Menorca - Minorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
Arenal D'En Castell, Menorca
Menorca is the second largest of the Balearic islands being 53 km wide and 23 km long. It is located 225 km southeast of Barcelona in the azure Mediterranean Sea. Menorca has more beaches than all the other Balearic Islands combined and has a conservative relaxing and tranquil atmosphere to it's sister Balearic islands.
Menorca is the quieter island, for tourists and visitors who appreciate, beautiful beaches with "Golden white sands that slope gently into blue crystal clear lapping waves. Menorca is untouched by the hustle and bustle of the Balearics, and truly is an oasis of calm. Menorca is a place as relaxed as its people with an easy-going lifestyle. The quietest and calmest of the Balearics, Menorca’s rolling green countryside and picturesque resorts remain unphased and unspoilt by its popularity. Surrounded by warm clear seas and fringed with golden sand,
Menorca is a little slice of Spanish heaven, ideal for families, with every kind of water sport available. From red sandstone and rugged cliffs, to deep valleys, olive groves and orchards, Menorca has a rich and varied landscape, littered with intriguing prehistoric remains as well idyllic fishing villages and pretty resorts.
thanks to Menorca’s restrained attitude to its success as a holiday destination, it has managed to maintain the perfect balance between local life and tourist trade, leaving smiles on everyone’s faces.
The island has a child friendly culture making it ideal for families
Climate in Menorca
The temperature ranges from 14oC in winter to 28oC in July with an average of 315 sunny days a year
The rainy season is October to April and Menorca is the wettest of the Balearic islands.
Current weather in Menorca
Menorca Resorts
Binibeca, Binibeca Vell & Binisafua
Canutells
Menorca's Airport
Menorca's airport is 4km south of Mahon (Mao). Taxis are available outside the airport terminal. There is no public transport. Package tour operators provide transfers to apartments and hotels. Depending on the operator this may be included in the holiday cost.
Tourists
Menorca has over 1 million tourists a year. The largest number being from Britain and most of these visit between April and October.
Beaches on Menorca
The boomerang shaped coast of Menorca boasts around 120 beaches, more than all the other Balearic islands added together. The beaches have softly shelving sand caressed by warm waves and sunshine. Seek out secluded sandy shores, many of which you can only walk too, and lie back on outstanding beaches tucked away in coves. Ciutadella has some beautiful bays within reach, including the Cala en Turqueta, arguably Menorca’s best beach. Son Bou is the longest stretch of sand, and Cala Galdana is also popular, with its arching golden shore. Wherever you find to sunbathe, you’re assured of gold sands, and with watersports such as scuba diving and snorkeling on offer, there’s a variety of ways to get wet. The beaches in the popular resorts get crowded in high season, but there are plenty of quieter remote beaches.
Some of the best beaches
Son Parc beach.
A medium sized beach with shallow water, and backed by fun sand dunes. Restaurants are available. Club Son Parc is a challenging 14-hole golf course andnear to the beach
Cala Trebalugerbacked beach.
A secluded and quiet beach on the southern coast east of Cala Galdana, The tree lined cove of white sand turquoise waters make it worth visiting.
Cala Mitjana and Cala Macarelleta are other secluded coves in the area
Largest Cities
Mahon (Mao) is Menorca's capital and Ciutadella was the previous Capital until Menorca was invaded by the Brits, are the largest towns and located on sea inlets on the East and West coasts
Shopping on Menorca
Aside from boutiques and souvenir shops, Menorca’s real prizes are its markets. Mahon has a fresh food market in a converted cloister and an early morning fish market, while Ciutadella’s marketplace has an Art Nouveau design. Look out for leather, suede, sweets and biscuits. For cheeses, try Alaior’s market and shops.
Nightlife on Menorca
The laid back atmosphere of Menorca continues on as dusk turns to night. Meals are long and leisurely, wine and coffee are lingered over. The majority of the resorts keep the nightlife relaxed and low key, a refreshing change from other Spanish destinations. Having said that, Mahon’s harbour hosts lively bars and a few nightclubs, and resorts such as Cala’n Porter have plenty of bars. For a unique night out, go to the Cova de’n Xuray, a natural cave that is transformed into an incredible club at night.
Holiday Tips
In most hotels and aparthotels gentlemen are required to wear long trousers to dinner. Most hotels or apartments ask customers to vacate their rooms between 10am and 12 midday. For late afternoon or evening flights, late check out rooms may be available. Please see Your Holiday, Your Choice options on accommodation pages. Ask your travel agent to check the Travel Advice section of TOPical for up-to-date advice and the latest known Foreign Office advice.
