Discover Beaches and Interesting spots...

Menorca’s beaches are without argument her prime tourist possession, with over one hundred beaches kissing the islands coastline.

Generally speaking the beaches of the south are shallower and therefore the waters offer a rich turquoise colour and the white sand is generally finer, the seas of the north are deeper and have more granular golden- red coloured sand.

The virgin beaches incur a rural road drive and often a brisk walk to reach them, so now is the time to consider your vehicle hire www.villacars.es

With all this natural beauty it’s hard to find negative comments, but there is perhaps one minor hiccup, due to the islands incredible high season popularity these off the track virgin beaches are often saturated, meaning that you have to plan an early start or risk an eternal car journey and wait. This is where perhaps the beach of Son Bou reigns because even in the high season there’s room on its long beach

Nudism is practiced on many of the island beaches.

Off beach anchorage can be seen from many beaches, particularly during August, when locals and visitors alike travel around the island.

Generally speaking all the “popular” beaches have a Red Cross post or beach guards operating during the summer.

To ease driving during the high season, indication panels are employed to inform the driver about access and parking opportunities on some of the virgin beaches, this can be appreciated in the Ciutadella areas.

Please respect the environment, remove your waste and cigarette ends for safe disposal, and collaborate towards maintaining a clean Menorca.

Son Saura (Ciutadella): Virgin beach. Fine sand clear waters. Popular anchorage spot for yachts. No facilities.

Banyul & Bellavista: Virgin beach. Fine sand, clear waters and pine tree cover. No facilities. Popular anchorage spot for yachts.

Cala d´es Talaier: Small virgin cove with a prehistoric watch tower called Sa Talaia d’Artrutx. Fine sand, clear waters. No facilities.

Cala Turqueta: Virgen beach. Turquoise waters, fine sand and pine tree cover. No facilities. Car Park close by.

Cala Macarella y Macarelleta: Access via the rural road of San Joan de Missa or via Cala Galdana.
Macarella has a restaurant and regular cleaning. Macarelleta, is smaller and tends to be used by nudists. Both beaches have crystal waters and fine sand.

Cala Galdana: A horseshoe bay of great beauty and popularity. White sand, clean waters and pine tree cover. Attached to the summer resort of Cala Galdana it is served by a good range of restaurants, bars, shops and hotels. Pretty walks and some super viewing points.

Cala Mitjana y Mitjaneta: Two photographic beaches within walking distance from Cala Galdana. White sand, turquoise waters and pine tree cover. No facilities. 

Trebaluger: Protected virgen beach, access via a 35 minute walk from Cala Mitjana. Cristal clear waters, fine sand and pine tree cover. No facilities.

Fustam y Escorxada: Next door to Trebaluger and similar in style.

Santo Tomás: Resort beach, narrow and long with a pretty illuminated promenade. The sand is fine and the waters clean. Parking is available and good presence of refreshment and eating facilities.

Binigaus: Attached to Santo Tomas, Popular beach and appreciated for its healthy rock clay for on the spot body wrap treatments and masks to be later washed off in the sea.

Cala en Porter: Pretty sand beach with all facilities, popular for its resident beach ducks. Interesting walks, good parking and busy tourist life.

Binisafuller (Sant Lluís): Sandy cove with an easy access and surrounded by pretty white washed villas. Used by local fishermen.
Es Caló Blanc & Caló Fondo: Close to Binisafuller, these are two coves which offer swimming from the rocks.

Binibeca (Sant Lluís): Golden sand beach, clean waters and a famous beach bar.

Punta Prima (Sant Lluís): Resort beach with all facilities and good parking.

Alcaufar (Sant Lluis): Picturesque cove with whitewashed fisherman’s houses. Sand beach, clean waters, rocks for crab hunting and a small hotel bar overlooking the beach. Coastal walk to Punta Prima or SÁlgar.

Cala Mesquida: North of Maó. Good bay with granular sand and deeper waters. Picturesque seaside village with an interesting 18th C. defence tower.

Es Grau: Recognised as an ideal beach for children, a very pretty fisherman’s village provides the food and refreshments. The famous Albufera (Nature Park) lies behind the beach and there are some interesting walks to the left of the beach. From the pontoon of Es Grau a boat taxi will nip you over to the sandy island of the “Isla d´en Colom”.

Playas Tortuga y Presili: Located by the Favaritx lighthouse. Walking shoes needed. Area of great natural beauty, with fine sand and deep waters. Popular anchorage spot for yachts.

Arenal d´en Castell: A super horse shoe bay similar to Cala Galdana, and like Cala Galdana there is a large tourist resort attached.

