I just got back from a 5 day trip with my sister to Menorca, one of Spain’s Balaeric Islands. Our main reason for visiting was to ensure Becka got a tan before her graduation, so when I found flights for just £9.98 per person each way, we were sold.
Before we visited Menorca, I had no idea what to expect of it. The Balearic Islands have always conjured up an image of drunken Brits Abroad in my mind, but I was surprised to find that the small island of Menorca is very different to its big brother Mallorca and the party capital of Ibiza.
The island has diverse landscapes which are mostly untouched by urban development and its beauty is what attracts so many people to visit every year. With its soft white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters, it’s hard to believe this little slice of Mediterranean paradise is just a two hour flight from London.
As always, our holiday to Menorca was to be a budget trip, so we scrimped on everything we could (even taking some of our own food with us!) After spending our first night in the capital, Mahon, we took the bus to the historic city of Ciutadella, on the west side of the island, where we spent our remaining four nights in an AirBnB. We decided against renting a car during our stay, opting instead to use the network of public buses across the island.
I was a little worried that we wouldn’t be able to visit the places we wished to go to, due to having to rely on public transport, but we found that the routes we took ran regularly and were on time. We often took the first bus there and the last bus back to maximise our tanning time on the beaches!
Here is my pick of five easy-to-reach beaches near Ciutadella, Menorca, and how to visit them without renting a car.
The first beach we visited in Menorca was Cala en Blanes (also written Cala’n Blanes). This is a small beach located very close to the city so is perfect if you’re looking to do a spot of sunbathing without venturing out too far. Here you can rent sunbeds or take your own towel and tan on the sand. There’s a small bar serving food and drinks and there are toilets and showers too. There are a lot of hotels and resorts nearby; this beach was very busy when we visited.
This beach was much less busy than others we visited in Menorca, perhaps because it is not as easily accessible. TO reach it, you must walk across the old horse track for 35-45 minutes from Cala Galdana. It is a medium grade walk; you won’t need hiking boots but the ground is slightly uneven and goes up- and downhill. In the midday heat we chose to walk there in our bikinis! The views on this walk more than make up for the effort to reach the beach which in itself is beautiful. Cala Macarella is equipped with sunbeds and there is a restaurant with toilets and showers, as well as a company offering boat and kayak hire.
Bonus! Located just ten minutes walk from Cala Macarella, Cala Macarelletta is another stunning beach which is slightly smaller than Macarella. Follow the signs from Cala Macarella to reach it.
A large urban beach located on the edge of the town, Cala Galdana has everything you need for a day in the sun. The area itself has many resorts and hotels, but with this comes a number of shops and restaurants; there’s lots to see and do. The beach has sun-beds and excursions onto the water in kayaks and pedalos – and it’s only a 5 minute walk from the bus stop. Whilst this beach isn’t as secluded as others mentioned in this post, the water is still just as beautiful and with so many amenities at your fingertips, this is the perfect place for families.
Smaller than its neighbours Cala Galdana and Cala Macarellla, this is another beautiful beach which doesn’t have any amenities aside from sun, sand and sea. There’s shaded areas amongst the pine forest which grows rights up to the cliffs either side of the sand, and walking tracks amongst them for you to explore if you tire of sunbathing. The beach is located a 25 minute walk from the car park but was very busy when we visited.
Probably my favourite of the beaches we visited in Menorca, Cala en Turqueta has the clearest water I’ve ever seen. You can explore the nearby coves in the rocks which makes the beach feel a lot bigger than it is. There are showers and toilets located at the bus stop which is 35 min walk from the beach. Bring your own food and water with you; there is nothing on the beach apart from a few vendors selling fruit.
In addition to the above four, there are many more beaches near Ciutadella that are easily accessible on public transport. Unfortunately we only had five days in Menorca so we weren’t able to go to all of them. Others easily accesible beaches near Ciutadella include Cala Blanca, Cala en Bosch, Cala Macarelletta and Cala Morell.
We chose to stay in an apartment we found on AirBnB. This was great as we were able to rent an entire home for a reasonable price. It was centrally located so we were only a short walk to the port, restaurants, bars and bus stop. Click here for £25 off your first booking with AirBnB.
I’m also a huge fan of booking.com, where you can often find great deals. Click the button below to search for deals!
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
Please note: We visited Menorca in peak season (7-12 July 2017) which meant that the island was busy with tourists and locals, particularly over the weekend.
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Beauuuutiful X
What amazing beaches! and those houses perched on top of the cliff sides are crazy. The water is so blue as well, I’m in love. I am currently planing a trip to Spain, so I’ll definitely have to add this to the list!
These all look so heavenly! Totally different to Scottish beaches for sure!
I love beaches with rocky backdrop. P.S. Just like you, the easiest way to get me somewhere is to tell me there are less-tan-20-euro tickets to there. 🙂
Very informative article for anyone traveling to Menorca! Looks gorgeous! Would love to go sailing in the area!
Those beaches look too beautiful! Such cheap transportation costs as well!
Gorgeous pictures, that water looks sooo inviting! I’ve been to both Majorca and Ibiza a couple of times but never to Menorca, think it’s about time I put that right 🙂
You must visit!
all the beaches look beautiful. I hope to visit in the fall.
£9.98 each way?!?! Right, that’s it. I’m off to find those beaches. Back soon!
Crazy isn’t it! Enjoy 🙂
WOW great post and very informative. I really want to go to the Balearic Islands next time I’m in Europe. Can’t believe you found flights so cheap!!!<3
I couldn’t say no to £10 each way!
Those beaches looks beautiful! Makes me want to spend a whole week relaxing on the beach 😀 Amazing photos!
I love this beach guide, but I’m loving the beautiful blue water photos even more! 🙂 I am definitely ready for a beach getaway after reading this!
These beaches look incredible! What a great roundup, thanks for sharing
I think I have that view of the islands too. I’ve never thought about visiting Menorca. The beaches look beautiful, especially Cala en Turqueta! That’s water that dreams are made of 🙂
It was like a tropical paradise!
Great Stuff… current beaches Buses for entire island at https://www.mymenorca.info/menorca-beach-bus/
Thanks a lot for this article ! Regards from Uruguay.
Hi Abbi, this is really interesting. Did any of these beaches welcome naturism?
Great post and pictures! With over 100+ beaches to choose from, you can be spoilt for choice. There are also some hideaway beaches on the island