Menorca in 6 days
- Irene
- Oct 3, 2024
- 7 min read
All the summers of my childhood were spent in Menorca and the memories that I have are so special. This is for me without a doubt the most beautiful place on earth and you should definitely experience it as well.
Best time to go: June to September. I would not recommend to go during the winter as one of the beauties of Menorca are the fantastic beaches, and it can be quite chilly during those months. August also tends to be quite crowded so if possible I would avoid going during that time.
General Advice: there are few interesting things to note that will make your holiday much more pleasant so you can spend your week in Menorca like a pro.
You need to rent a car for sure to move around the island otherwise you are going to miss all the beautiful hidden spots, beaches and cute places.
It is important to know which direction the wind is coming from to plan accordingly which beaches to go to (you can check this on your phone). If the wind comes from the north then go to the beaches in the south and if the wind comes from the south then go to the beaches in the north. Another thing that I would always check is how long is the walk from the parking to the beach you want to go before heading there, as some parking can be a 1hr walk from the beach!
Appropriate gear! Do not go to the beach with flip flops. Wear some comfy beach shoes to walk with such as menorquinas or something that holds your feet properly. Usually in Menorca you will park in a car park near a first beach which tends to be more crowded, but after you pass this you can keep walking to other coves which will be more secluded and emptier. Also parking is not always that close to the beach so it is better to wear comfy shoes. Also, even if travelling in the summer… pack a jacket! It can get quite chilly at night.
The beaches in Menorca tend to be wild, that means that in most of them there are no bars or sunbeds. Therefore, it is good to always take some snacks and water with you. You can also ask at your accommodation for a parasol, people tend to buy them and just leave them there so there will be more than happy to lend them to other guest.
Where to stay: The recommended hotel is "Barceló Hamilton Menorca Adults Only", located between Mahon and Cales Font. The hotel has a terrace where you can go for a drink after dinner or watch the sunset and it is just incredible.
Day 1: Sa Mesquida and Mahon
Sa Mesquida near Mahon, is a small fisherman village with a beach that for some reason doesn’t attract that many tourists. It is true that the colour of the water is not as turquoise as in other beaches in Menorca but it is still beautiful and quiet so perfect to spend a morning or an afternoon. There is a quite big car park just 10 min walk from the beach which is very handy and I would definitely go to spend some time here.
Either before or after the beach, you should go to what is probably (or at least in my view) the best restaurant of Menorca, "Cap Roig", with an amazing sea view and serving incredible tasty fresh fish from the day. It is important that you book in advance as this place is definitely not a secret to the locals and regular customers. I would recommend to go from Tuesdays to Saturdays as they will have more options of fresh fish – fishermen do not go out on Saturday and Sunday nights so Sundays and Mondays are not good days to have fish.
In the afternoon or just before dinner, I would recommend to go to Mahon to have a walk and have some dinner. In Mahon you can park at Plaça de la Miranda parking. Note that on Sundays the majority of the shops in Mahon are closed.
One thing that I love about Mahon is that here you can find a lot of independent shops with very nice clothes and accessories and of course a lot of menorquinas and espadrilles as well. For dinner, you can go to “Sa Botiga” for some tapas. The terrace here is very small so if you want to have dinner outside I would recommend to book in advance.
Day 2: Coves and Cales Fonts
Menorca is particularly famous for its beautiful coves like Macarella, Macarelleta, Turqueta, Son Saura and Mitjaneta. The problem is that they have become super popular and because of that the space is limited at these coves, and it can be quite crowded. Therefore, the best thing you can do is go on a boat trip to enjoy them from the sea. You can get the boat from Cala Galdana and I would recommend before booking to check that the maximum number of passenger they admit is 12 people. The price per person would be around 70 EUR. You can find a good option herehttps://galdanacharter.com/en/ [galdanacharter.com].
As you will be probably tired in the afternoon after the boat trip, you can head to the hotel to enjoy the swimming pool or have a nap before going to Cales Fonts for dinner. Cales Fonts is probably my favourite place to have dinner in Menorca and have a little stroll around, this is just a small cute port surrounded by nice restaurants and is within walking distance to the Barcelo hotel if you are staying there. Here you can have dinner at restaurant “Sa Punta Menorca” or “Restaurant Trébol”, both very good options with great mediterranean food.