Arenal de Son Saura (Son Parc): Apart from the Golf Club, Son Parc also has a super sandy beach with dunes. The resort offers all facilities and walking around the beach to the left there are some lovely coves.

Playa de Cavallería (Es Mercadal): A rural drive and a 15 minute walk to reach this beautiful beach. One of the popular virgin beaches of the north, a golden-red sand and deep waters.

Playa de Binimel.la (Es Mercadal): Binimel.la can be reached by car and in the summer there is a restaurant available. It is a wide beach with granular sand and deep waters. Walking along the bridal path “Camí de Cavalls” to the left for 20 minutes brings you to the beach of Pregonda.

Cala Pregonda: A beautiful virgen beach with red-golden fine sand and clear waters . No facilities but 2-3 exclusive chalets.

Cala Pilar (North Ciutadella): A rural drive and a 30 minute walk over fine sand and through pine forest. A stunningly lovely beach with red-golden sand and deep clear waters. Little wild pigs can often be seen.

La Vall d´Algaiarens: Car friendlier although controlled numbers. A protected beach and part of the islands natural park. Three beaches are located here
Es Tancats abd Es Bot and Ses Fontanellers, all three are part of the natural park and have fine sand, dunes and pine tree shelter.

Cala Morell: A small and narrow cove with historical and photographic qualities, perhaps Morell is more famous for its cliff formations and Troglodyte caves.

Whilst sitting and enjoying a drink or a dinner in the lovely port of Es Castell (Calas Fonts) you will see a white painted boat making regular transfers between the port and what appears to be the other side of the port, it is in fact a harbour island, called Lazaretto and owned by the State Health Department. The people being taxied to and fro are workers linked directly or indirectly with the National Health Service.

The original engineer-architect was Manuel Pueyo and Juan Antonio Casanova, its construction stemmed a decade, from 1807 until 1817. The island was used as a quarantine base for all domestic and international maritime traffic and stock entering into Minorca. This quarantine period was obligatory and lasted 40 days.

18th C Lazareto Island had and still has thick double high walls, built to prevent unauthorized entries and also unauthorized escapes from the internees. It had five watch towers to control the area too,

Internally the hospital was divided into three areas, one zone was used for sailors and travellers who entered the port with a plague on board, the other was for the crews of ships with non infectious cases aboard and the third was for healthier crews with individual small cases of illness.

The corpses were deposited in a communal sea grave, by the cove on the other side of Calas Fonts, this cove was unceremoniously known as Cala Corp. Cala Corb as its known today. 

Saint Philips Castle (Castillo de San Felipe) located on the south side, was originally started in the mid 18th C under the Spanish but on many occasions under British domination it was extended and the British were responsible for its star shaped feature which is still visible today.
Under the Spanish King, Carlos III he had the fortress dismantled merely to prevent the fortress falling into the hands of other invaders.

The Castle of San Felipe, has just started with summer visits and guided trips, a particularly interesting one is their evening trip, which enables you to enjoy a guided trip in English holding your own lantern and watching professional actors re-enact scenes from the military past and firing of a XVII canon and bayonet gun.

The north cliff, incredibly high in relation to the remaining lands, was the home for the construction of the magnificent “La Mola” Fort, built under the Spanish rule of Isabel II, to protect the island from invaders. La Mola in Spanish means molehill, an adequate name to reflect the countless underground tunnels present in its design.

The fort has seen countless battles and under the Spanish rule of Alfonso XIII,, he had 18 canons of 381mm (from Vickers) which were actually destined for his galleons, but placed on La Mola because he did not have the sea vessels available. These guns measured 17, 60 metres in length and weighed 88 tons, with a 270º rotation; the guns could fire a distance of 35 km, and were capable of perforating an iron ship with a 36 cm thickness at a distance of 23 km. Fortunately they were never fired against any foe and were used merely for military practices right up to 1911.

La Mola has seen recent restoration and is administered as a business by the hotel group who paid for the work; however La Mola is open to the public and hold regular guided tours and activities throughout the year.

Isla del Rey (King Island)

In the middle of the Port of Maó, approximately half way between the mouth of the port and the colársega, you find the Isla del Rey (King Island), called this because in 1287 it was the first land trod by the Spanish King, Alfonso III, during his campaign to conqueror Menorca from the Muslims. Prior to this, the island was referred to as Rabbit Island.

The island has a surface area 41.177 sq.mts. and is triangular in form, it has two embarkation areas, one in the north and the other in the south, the latter being utilized more due its proximity to Cala Fontanillas, in Es Castell. The island is occupied by the old military hospital located on the east side, a closed enclosure surrounding and protecting the remains of the basilica (dated 6th Century).

