July 13, 2024

Menorca Travel Guide: What You Need to Know Before You Go

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Find out everything you need to know to plan your dream trip to Menorca with this Menorca travel guide.

Menorca is Spain’s slow-paced bohemian island alternative to Ibiza and Mallorca. Less travelled and without a party scene, it’s the amazing food and appreciation of nature that attracts a different tourist to Menorca. 

Menorca is an small island of white sand beaches and rocky coves of varying sizes and levels of intimacy. In the summer season, there’s the scent of warmed pine trees, the sound of cicadas, and the sight of sparkling blue seas.

The coastline is punctuated with white-walled towns with terracotta roofs and bright pink bougainvillea. There are charming restaurants with seafood, paella, and fresh local produce that’s sourced from the farms scattered throughout the island’s interior.

Having enjoyed other Spanish Mediterranean islands in the past, we were looking for a quieter island where we could swim in stunning emerald waters and taste rich Spanish foods. We definitely found this in Menorca.

We loved the island of Menorca so much that we extended our one-week stay to become a two-week stay. So let me share with you everything we loved about this stunning travel destination, in our Menorca Travel Guide.

***Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Booking through them earns me a commission at no extra charge to you.

For more Menorca travel tips, don’t miss our guide to the best places to stay in Menorca and the best things to do in Menorca!

a woman in a black bikini laying on a rock cliff above cala macarelleta menorca
Cala Macarelleta
a woman in a white bikini next to the pool at villa le blanc menorca
Villa Le Blanc Gran Melia

How to Get to Menorca

Menorca is Spain’s easternmost Balearic Island and the second largest of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is about a 1 hour direct flight from Barcelona with regular flights operating between the two destinations. Most travellers will fly in and out of the Menorca airport located in the island’s capital of Mahon.

If you are visiting other Balearic Islands, you may also choose to arrive via ferry. There is a direct service from the neighbouring island of Mallorca that takes around 1 hour using the fastest route. There is also an option to take a ferry from mainland Spain, but it will add some hours to your trip.

a sailboat in menorca

How to Get Around in Menorca

Menorca Island is the ideal size to explore by car. There is one main road that runs through the centre of the island, taking you from Cuitadella on the Western side to Mahon on the Eastern side.

This road only takes 50 minutes to drive, and all other places to visit are reached via this main arterial road. Because of this, driving is fairly easy and distances are never long between any two places. Parking was also fairly easy across the island.

a woman in a black bikini looking out over sparkling clear blue water in menorca
a woman floating next to a boat in the clear water of menorca

Where to Stay in Menorca

This was a really tough question to find answers online. So we put together a complete guide to where to stay in Menorca to break down the best areas and the areas to avoid (it has a lot more than this overview). We also included some of our favorite hotels.

Because Menorca is relatively small, if you have a hire car you’ll generally be able to visit anywhere on the island in under one hour’s drive no matter where you stay. Knowing the areas you plan to spend the most time in might help you narrow down the best parts of the island for you.

Northern Menorca Coastline

The northwest area of the coast from Cuitadella to Cala Morell features a rugged coastline that is breathtaking at sunset. You can find a boutique hotel from among the ones that are sprinkled throughout the area along with great options for sundowners and dinner (consider a stop at Enricana, Ivet, and Coral). We actually ended up staying in two different places while we were in this part of Menorca.

We also stayed in a vacation rental on the northern Menorca coastline on the water. Fornells was our favorite town in this area with some of the best seafood on the island (you must try Es Cranc Petit if you like seafood!). Make sure to check out Cala Pregonda too while you’re here.

boats in the harbor at fornells menorca
Fornells
people dining at enricana menorca overlooking the Mediterranean sea
Enricana

Eastern Menorca Coastline

With the city of Mahón located here, it’s probably the busiest area on the island. This is where to stay for the best access to the airport and ferry, but you’ll also find plenty of hotels and restaurants here. Because we wanted to escape the crowds, we didn’t spend more time here than we had to.

Southern Menorca Coastline

Along the South of the island, you’ll be able to find more beaches with white sand, as well as the hotspot for luxury hotels. Saint Tomas has plenty of lovely hotels, including the award-winning sustainable hotel of Villa Le Blanc Gran Melia. We stayed here for a few very relaxing nights.

The southwestern part of the coast has many of the best beaches in Menorca including Son Saura, Cala Turqueta, Playa Mitjana, Cala Macarelleta, and Cala Macarella. Cala Galdana is really the only option if you want to stay near these beaches.

a woman in the pool at villa le blanc menorca
black and white photo of a woman sunbathing at villa le blanc menorca, one of the best hotels in menorca
woman posing in a hallway at villa le blanc menorca

Western Menorca Coastline

This is another busier area of Menorca thanks to Cuitadella being here, but it still has a certain charm about it thanks to the gothic architecture, winding walkways, and stunning harbour. Even if you don’t stay here, stop for a meal and swim at Cala en Brut.

Interior of Menorca Island 

While many people head to Menorca for the beaches, the interior of the island is equally as beautiful. Experiencing a farm stay at Morvedra Nou overlooking the wild olive trees is worth at least a night or two of your time. Make sure to visit Nonna Bazaar to experience their top-notch farm-to-table dining while you’re in the area.

pitcher of water and glass of water by the pool at morvedra nou
a woman in white bikini sunbathing by the pool at morvedra nou menorca
exterior morvedra nou menorca

When to Visit Menorca 

The best time to visit Menorca in our opinion is the warmer months. Swimming in the sea and exploring the beaches were the major draw for us, and the warmer months are ideal for enjoying the beaches.  Walking the dusty pathways to the beach to dive into refreshing turquoise waters was a daily pleasure. The sangria tastes so good on a sunny day too!

