Menorca

So what's changed? Well, the arrival of a first really good boutique hotel, with more surely to follow, and an appreciation that the Balearics can offer more than mere partying. That said, the Menorcans know how to have a good time too - witness the many festivals, culminating in the Fiesta de la Mare de Deu de Gracia in early September, complete with huge street parties and the mother of all firework displays over the harbour in the capital Mahon.

Between the festivals, visitors can celebrate a quieter side to Menorca, including exploring some of the finest beaches anywhere in the Mediterranean. That's a big call, but we can recommend beautiful white sand beaches so secret you might have them to yourselves. Elsewhere, the island's twin towns of Mahon in the east and Ciutadella in the west are both well worth exploration, as are the many and mysterious Neolithic sites that dot the island like mini-Stonehenges, proving stone age man could appreciate a lovely place when he saw it.