Carema Garden Village

The Carema Garden Village is half of a large, family-friendly apartment complex, with shared facilities separating it from Carema Club Resort, elevated higher on the hilltop. Like the rest of the property, the Garden Village is made up of attractive apartment blocks built in the style of a traditional Minorcan village, with whitewashed facades, terra-cotta roofs, and wood-slat shuttered windows. The two- and three-story blocks are centered around a swimming pool and set in pretty gardens comprised of mature palms, banana plants, clusters of cacti, and colorful flowers. Garden Village is positioned slightly apart from the main pool, waterpark, and animation, and it's generally quieter and more relaxing. Also unlike its counterpart, all of the property is situated at street level, with few if any steps to navigate the grounds (besides access to the upper-floor accommodation). The popular resort complex attracts mostly families with kids, hailing from European countries including the UK, France, Italy, and Spain.

The property is part of the larger development of Mediterranean-village style buildings scattered across the hillside. It overlooks a pretty bay halfway along the north coast of Minorca. There's direct access to a small beach, and then a steep walkway connects to the much larger Cala Tirada -- a sandy beach with calm water, making it ideal for young kids. Not much else is in the surrounding area except for a supermarket and a few restaurants, but there's a small beach club within walking distance. El Toro mount -- the highest point on the island, which offers spectacular panoramic views -- is a 15-minute drive away. Driving to the capital, Mahón, which is great for day trips, takes about 30 minutes, and it's about the same amount of time to reach the airport.

The Carema Garden Village has 82 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, all updated in 2016/17 with wood-effect flooring, simple contemporary furniture, and breezy whitewash walls with splashes of blue fabrics. Natural wood and traditional glazed tiling add some more "rustic" elements, but units are generally bright and well-maintained. Most ground-floor units open to terraces with direct pool access, while some feature balconies with sea views; a few, however, are obscured by trees or overlook scrubland. 

All apartments include kitchenettes with fridges, electric ranges, kettles, microwaves, and cookware, and most have lounge and dining areas. Other amenities include 32-inch flat-screen TVs, though with very limited English-speaking channels, and while Wi-Fi is free of charge, the signal is generally poor. Safes are available for a fee and wardrobes are open. Unlike the Club Resort accommodation, all bathrooms have been updated with modern walk-in showers (though still dispenser toiletries and wall-mounted hairdryers). Another big difference is lack of air-conditioning, with the only cooling provided by ceiling fans.

The complex certainly has no shortage of leisure and dining facilities, especially for the younger guests. The bright and modern main Vistamar restaurant is buffet-style, serving meals three times a day with an alfresco sea-view terrace. There's a good spread for breakfast -- pre-cooked eggs, bacon, and sausage, cooked-to-order eggs and pancakes, and a decent selection of fresh fruit, pastries, cereals, and bread. Juice and coffee is served via machines. There are regular themed dinners, including Italian, Spanish, and Cuban, and also a buffet corner for kids. Two other restaurants are Marlet Playa (which also serves a late breakfast) and the Marlet Grill, both with Mediterranean-leaning set and a la carte menus. Most agree food quality is generally very good. All types of plans are available, from accommodation-only to all-inclusive. 

There's a separate kids' section and loungers in abundance at the main freeform swimming pool. Most of the hotel's animation program takes place poolside, so it can get noisy. Guests can escape this at the Carema Garden Village's second quieter pool. Access to the hotel's own waterpark, which is pirate-themed with six separate waterslides, is a great bonus (it's also open to the public for fee). There's also two kids' clubs for ages between four and 12, complete with bouncy castles and playground. An on-site watersports center has scuba diving, sea-kayaking, and windsurfing. Evenings involve regular mini-discos for the kids and adult evening entertainment is usually dancing and shows on the outdoor stage. Other facilities include Wi-Fi and on-site parking, both free of charge, plus there's a coin-operated laundry and bike rental.