Day 3: Son Bou and Illa del Rei
Son Bou beach is one of the longest beaches of the island (it is 3km long) and a very convenient one as well as it has very big parking. You can spend the whole day at Son Bou beach but as there are no services here, I would recommend to go prepared (there are no bars or restaurants) so make sure you take everything that you need with you like food, snacks and drinks to have throughout the day. At the beginning of the beach you might find few people but if you walk for like 10 min you will be practically alone.
After spending the day here, an amazing plan to do in the afternoon and for dinner is to go to the Illa del Rei. This is an island off the coast of Mahon that you have to reach by boat. You will have to buy the boat tickets and book the restaurant (“Cantina”) in advance. You can do both things in the Hauser & Wirth website. Note that the boat only departs every hour so arrive at the port with enough time. You can for example book for the boat at 20.00 and book for dinner at 21.00. Before dinner you can have a walk around the small island where you will find an art gallery and an old hospital that was constructed on the island by the British in 1711 who controlled Menorca for most of the 18th Century.
This is an experience that you cannot miss, the boat trip to the island is beautiful and the island itself is very pretty and surrounded by vegetation and pines. The restaurant is in the middle of a wooded area overlooking the sea…. It is just idyllic.
Day 4: Binibeca and Alaior
Binibeca is a beautiful small town, famous for the narrow streets and whitewashed houses. However, the last few years have brought hordes of tourists to the town and now it is overwhelming. That is why I would recommend to go to Binibeca early in the morning when there will be less people and it will be more pleasant to walk around because it is such a nice beautiful town that it is worth seeing. I would not recommend to stay in Binibeca to eat as it is a very touristic area. However, on the road on the way to Binibeca you can go to the restaurant "En Caragol" for lunch.
After lunch you can go to Cala Alcaufar, even though it is not the prettiest one in Menorca it is super secluded and there is barely anyone there! So it is a little escape and retreat to have a swim and maybe have a couple of drinks at “Xuroy” restaurant which overlooks the cala.
In the afternoon and for dinner, you can go to Alaior, a town inland which also has its charm. Here you can visit LÔAC, Alaior Art Contemporani, which is basically a museum of contemporary art, and you can have some tapas for dinner at “Bar Cafeteria Restaurant Romandre”.
Day 5: Ciutadella, north beaches and Fornells
Ciutadella can be visited at any time of day really…. You can either go early in the morning and then head to the beach or go for lunch or dinner. In Ciutadella the best place to park is Parking PORTSIB so you are right by the port and the old town.
Ciutadella is a port city known for its old quarter and medieval streets. The main square, Plaça des Born, is home to the Gothic-style City Hall and the palaces of Salort and Torre-Saura. The 14th-century Santa Maria of Ciutadella Cathedral features a huge marble altar and the baroque-style Chapel of Souls. The recommended restaurant in Ciutadella to eat is "Café Balear", but it is usually very busy so you have to book in advance.
If you want to go to the beach nearby, I would recommend to go to Cala Algaiarens. The Cala is beautiful and as mentioned at the beginning of the post a great option if the wind is coming from the south. There are 2 parking options, one 5 min walk from the beach and another one 15 min walk.
There are another 2 very nice beaches on the north side of the island which are: Cala del Pilar and Cala Pregonda.
In the evening, you can go to Fornells for a little walk and dinner. In Fornells, you have to go for dinner to “Can Tanu”, a traditional restaurant in which to try the caldereta (typical dish from Menorca) or the different fish and seafood rice dishes. The caldereta is a lobster stew with lobster fished only in the area of Fornells during the months of April to August. This tends to be a quite expensive dish and the reason for it is that the fishing is restricted and controlled to preserve the species.
Another good option in Fornells for dinner is “Sa Llagosta”.
What else can you do? Another interesting thing that you can do in Menorca is to visit the Prehistoric Ruins that are surrounded by attractive countryside, featuring many interesting ancient ruins from the pre-Talayotic period. You can find them at different points across the island
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