Tips on Menorca

September is here, autumn has reached London and I am clinging on the last bits of sunshine that the Med offers. So I took a friend and head for a weekend to Menorca. It is one of the least known Balearic Islands, even though not the smallest, and thus tourism hasn’t touched it they way it has the other islands.

It is an island of white washed houses, blue seas, lighthouses, impeccable (surprisingly) infrastructure, sunshine most days of the days of the year, cleanliness, a growing economy especially on footwear and textiles (they never could rely on tourism so other sectors of the economy have grown instead) and retirement homes. Britain has set its foot on this island, three times, as the French and Spanish, and firstly the Arabs, giving the island a mixture of cultures and influences. It is not surprising with a direct flight from London and all its perks that it has a large amount of British retirees and British tourists, especially in summer months. However, wherever you walk you feel the Spanish culture all around and Arabic influences, especially in architecture.

The airport is situated closer to the new capital, Mao or Mahon, or Saint Louis, a touristic and residential area. A highway is connecting the old capital, Ciutadella, on the left side of the island with Mahon, on the right side of the island. Ciutadella also has the connections by boat to Mallorca and Barcelona. In between this highway there are the factories of different industries and most industrial area and some mercantile towns, not less pretty though, like Es Mercadal and Ferreries or Alaior which has the cathedral that made the town grow (as most Menorcan villages and towns) and is one of the towns that the footwear industry grew. You can find menorcan shoes everywhere; the classic design being an espadrilla shoe that has an opening near the toes to let the feet breath and comfortable soles. You will also find a Pretty Ballerina outlet there.

The whole island is for nature lovers and provides great hikes and cycling tours. It has a rich natural reserve and a great morphology. The beaches are hidden between high cliffs full of vegetation and provide white sand and blue-green waters, due to the limestone and sand in the bottom of the sea. Important tip: expect to walk a lot to reach the beach (more on that later). If you are a more lay-back type or you want it easy it is better to tour the beaches by sea either by a tourist boat that tours the beaches or by private hire. You can find also in Ciutadella or Mahon a lot of options for smaller or larger boats with or without captain for that.

The north beaches are more wild and secluded and the south ones more famous and friendly. If you have to choose go for the south beaches, as they are more pretty and unique. There are boat tours, especially from Fornells who do the north ones. Such the case, I wouldn’t advice you to use the catamaran type, except if you are a fanatic of the type, as they are the more thin and sporty of the type. I am used to the larger one where you have ample space to seat (excluding the nets) and are more comfortable and fast, so I was surprised when they sold me this tour as very comfortable and more luxurious than taking the more uncomfortable (which was also a bad option comfort was) 7h tour of the south beaches with the tourist tour boat. Well… I learned from my mistake and now I am sharing my knowledge with you so you won’t have too as well!

Keep in mind also the area of Cala en Bosch is touristically developed. Nevertheless, staying not too far from Ciutadella or that area you will have easier access to the beaches (btw most of the ones who are further from the hotels area or are in natural reserve sites are not organised-either by umbrellas/sun beds only or from everything, so inform yourselves before heading there).

Now the most important part of any beach vacation, the beaches! Keep in mind few of the beaches have parking lots (which are the only place you can actually park), which are Macarella, Turqueta, Son Saura, Cala Galdana, Santo Thomas and any other with hotel developments. The parking lots though are very small so they fill up very fast, so go really early or late to avoid disappointment, and there are signs quite early on the road to inform capacity. As soon as you manage to park there minimum walk to the beach is 15min- at least in the “forest”. Some other pretty and famous beaches you can reach from the parking lot area as well but you must walk further, like around 30min from the parking. But it always depends. It is better to ask your hotel or someone in the know for more details as google map won’t definitely help you in that. There is a hike route parallel to the beaches that connects most of them. 

The most famous is Macarella beach and its smaller twin, Macarelleta (10min further walk from Macarella or try to swim or paddle towards it to see it). Also Cala en Turqueta, Cala Mitjana (walk from Cala Galdana), Cala Galdana, Cala de Trebaluger and of course much more. 

Ciutadella and Mahon on the other side offer historical landmarks and beautiful walk on the old city, cafes/restaurants/bars on the seafront/harbour and nightlife. There are on the harbour of Es Castell area, a suburb of Mahon, plenty of choices for dinner or drinks, but is quieter for nightlife. However, the views on the harbour are amazing. More nightlife choices are downtown Mahon, but not expect too much from this quiet island.

Finally, on the north and more wild coast you can find some fish villages, like Fornells, the birthplace of the famous local lobster stew. The south offer more touristic or residential type of towns and villages, all along the coast. I must note here we were lucky to experience some local festivals in Mao old town and Alaior sourced from Menorca’s rich culture. Probably looked like the fight and chase of the Arabs out of Menorca from the proud Spanish. But I won’t bother you with history; but keep in mind you can find plenty of it here…

Where to eat/drink:

• Restaurant Sirocco, for fish and seafood, Es Castell, Mahon
• Restaurant Trebol, for fish and seafood, lots of locals, better to book, Es Castell, Mahon
• Restaurant Santa Rita, for interesting tapas, old town, Mahon
• Restaurant Ses Forquilles, for interesting tapas, Mahon
• Cova d’en Xoroi, for sunset drinks and dancing (even after midnight), built inside a cave with luscious cliff views, Cala en Porter
• Cas Sucrer, sweet shop/bakery, Es Mercadal in the main square
• Es Moli D’es Raco, for fish and seafood mostly, local specialities, inside a mill, Es Mercadal
• Bar La Reina, for snacks and coffee, Placa des Born, Ciutadella
• Restaurant Es Cranc Pelut, for lobster stew, Fornells

Local dishes:

• Lobster stew (or langoustine)
• Ensaimada (dessert pastry filled with different flavours)
• Different types of cookies
• Oven Baked Eggplant
• Goat dishes
• Oliaigua (soup with olive oil and vegetables)
• Perol (potato layer with tomatoes, bread, garlic, grilled)
• Seafood like cuttlefish, sea anemones, oysters etc
• Fresh fish grilled or strew like Scorpaena (red Scorpina)

(Those are few, keep in mind the desserts are tasty but not delicious).

Hope I helped you guide you if you decide to visit this beautiful island. Keep in mind you can swim until end of September or just enjoy a good weather until November, as most island of the Med.