Puerto Antiguo de Ciutadella de Menorca

Take a table on the quay with a cold drink and the yachts come and go in front of you. The harbour runs inland like a river mouth, a long, narrow channel of water with the stone of the old town rising above it and restaurant terraces packed along its edge.

The draw is the people-watching. The sunny side of the Passeig des Moll fills with diners, and the evening stroll along the waterfront is part of Ciutadella's routine. The historic centre, with its old buildings and shops, sits directly above, so the harbour and the town make one visit.

• Service at the busy terraces on the sunny side of the quay can be slow; allow time if you plan to eat.
• Blue-lined street bays must be paid for during set periods, and fines are issued if you skip it.
• Free public toilets stand about 120 m from the harbour, and a drinking-water point about 330 m away.
• A tourist information office is about 100 m away.

You arrive by car, bus or taxi, and the rest is a walk of a couple of hundred metres at most. Parking lies about 85 m from the harbour, with free spaces as well as blue-lined paid bays in the streets around it. The nearest bus stops, Dalt sa Quintana and Plaça dels Pins, are about 150 m and 190 m away in a straight line. For the return trip, a taxi rank serves the town, and a taxi back to the coastal resorts such as Cala en Forcat is easy to find.

Best: early evening, when the heat goes out of the quay and the terraces fill for dinner.

Avoid: the middle of the day in July and August if you want a quiet walk along the water.

The sunny side of the quay has little shade at midday and a summer island is at its busiest in high season, while the evening is when the harbour is at its liveliest and early morning its quietest.