Cap Menorca Relais & Chateaux

Strategically located in the Mediterranean, Menorca has a rich military history, and in recent years, some of the island’s castles and fortresses have been turned into hotels. Cap Menorca Relais & Chateaux is a rare example of a hotel built on a former military base. High on a cliff over the sea, on a remote, pine-forested stretch of Menorca’s southern coastline, the setting is spectacular — and the hotel’s designers have transformed the place into an idyllic getaway, turning the dusty grounds into tropical gardens and the old military buildings into luxury suites with private saltwater pools.

Inside and out, the look is inspired by the simplicity of the island’s whitewashed villages. The interiors are airy, high-ceilinged, and charmingly rustic-chic, furnished with natural and local materials including terracotta, marble, teak, and leather. Each has a spacious, sun-drenched bathroom lined with emerald-green tile, and suites open onto private stone-walled gardens with pools. Not plunge pools, either, but pools large enough to swim in, bordered by native plants and olive trees, with small decks, chaise longues, and sun umbrellas. Breakfast, dinner, and everything in between can be served poolside or in the hotel’s restaurant. Horseback riding on the cliffs, or cruising the coast on one of Cap Menorca’s yachts, are both worth the effort of venturing off the property.