Menorca by motorcycle: Monte Toro, Fornells and Cala Galdana

The whole of Menorca has been a Biosphere Reserve since 1993, and you can cross it end to end in a morning. From Maó, the Me-1 leads to Alaior and Es Mercadal, at the foot of Monte Toro, the island's highest point. A narrow road climbs to the summit, home to the sanctuary of the Virgen del Toro, Menorca's patron saint.

From Es Mercadal, the Me-15 heads north to Fornells, a fishing village on an enclosed bay. On the headland stands the defensive tower built in the early 19th century, at the end of British rule, which has been open to visitors since 2000, after its restoration.

The way back south runs through Es Migjorn Gran, which split from Es Mercadal to become a municipality in its own right in 1989, and Ferreries, from where the Me-22 drops down a ravine-cut landscape to Cala Galdana. The Me-1 ends in Ciutadella, the old capital: the British governor Richard Kane moved the capital to Maó in the 18th century.

It is the quietest and least demanding route in the series: no passes, short roads and a village every few kilometres. On the other hand, in winter it is the coolest and the one with the most rainy days. To bring your bike, vehicle ferries run between Alcúdia (Mallorca) and Ciutadella.