Menorca, Spain

• More about your oliver guide: Courtney Leary
• Trip type: Family, Beach
• Activity level: easy
• Ideal length of trip: 5 DAYS TO A WEEK

to & from

• Fly direct as possible into Menorca Airport. There are flights direct from Barcelona, Spain and London, Gatwick. We flew into Heathrow from the U.S. then out of Gatwick into Menorca. Heathrow and Gatwick are about an hour apart so this makes for a long journey.
• Rent a car at the airport, there is not a lot of public transportation around the island.

Where to Stay

• Rent a house close to the beach. We rented through Menorca Private Owners and stayed in the town of Binibeca. The agency was very helpful in guiding us to a location that was both close to a beach and walking distance to restaurants and a small market.
• If a hotel experience is what you have in mind, this place comes highly recommended, Finca Atalis.

Where to Eat and Drink

• Menorca is a quiet island with very little scene. We ate breakfasts at home and packed lunches or found restaurants close to beaches for lunch.
• For dinner we stumbled around our neighborhood, the “town” of Binibeca, and found ourselves returning over and over again to Restaurante Salitre. My son claims they have “the best chicken nuggets in the world”. We thought the rest of their food to be wonderful and the setting can’t be beat.
• Cafe Balear: The best seafood restaurant in Ciutadella. They don’t take reservations (only if you sit inside) so get there at 8.30 pm.
• S’Amarador: On the corner close to Cafe Balear. Nice ambiance. Seafood restaurant.
• Sa Gelateria – Delicious locally made ice cream.
• Ciutadella Market: in the morning is fun to see and all the cafes around the market.
• Jazzbah for drinks up on the terrace, don’t be scared by the disco floor when you walk in. Just go upstairs and you’ll see why it’s so cool.

What to Do

• Easy beach days on the Med are the highlight of life on Menorca. We spent a few afternoons at Beach Binibeca, within walking distance of our house. There is a small café there but we can’t recommend the food.
• Cala Pregonda: Pregonda is six miles from the town of Es Mercadal. Follow signs north towards Cavalleria, then turn off west to Binimel-la beach, where you have to leave the car and proceed on foot.
• Cala Morell: You can swim off the rocks or from the small sandy beach and have a seafood lunch in the local beach bar.
• The sandy beaches of Algaiarens: A 12-15 minute drive on private land. If too busy, walk to the end of it or to the neighboring beach called Es Bot, a beautiful walk through a forest and the beach is less crowded.
• Son Saura: On the outskirts of Ciutadella. You can also eat lunch at a small bar here that is setup in a farm.
• Macarella: On the southwest coast, 10 miles from Ciutadella. There is free car parking 15 minutes’ walk from the beach, and paid car parking five minute walk away.
• When you tired of the sand, it is time to charter boat. Truly one of our best family days EVER. We chartered the Puigmar through Menorca Nautic and cruised into private little coves where we had the beaches to ourselves. Make sure you ask for an English-speaking captain if you do not speak Spanish.
• As far as waterparks go, Splash Sur Menorca is quite small and manageable. It may be the highlight of your children’s trip… probably not yours. Pack your own food as the wait is long and tables can be hard to come by.

inside scoop

• Be warned, there are jellyfish in Menorca. Their whereabouts depends on the direction of the wind. Best to go to beaches where they are not, the locals can point you in the right direction. And pack jellyfish ointment in your bag just in case.
• Menorca is not expensive! Enjoy the break from Riviera prices.
• Charter a boat in advance. Best day ever.