I flew from Glasgow to Menorca and ended up in a historic cave

We landed on the island in the Mediterranean Sea shortly after 6pm on Saturday, September 28. We then jumped in a private transfer to our hotel - which was in the small village of Santo Tomas on the south coast of Menorca.

TUI Blue Victoria Menorca in Santo Tomas (Image: Newsquest) During our trip, we stayed at the recently refurbished adults-only hotel TUI Blue Victoria Menorca. On arrival at the resort, to be honest, I was left speechless. It was a truly stunning and modern hotel. We were welcomed by the friendly reception team who checked us in. After that, we then headed to our room where we'd be staying for the next seven nights. It was one of the resort's suite rooms with a balcony. It included a clean and modern shower, a strangely placed bath - which was located outside the bathroom and next to the bed - a fully-stocked minibar, which was refilled each day, and a balcony which had stunning sea views and overlooked the village.

Luckily, we arrived in time to enjoy dinner at the hotel's buffet restaurant. At the eatery, I was taken aback by the selection of dishes - especially for a buffet which sometimes aren't great while on holiday. Items included chicken dishes, fresh cooked-to-order pasta dishes, Spanish meats, a selection of bread, beef dishes, fish dishes, and a huge selection of desserts. It's fair to say after stuffing our faces all week at the buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we were left pretty full and satisfied.

Our room included two single beds and a balcony (Image: Newsquest)The hotel's buffet restaurant (Image: TUI)

However, after settling in, we decided to explore the 250-bedroom hotel and learn about what we could do in the local area for the week ahead. We already had a planned TUI excursion on a catamaran booked but we wanted to see more of the island. However, before that, we indulged in the hotel's cocktails in its lounge bar - which were outstanding. I opted for a few Mojito Berry's and a Bahama Mama - both were delicious and full of flavour. I also had a few Sangria's as while in Spain, it's a must. 

The Sunday then came, our first full day and it's fair to say, we were ready to soak up the sun at the lovely resort. The hotel had all we could ask for including several bars, a main pool along with a 'chic rooftop pool', an a la carte restaurant, the buffet, a snack bar, loads of sun lounges (there was no need to run down for one each morning), a hot tub, a gym, a spa, and plenty of other amenities. But before spending the day relaxing we met with our TUI rep to find out more of what was on offer and learn about what we could do in the area during our week stay.

Our rep was Alex - a lovely chap who was extremely knowledgeable about the island. During our chat, we learned about the hotel, toured it, and learned about our catamaran experience, other trips on offer including visiting the cities on the island Mahon and Ciutadella, and what we could do in Santo Tomas including the cave and walking routes around the resort. We then spent the rest of the day in the sun next to the pool enjoying cocktails and brilliant food.

The walk to the cave - the walk took us along the coast (Image: Newsquest) The cave was located deep inside a forest (Image: Newsquest) Cova des Coloms, Menorca (Image: Newsquest) The Monday then came and this is when things changed from your average sunshine holiday to exploring a historic cave. Cova des Coloms – which means Cave of the Pigeons in Catalan – is a natural cave located on the island. After around an hour of walking along the coast and through the woods, we arrived. I've never been in a cave but it was spectacular. It was dark, dull, and full of pigeons. We spent around 20 minutes inside it looking around. It was huge and truly a great way to spend a morning.

After we visited Cova des Coloms, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for our TUI catamaran excursion. Setting off from the village of Fornells, the trip took us around the north of the island. During it, we took in the sights including rocky bays and massive cliffs. We also had the chance to take a dip in the bright blue sea at two coves - one being Cala'n Tosqueta. Our captain was also extremely knowledgeable and taught us about the historic landmarks we passed during our trip. To top it off, we were treated to snacks and drinks including beer onboard, could it get any better? The experience lasted around three hours all in.

If visiting Menorca with TUI (or in general), I'd highly recommend this catamaran experience as it's a great way to see the north side of the island from the sea. For reference, the trip is bookable through TUI and is called the 'Private Catamaran Cruise from Fornells'.

Our boat trip took us along the north of the island (Image: Newsquest)Son Bou is located after 5km away from Santo Tomas (Image: Newsquest) While we spent most of the days relaxing by the pool at the hotel, we also took time to explore Santo Tomas and the neighbouring village of Son Bou.

Santo Tomas, known locally as Sant Tomàs, is a small, quiet village, and to be honest there's not much to do in it. However, if you're looking for a relaxing, chilled-out holiday with a cracking hotel and beach nearby, the TUI Blue Victoria Menorca resort is perfect. If you were looking for an activity or something fun to do, the hotel always had something going on. During the day, you could participate in foot darts, darts, cheese tasting, wine tasting, cocktail classes, water pong, and much more. At night, you could join in on the music quiz or watch the hotel's entertainment. We were treated to an ABBA tribute band on our last evening and they were top-notch. 

Located close to Santo Tomas is Son Bou. It is around a 5km walk from the hotel and during the walk you get to take in the island's sea views while stomping over cliffs and beaches. The village itself is busier than Santo Tomas as it has more family-orientated hotels, however, I'd highly recommend it as it has a lovely and quiet beach with white sand and crystal clear blue water. It's also a nice way to spend an afternoon as the walk takes around two hours there and back.

Ciutadella de Menorca (Image: Newsquest) Ciutadella de Menorca (Image: Newsquest) On top of that, we also visited the city of Ciutadella. A truly historic city with a ton of history. Around a 45-minute bus trip from the hotel, we took in local life by visiting the markets, enjoying a spot of lunch at a local cafe, and learning about the area's history.

During the week, we also opted to try the resort's a la carte restaurant. The eatery is located on the hotel's top floor next to the rooftop pool. I decided to have the sea bass ceviche with cherry tomatoes, panko, and virgin olive oil to start, followed by chicken breast with almond sauce with courgette and vegetable gratin as the main, and a lovely chocolate coolant with vanilla cream to finish it off. What can I say about the meal? Well, it was 10/10. It was a true a la carte experience but on the top floor of a hotel. Great service and delicious food, and it was all accompanied by a great view and drinks.

Sunset view from the hotel's a la carte restaurant and rooftop pool (Image: Newsquest) Dinner at the hotel's a la carte restaurant was fantastic (Image: Newsquest) After returning from the trip, it is fair to say I've been left pretty impressed by the hotel and island. If you're on the hunt for a relaxing getaway - especially if you're looking to soak up the sun in September time with temperatures of around 26 degrees - I'd highly recommend a visit to the TUI Blue Victoria Menorca hotel. The modern, yet peaceful hotel, is a great place to spend a week in. I plan on returning in the future as it's a great spot to unwind and forget about daily life back home.

A view of the hotel from the outside pool (Image: TUI) The resort's rooftop pool and seating area (Image: TUI)Travel facts: 

TUI offers a seven-night break in Menorca, Spain staying at the 4T+ TUI BLUE Victoria Menorca on an all-inclusive basis. Prices from £1,026 per person. Price is based on two adults sharing a double room, flights departing from Glasgow Airport on June 7, 2025, with 20kg hold luggage and coach transfers included. To find out more about this holiday or to book go to tui.co.uk, visit your local travel agent or download our app. 

TUI recommends customers download its app to ensure they have everything they need for their holiday in one place. The app provides easy access to search and book, manage bookings, download mobile boarding passes, view transfer times and find out how best to contact resort reps. New this year - from the day of departure until the day they return home customers are able to chat to their in-resort team via the TUI app. The in-resort team are on hand to deal with any queries customers might have and aim to respond to within 30 minutes. The TUI app can be downloaded for free from the App stores or Google Play.