Can Saura

The rooms stay cool while the island bakes outside, which is half the appeal on a hot afternoon. The collection is the other half: material dug out of Menorcan ground, some of it prehistoric, laid out over two floors of a restored mansion that is worth a look in its own right. Panels move between geography, politics and culture, so the island outside starts to make more sense by the time you come back down. Every label is in Catalan, Spanish and English, so nothing here needs guessing at.

• Bags: the museum has lockers, so a rucksack does not have to come round the rooms with you.
• Time: an hour covers both floors at a steady pace.
• Human remains: skulls are among the exhibits, including children's — worth knowing before you bring a family through.
• Close by: free public toilets and drinking water stand within about 120 m, and the island council's information office about 100 m away.

Can Saura sits among the old-town streets of Ciutadella, so the last stretch is on foot whichever way you arrive. The nearest car parks are about 230 m away in a straight line, and two bus stops, Plaça dels Pins and Plaça de la Pau, lie within about 300 m. The island council's information office is roughly 100 m off, handy if you want a map of the town before walking on. From the street the museum reads as one more town house among the rest, so watch the door numbers as you come along.

Best: mid-morning, or any afternoon too hot for the coast.

Avoid: the long midday break, and the two days a week when the museum does not open at all.

Mornings are quieter, and the cool rooms give the visit an obvious slot on a day when the beaches have stopped being pleasant. Check the opening hours before you build an evening around it — the afternoon session starts late.