39°56’54”N, 04°04’51”E Es Bec d’Aguila Hideaway, Spain

Flanked by two sugar-cube towns at the heart of the island, Es Bec d’Aguila was once the weekend retreat of a Menorquin trading family. Today, it remains a welcoming home from home that celebrates slow food, slow living, and quiet luxury.

Thanks to its new owners Benedictina and Benoît, whose enviable art collection brings warmth and personality to each space, this 1890s finca has been beautifully revived. Parisian design team Atelier du Pont delivered an inspiring restoration by working with local artisans using traditional materials.

Packed-stone walls and terracotta roof tiles are complemented inside by original floor tiles, mid-century finds, hand-loomed textiles and natural rattan furnishings. Bathrooms feature reclaimed marble washstands and freestanding clawfoot tubs, and a beautifully moody bar in whisper-soft blues and swirling greens calls for cocktails.

Outside, lazy days are enjoyed on the tranquil pool terrace, petanque pitch and in alfresco dining areas. Nature is the biggest star here: formal and wild gardens pleasure the senses; incredible panoramic views tempt you to wander further afield.

‘The Eagle’s Beak’ proudly touts its smallholding heritage, with a full-time farmer who tends the kitchen garden and small crops. Chickens produce fresh eggs and the honey from the finca’s own hives is deliciously scented with local flowers. These are the ingredients for a magical holiday that will feed the soul for years to come.

How far to the nearest…

• Resident neighbour 2km
• Beach 10km (15min drive)
• Shop 5km
• Town 7km
• Café/Restaurant 5km
• Airport 20km

Build Restoration has kept as many of the original features as possible, with reparations and new additions made by local craftsmen using traditional methods and sustainable materials.

Energy An out-of-sight array of solar panels provides energy.

Environment Menorca is a designated Unesco Biosphere Reserve: sustainability has been a driving force on the island for decades. As well as reviving the original formal gardens, live-in groundsman Xisco farms the property’s land, growing vegetables, fruit, flowers and herbs to be used in the finca’s kitchen, as well as tending the beehives and hens.

Community This holiday home has the feel of an artist’s retreat, thanks to the like-minded community of Menorquin cooks, creatives and gardeners who bring it to life for guests.

Digital Detox Bedrooms are blissfully screen-free.

Creature comforts The villa is kitted out with everything your clan could need for a week’s stay, including Ortigia bath products, a gym and a cinema room.

Spring rolls out a carpet of green across the island, gently waking it from winter’s slumber; enjoy birdwatching, biking and hiking far from any crowds. The beaches beckon as summer’s endless sunshine arrives, with pretty coves sparkling and fiestas bringing colour and life to every town square.

Engage

Perform sun salutations on the terrace or in the yoga studio. Pack a picnic for the beach. Explore the nearby towns of Alaior and Es Migjorn, or take a deep dive into living history at the Binissuès museum. Watch the Perseids meteor shower from a Talayotic archaeological site (or a hammock) in high summer: Menorca’s dark skies have won it designation as a Starlight Destination and Reserve.

Savour

Menorca is an agritourist’s dream, dotted with farm-to-fork restaurants and zero-kilometre menus. Visit a cheese farm and try local speciality Mahón-Menorca – the rinds are rubbed with olive oil and paprika as the cheese ripens. Seek out delicious sobrasada (a soft-cured sausage), fresh seafood including spiny lobster, or cabrit es forn (roasted kid goat).

Go slow

Artists will find inspiration in their surroundings – sketch what you see, record your thoughts in words, or draw up a stool at the finca’s pottery wheel; staff can arrange lots of activities. Take your favourite book to a quiet corner. Float on your back in the pool. Pinch a stem of lavender and enjoy its scent.