; for them, and for those who visit, she has created this gallery that is ‘neither too local nor too global’. ice cream made with wild olive and fennel The city can be a paradise for hedonistic explorers who don’t give in to the obvious. The outstanding Menorcan rice dish- es at Café Balear (Passeig des Moll, 15) may steal the limelight from other hidden delights, such as its monkfish carpaccio with sobrasada sausage and flower petals, an ode to the beau- ty of the island. You can also venture to ask for details about a dessert at the Smoix restaurant (Hotel Rural Sant Ignasi, Ronda Nord s/n) and discover that the Menorcan chamomile ice cream is the work of Can Padet (Plaça Francesc Netto, 15). The ice cream parlour created by Pedro Pons, the best on the island, has caused a stir with a daring menu of flavours that distils local essence and innovation in a small shop next to the market: relive the sea breeze and the shadows of wild olive trees on the Camí de Cavalls (the path that circles the entire island of Menorca) in just one lick of their ‘acebuche e hinojo’ (wild olive and fennel) ice cream. A few metres away, for authentic travellers visiting between October and May, chef Joan Canals offers the best dining experience. His cosy Ulisses (Plaça de la Llibertat, 22) is a restaurant and wine shop, and you can dine there on a Friday in January at 10.30 pm (a miracle in Menorca). Joan, who ‘can’t live without the sea’, is committed to using produce from ‘friends and suppliers who are everything on the island’. If you ask him about local wines, his favourite is Santa Cateri- na. PROTECTED ECOSYSTEM Ciutadella’s lively social scene should not overshadow the fact that Menorca has been a Biosphere Reserve since 1993. Its ecosystem is a delicate balance that everyone has worked hard to protect. Birds, turtles and hedgehogs also enjoy exploring its paths and coastline. Miriam García, coordinator of the Menorca Wildlife Recovery Centre, reminds us that wildlife ‘can be easily damaged if visitors are not careful’. Her centre, located in the Lithica complex, can be visited in sum- mer (tel. +34 619 834 597) and is where you should call if you find an injured animal. Protecting them also means preserv- ing the island’s heritage. © Jaime Reina /AFP via Getty Images La contrucción funeraria prehistórica Naveta des Tudons. // The prehistoric burial site Naveta des Tudons.