MENORCA, BALEARIC ISLANDS
Menorca, one of our favourite destinations! We have been working there for two months, so we know the little Spanish Island very well.
Who will not fall in love with its cristal clear beaches? The best months to visit this island are June or September. In July and August its most beautiful beaches are too overcrowded to be enjoyed as they should.
A tip when visiting any beach in Menorca, go early, or you won't get any parking spot.
Are you a sunset lover? Then Menorca is the right place for you. Just enjoy the mild evenings at a bar and enjoy the sunset with a refreshing "Gin i Llimonada".
Menorcas' beaches
Some beaches in this island, among the most beautiful and popular ones, are normally not that easy to access and take a couple of kilometres to reach, therefore they are more special, because nothing is build around them.
Beaches from the north and from the south of Menorca have nothing to do with each other. Waters in the south are normally more blue and with white sand. In the north, the presence of more rocks, and therefore darker water is present, but they are impressive, too.
Important to know before taking a day trip to any beach is to check how the wind blows. If it blows from south, you have to go north, and the other way around. If you don't follow my advise, you will probably see an moved sea and possibly with jellyfish.
Blue, blue and more blue. One of the most famous beaches of Menorca are located in the south of the island. Cala Macarella (picture on the left) and Cala Macarelleta (picture on the right) are for me the most beautiful ones. As they are very popular, this beaches are overcrowded during summer season and are therefore difficult to access. I went there in May, and as you can see in the pictures, I was almost alone.
Other beautiful beaches in the south are Cala Tuequeta or Son Saura, which are also characterised by their cristal clear waters.
Cala Algaiarens is a beach located in the north of the island. To arrive there, it only takes a 10 minutes walk from the parking. What's attractive at this beach is its mud. You can put the natural clay that is there (at the end of the beach) over your whole body, which leaves it more smooth and soft.
My personal tip is to walk until the end of the beach, were you will see a little path that brings you, across a lake with turtles, to another little beach, Es Bot (picture above), were you won't notice the mass tourists.
If you are tired of beach and the sun, there are also some options to do. The old town of the capital of Menorca, Maó, is nice to visit, and with it its port. The port of Maó, is the second world biggest natural port, and is therefore worth it being visited. What we did was getting the Yellow Catamaran, with a cost of 12,50€ per adult, which is a tour with explanations that takes you to the whole port of Maó.
For nightlife, a good option is visiting Cova d'en Xoroi, which can also be visited during the day. Look on their webpage to see which event is going on on each day. It is a nice place have a drink while watching the sunset.
Another iconic spot is Binibeca. It is located close to the airport, so it is a good option to visit it on the day of departure, due to the fact that you don't need to spend many time visiting this little village. When you arrive to Binibeca, you need to go to Binibeca Vell, where you will discover this nice, white fisherman village.
The most traditional holidays of Ciutadella is Sant Joan. It is celebrated the whole weekend before 24th of June, the longest day of the year. This is a very unique experience that needs to be seen. In the following link you will find more information about different activities that are done those days.
What to eat
As being next to the sea, Menorcas' food is known for its excellence in seafood.
This dish is cooked in Laume, a restaurant located in the Lake of Cala'n Bosch. A walk around the lake is also highly recommendable.
Café Balear is one of the most popular restaurants in Ciutadella serving the typical Caldereta. This restaurant is a bit more expensive, but its Caldereta is definitely worth its money. It is placed in a premium location in Ciutadella.
Typical breakfast in Ciutadella is a sandwich with sobressada or cuixot, which are two typical raw meats (embutido).