Local Specialities
Menorca’s cuisine is a mixture of Spanish, Catalonian and Italian tastes, and all the resorts have these on offer. Mayonnaise originated in Mahon and is a must when dining there, while Fornells attracts tourists on the strength of the seafood restaurants which line it’s harbour – try the tasty caldereta de llagosta. Other local specialities include tumbet, layers of peppers, potato and tomatoes baked in an earthenware pot, or the unusual huevos a al sollerica, a dish of fried eggs on top of sliced sausage, with a pea sauce. Harbours are fringed with restaurants and cafes, and Ciutadella is particularly known for its excellent selection. Sample the lasting British influence on the island, its well-loved gins, Xoriguer, Baltran and Nelson, or Palo, a spirit flavoured with crushed almond husks. Though Menorca doesn’t produce wines, light whites and roses from Majorca are popular here.
Attractions
The attraction for most people is the peace and quiet of the island, but there are physical attractions of all kinds that add to your enjoyments of this beautiful island.
Aquarock Waterpark & Karting
Located on the soth west tip of Menorca
Covas Des Moro, S/N, 07769 Ciutadella, Spain
Los Delfines Aquacenter Menorca
With is's fabulous water rides - Black Hole, Kamikaze, Adventure river, giant slides, water tunnels and kids water chutes
Av. Principal, s/n, Cala en Blanes, Ciutadella, Spain
Prehistoric monuments
Menorca has more than a 1000 Prehistoric monuments
Fabulous beaches
The Brits and Menorca
Britain ruled Menorca from around 1700 -1800 and now we form the largest group of tourists to the island.
Menorcas Attractions
- Its beautiful beaches.
Most of the main ones can be reached by buses from Mahon (Mao) the capital.
Secluded beaches require car hire.
Beaches range from small coves to large resort beaches with bars, cafes and watersports. - Prehistoric and ancient sites
Stone structures, underground dwellings and burial caves carved into the island's coastal cliffs all provide evidence of prehistoric civilisation on Menorca.- Trepuco
Menorca's megoliths are comparable to Stonehenge
- Trepuco
- Cales Coves
A network of 140 man-made caves dating from the 9th century BC. - Cuitadella
Cuitadella the second largest town on the extreme west of the island, under former Moorish rule was the island capital . The town has narrow, arcaded streets sits above its harbour, with the streets of its well preserved old town hiding impressive palaces. - Mahon (Mao)
Mahón popularly known as Maó, is the upmarket capital of Menorca located on a long sea inlet on the east coast. British occupation in the 18th century has left an old colonial flavour evident in its architecture with Georgian town houses alongside Spanish apartments.- The harbour
One of the best harbours in the Mediterranean- The bustling marina, with its restaurants and cafes, is a great place for people-watching.
- Boat trips leave from the old gin factory. Gin is one of Menorca's major exports, and the factory tour is worth a visit.
- The High Town
The old part of the town, immediately above the port, has quiet terrace cafes along narrow streets with whitewashed walls. - The 1717 church.
- The museum. Find out about the island's interesting past.
- The harbour
- Mount Toro
At 358m.Mount Toro is the highest point on the island excellent panoramic views can be seen from the church on the summit. View the whole island from this vantage point and on a clear day you can glimpse Mallorca - Albufera de Es Grau natural park.
Dunes, wetlands, Minorcan scrub and Roman ruins - The pretty idyllic fishing port of Fornells has some fantastic seafood restaurants. Try the local speciality, Caldereta de Langosta (lobster casserole).
- Go carting
Near Ciutadella and near San Luis
- The Secret Garden
Near Ferreries, is great for pre-teens and has a fantastic treasure hunt among the orange groves. - Water Parks
Aquapark
Ride the Black Hole, Giant Togobban or Adventure River near Ciutadella and a small but fun one near Son Bou
Festivals
January
Three Kings Procession and St Antony's Day
June in Ciutadella in the Plaza del Born
Saint Joan Festival
A fabulous display of horse riding that includes jousting, jaleo - horse rearing on it's hind legs. Equestrian feats of skill
August in San Luis
San Luis Equine Fiesta
More equestrian feats of skill performing the jaleo dressed in traditional dress riding outfits with tails
September in Mahon (Mao)
Mare de Deu
Beautiful black horses from local spaces are paraded through the streets.
Menorca Bus Routes and information
Bus Routes
Mao is the Island Capital called Mahon by the Brits
- 01 Maó-Ciutadella
- 02 Maó-Es Castell
- 03 Maó - Sant Lluís
- 18 Maó-Instituts Bintaufa
- 21 Maó - Sant Climent
- 22 Maó-Canutells
- 31 Maó - Cala En Porter
- 32 Maó-Son Bou
- 52 Ciutadella-Cala Galdana
- 53 Ferreries-Cala Galdana
- 71 Maó-Sant Tomàs
- 72 Ciutadella-Sant Tomàs
- 91 Ciutadella-Sant Tomàs
- 92 Maó-Punta Prima
- 93 Maó-Binibèquer
Time Tables & Map Bus Route information & Timetables
Bus Information
The island Capital Mahon is called Maó by the locals & on Bus Routes & Maps
The bus Company is TMSA
Holidays to Menorca - Minorca