During the 18th Century shortly after taking his seat, the 1st British Governor expropriated the island from its owners with the intention of constructing a sailor’s hospital. Under the command of John Jennings, of the British Mediterranean Fleet, in 1711 a spacious and airy hospital was built, and according to records remained an active institution for the following sixty years until it was substituted during the second British occupation for a newer building, similar to the Chelsea hospital in London.

On the 30th October 1771, during Governor Moystins epoch and under great pomp and circumstance, the acting Admiral of the Mediterranean Fleet, Baron Sir Peter Dennis laid the 1st stone. This act was commemorated with an engraved copper plaque, which was accidentally found in 1906 following restoration work, and visible today.
During this period the hospital had 40 wards for the sick and needy, varying rooms for the medical staff, a pharmacy, a laundry, the kitchens, bathrooms and three natural water wells.

The island has been well used, by the British (as a hospital base) the Americans ( a military base, naval workshop and introduction of the sewing rooms) By the French on two episodes ( natural coal base to cover the Algerian line and as a hospital during the African wars) and after so many uses the island from 1843 recuperated her former role as a military hospital, a Spanish base which was maintained for over a century until her end and demise in 1964, unfortunately by closing the doors of the Hospital on the Isla del Rey it opened the way for petty pillage and destruction.

In 1979 – the Island was declared a National Historical & Artistic Monument with special archaeological emphasis on the chapel and the adjacent buildings.

After some wild plans to build a casino (Richard Branson) and a Japanese funded five star hotel – the island saw in the year 2004 the first signs of active and elegant restoration, not by the local government bodies but by a small group of volunteers and private funding.
A team from menorca rentals assist when possible.
This summer 2008 saw the first private visit of the present King Juan Carlos to visit the work of the Friends of the Island Group and the installations of the island.

Guided visits are available throughout the year, every Sunday at 08.45 from the Fontanillas pontoon in Es Castell (weather permitting) return two hours later.

Lighthouses have been used in many films, generating auras of romance and airs of courage, strong landmarks withholding raging seas, saving the lives of lost mariners on rough or fog ridden seas.

Maybe their use has diminished but never the less these isolated buildings still capture the imagination of most and yet when the winds die, these lighthouses, often situated in isolated landscapes offer an amazing quality of peace, a rich sea smell and a good perch to watch the coastal sea and cliff life.

“El Toro”. The islands icon is a compulsory visit whilst visiting as it is the islands highest point, with a height of 357.96 meters. Admittedly, not a notable mountain, but on a clear day from this “balcony in the skies” and armed with a map you can pin point the different points of the island and absorb her actual size and landscape.

There are other facets to visiting the mountain than just her view. Built on the summit is a rather splendid gothic church and refuge, called the “Santuario de la Virgen del Toro” which was constructed during the 17thC. One of the focal points of the church, is the statue of “La Virgen de la Mare de Déu Del Toro”, the patron saint of Menorca.

Sharing the summit are some communication aerials but there is also a free standing sculpture of “Christ on the cross” similar to that can be seen in Rio de Janeiro.

Apart from the religious-esthetical facet of El Toro, it’s also an important fire watch point, particularly active during the summer months.

For self sufficiency, the nuns run a small shop, and the church also rents out a larger shop and the old “posada”. This bar is a successful rest place for all travellers and somehow the food tastes different when enjoyed 357 meters above the sea.

Today, the church is maintained by a handful of resident Franciscan nuns, and throughout the year regular services, weddings, christenings, festivals and conferences are held.

- El Toro and the church entrance are free, though one is requested to respect a dress code.
- Parking attendants assist all drivers, as the summit can get very congested.
- Church services are held every Sunday and on public holidays at 11.00 h

Menorca, in 1997 was awarded by UNESCO – (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) the title of Biosphere Reserve and the principal element that contributed to this title was La Albufera des Grau.

Albufera des Grau has a special bio-topography and has a sweet water lake which merges with the sea water. This lake covers an area of 70 acres providing an environment rich in flora and fauna and also providing a rest stop for migratory birds passing through between Africa and Europe. As a result of these rich lands Albufera is and has been since 1995 an “Area of Natural and Special Interest” and registered with the central government.

Es Grau, without doubt is a timeless sea side village, a perfect summer refuge for the locals who purchased their second homes, summer homes close to the cool breeze and welcoming sea. The village is a perfect back drop – no high rise buildings, no hotels and no holiday resort trappings, there are four bars, which offer snacks, menus and tapas and one supermarket.

