Fast Facts

The islands of Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza are moored in the azure Mediterranean waters off Spain’s eastern coast. Closely related to Catalonia in language and culture, the Balearics have been visited by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, all of whom left their traces. (Pirates came, too.) Today the islands are colonized by vacationers who outnumber locals 15 to 1 in high season. White-washed Ibiza relishes its reputation as Europe’s clubby summer playground. Mallorca with its secluded coves, beaches, and romantically lush interior has attracted celebrity couples like Chopin and George Sand, and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who even bought property. Menorca, formerly in British control, is the place to get away from the crowds.