Ciutadella de Menorca

The Gothic cathedral of Santa Maria, raised after 1287 on the site of the former mosque, towers over the old quarter with its high vaults. Dogs are not allowed inside, but the cobbled lanes and square around it make for a pleasant leashed stroll.

The harbour set deep within a long, narrow inlet, lined with restaurants and fishing boats below the old ramparts. The walk is done on leash and offers the finest light at sunset, when the ochre facades reflect in the water.

The old parade ground, a broad esplanade fringed by palaces, the town hall and a commemorative obelisk. Open and paved, it is easily crossed on leash and serves as a starting point for exploring the old town.

The collective tomb shaped like an upturned ship's hull, one of the oldest buildings in Europe, a few kilometres east of town. The archaeological site is visited in the open air and leashed dogs are allowed, kept away from the remains.

One of the loveliest coves of the south, white sand and turquoise water fringed with pines, reached on foot from a car park. Like most Menorca beaches, it bans dogs in high season, so fall back on the nearby Camí de Cavalls instead.

The old military patrol path (GR 223) that rings the whole island over some 185 km, threading coves, cliffs and woods. Its stretches around Ciutadella are Menorca's true canine paradise, to be walked on leash, but shadeless and often waterless, so pack accordingly.