The long sandy beach of Es Grau is a haven for younger and weaker swimmers as the bay is very shallow. During the summer months there is a Red Cross point in operation and assistance for disabled persons.

Walking around the beach along the coastline you come across a super viewing point, to the north-west you have the lighthouse of Favaritx, and to the north east you have the “isla del Colom”, an island that is today occupied by black lizards, but during the 18Th C. was used as a quarantine base for British and Spanish mariners.

A unique excursion operating during the summer from the Es Grau pontoon is a boat taxi service, offering return trips to this island. This is a virgin island with no facilities but two beautiful sandy beaches.

One of islands most famous gorges, is the Gorge of Algendar (Ferreries) It starts from the springs of Santa Agueda (old roman fortress) and s’Enclusa (old American base) and weaves its way towards Cala Galdana in the south. The gorge has an length extension of 10 Km in total and a depth of 80 meters which is scattered with natural caves. The gorge is also agriculturally wealthy and at one time the many caves were occupied by Arabic farmers during the Muslim occupation.

...Legend goes...

In the centre of the gorge, close to the "Cases del Bisbe" (Bishops houses) is a particularly hazardous spot, covered with wild vegetation and shrubs- It is here that legend says that the thief "Revul" lived. He was not a particularly romantic thief, this Arab with wild hair stole from the local farmers and then returned to his secret hideout. Throughout the years, the locals tried without triumph to find Revul within this maze of vegetation.

One of the magic spots within the gorge is the cave “Cova Murada” one large abyss with prehistoric mysteries which for many years was hidden by a stone wall. The legend says that this was the home of the lady, “la Dama”. According to legend, within this great cave, a goat shepherd used to rest with his herd. One day, by surprise he spotted the princess holding a golden comb in her hand. Neither parties spoke. On the second day when he saw the princess again he was aware that she was wishing to initiate a conversation – but he chose to ignore her. On the third day, the princess broke into conversation, asking “What do you prefer, the lady or the comb?” Ungallantly he chose the comb, to which the lady was furious, wielding her comb in the air and cursing him to a lifetime of poverty.
These stories are just two of many. Today there are still murmurs relating to giants living in the caves, and witches guarding the pathways – Why not discover the facets of this gorge for yourself. Guided walks and excursions are available.

Sa Cova des Coloms, (Colom cave or Catedral cave) is a enormous cave situated in the gorge of Binigaus (Es Migjorn) It has a height of 24 meters, a depth of 110 meters and a width of 15 meters.

Its name derived from the birds who took refuge in its interior, hiding from local hunters, for its bats and its actual size, representing that of a Cathedral.

Prehistoric discoveries were found in the cave, which are today safely guarded in the Menorcan museum (Maó) It is thought that these prehistoric settlers possibly used this cave for rituals, assuming that the cave represented the forces of the underground, and that the depth represented shelter and warmth, like the uterus of the women. They truly believed that the cave represented a journey into the beginning of life, they supported that death and birth were one, i.e. one could have no death if their was no life.

One of the curiosities of the cave is that if two people enter the cave simultaneously – they will separate, yet, if two people meet together at the end of the cave, they will never be apart.

The cave in primavera receives the first rays of sun, forming shadows on the walls, it certainly looks mythical and one can appreciate the stories of gods, goddesses and giants roaming the interior.

This high point, close to Ferreries was the natural base for a roman fortress. It was later occupied by the moors, the intellectuals and artists who passed their summer months within the grounds. When the Spanish, under Alfonso III re conquered the island from the Muslims, Santa Agueda was the final battle ground. Unfortunately, this once palatial -fortress with beautiful gardens has been reduced to ruins over the years.

The legend speaks of a treasure, the treasure of “Vadell d'or", a treasure hidden by the Muslims prior to their sudden departure from the island. They had faith that the spirits, fairies, witches and the goddess of Santa Agueda and the surrounding area would guard the treasure.

Santa Agueda was also subject to peregrine marches, people who believed that the mountain was good for chest problems. Legend writes that the mountains were visited by sailors and fishermen, seeking protection for their journeys and saving them from the rigors of the winds and illness.

This is a natural shelter against the raging seas and tramuntana wind, this small harbour is narrow and long which houses a small island.

Today, wild goats are the only habitants of this environment although legend says it houses an underwater city, called “el Mediterráneo”.

Archaeologists have proven the area to be of Phoenician founding, an important nucleus and defence area with temples and a necropolis. Under the Romans the area flourished.

However research has proved that during the 6th Century the area was abandoned and left to invasions and pirates.

For the traveller today only the necropolis exists to the visible eye, but the secret is what lies under the water.