We would recommend visiting in June or September, to avoid the high season crowds. On our recent trip, we visited in early July. Although Menorca has very much a chilled, slow-pace vibe, there were a lot of people at the popular Southern beaches.

We still loved it, but for this reason, try to avoid the peak summer travel months of July and August. Some of the walks to the beaches can be pretty hot in the middle of summer too. 

bougainvillea at villa le blanc gran melia
a sailboat and palm tree in menorca
two woman sunbathing on a boat tour in menorca on a traditional wooden boat

Top Things to Do in Menorca

We are listing some of our favorite options for your Menorca itinerary here, but you can get the full list in our blog post on the best things to do in Menorca.

Visit the Beaches in Menorca

If you are visiting Menorca, chances are you are wanting to experience some of the most beautiful beaches the island has to offer. You’ll find a mix of tiny rocky coves or calls and wide open white sand beaches or playas thanks to the island having over a hundred different spots to swim on the coastline.

The southern part of the island has the most popular beaches like Son Saura, Cala Turqueta, Playa Mitjana, Cala Macarelleta, and Cala Macarella. These are the beaches in Menorca that make for stunning photos you’ll find on the postcards in the gift shops.

boats float in the sparkling blue water at cala macarelleta
Cala Macarelleta
a woman's feet at cala macarelleta
Cala Macarelleta

For quieter options, consider some of the smaller calas instead. We fell in love with Cala en Brut with great platforms for tanning and cliff jumping, Calo Blanc with some of the clearest water in a tiny inlet, Cala de ses Olles where you can watch people jump into the water, and Cala Binidali with its cute little boat shed.

If you want something unique, don’t skip Cala Pregonda. It has a bay that is perfect for swimming and rocks that jut out into the water in a variety of earthy tones. Thanks to this one being more off the beaten path, you’ll want to make sure you bring plenty of water with you.

cala pregonda menorca with its rocky beach
Cala Pregonda
a woman floating in the water at cala pregonda
Cala Pregonda
a woman standing in front of a white washed building at cala binidali menorca
Cala Binidali
people swimming and standing on the platforms at cala en brut, one of the best beaches in menorca
Cala En Brut

Visit Cova d’en Xoroi

This is a must-see when planning a trip to Menorca. Cova d’en Xoroi is a bar that is built into the side of a vertical cliff face. I absolutely loved the aesthetic, and it was the perfect spot for cocktails at sunset (no food is served here).

Open hours vary, so make sure to check their site and prebook your ticket before your trip so you don’t miss out on one of the top things to do in Menorca.

cova d'en xoroi menorca
cova d'en xoroi is a cliffside bar in Menorca overlooking the Mediterranean sea
a woman looking out at cova d'en xoroi menorca

Taking a Boat Tour of Menorca

While you can see many of the beautiful parts of the coastline without a boat, you’ll find even more options open up when you rent a boat or take a boat tour. With over 200 km of coastline, you can choose to head to the north coast or south coast to explore.

We ended up doing both over the course of our two weeks in Menorca. The northern coastline is rocky with little development, so a boat tour lets you explore areas you may not otherwise see. We used Menorca en Llaut and sailed on their traditional wooden boat – we highly recommend it!

The southern coastline has the famous beaches we suggested earlier, but you can save some hiking by doing a boat tour. We went with Iguana Boats in Cuitadella where we spent most of the time swimming in the bay where Cala Macarelleta and Cala Macarella are found.

two woman sunbathing on a boat tour in menorca
table with food on a boat tour in menorca

Visit Binibecca Menorca

Take a walk through the white-walled buildings and get lost in the maze of archways and staircases in the little town of Binibecca. Because summer can get quite warm in Menorca, visiting in the afternoon to avoid the heat of the day and softer lighting.

a woman sitting on a stairway in binibecca menorca
binibecca menorca

Where to Eat in Menorca

Menorca has perfected farm-to-table dining with many options from fresh seafood and potato smothered in olive oil to sangria and paella.

Some of the best places to eat in Menorca that we loved are:

  • Nonna Bazaar – amazing fresh local food. Mediterranean cuisine in the most aesthetic farmhouse. Come early evening for sunset colours or stay late for the DJs.
  • Es Cranc Petit – if you visit Fornells, stop by this cute little seafood restaurant.
  • Enricana – Japanese dishes and seafood accompany a great sunset view from the white-washed restaurant built into the cliffside.
  • Nib’s Healthy Bar – great healthy food and coffee options for breakfast.
A woman in a pink dress sitting in front of nonna bazaar menorca
Nonna Bazaar
view from a table at enricana in menorca overlooking the water
Enricana
nonna bazaar menorca is one of the best places to eat in menorca
Nonna Bazaar

WIth two weeks on the island, we managed to experience quite a bit thanks to the help of local travel guide The Slow Voyage! Reach out if you are looking for any bespoke travel guidance in the Mediterranean!

For more Menorca travel tips, don’t miss our guide to the best places to stay in Menorca and the best things to do in Menorca!

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menorca travel guide with photos of a woman in a cave bar in menorca, a woman at a beach in menorca, and a woman in binibecca menorca

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