UPDATE MAY 2022 - COVID-19
You must show either a valid vaccination certificate or negative PCR result upon enterring Spain. Lockdown measures are gone. Face masks are only mandatory in hospitals and public transport.
WHAT TO DO IN MENORCA: DAY 1
Menorca's airport is in its capital city, Mahon. That's where we landed on Monday morning after an hour and 15 minute flight from Madrid. Even though Menorca is a small island we wanted to make the most of our time so instead of going to our hotel -which was a few kilometers away- we decided to explore Mahon instead.Mahon is not a big city and can be seen in a few hours. Worth seeing are the old town and the harbor for beautiful bay views. We did a pit stop at Jardi de Ses Bruixes, a cute boutique hotel with the loveliest hidden garden. We arrived at 4pm when they had just opened so we had the place to ourselves. We enjoyed a freshly squeezed fruit juice while listening to acoustic versions and relaxed.
Tip: there's public transport in the island, but the best way to see Menorca is by driving a rental car. We hired our car with ACG Menorca and were really happy with them. We hired it online and when we landed someone from the company was waiting for us at the airport. He took us to the car and did all the paper work and paid in a few minutes. They make things really easy.
WHAT TO DO IN MENORCA: DAY 2
Menorca is best known for its turquoise water calas (coves). Cala Macarella is probably the most famous one. The parking closest to it is closed from May to October so your options to visit it are either taking a bus from Ciutadella or parking in Cala Galdana and walking for about 45 minutes through the forest. We chose the latter and even though it was exhausting it was totally worth it. Look at the color of the water, I swear it is real!Cala Macarelleta is Macarella's little sister and you can access it walking from one to the other. Both have the same transparent, warm Mediterranean water but this one is nudist. Few people were naked when we were there but it's something to have in mind because not everyone is comfortable with that situation. Macarella has a chiringuito (beach bar) where you can eat and drink, in Macarelleta there's no type of service.
Cala Galdana is where we started our day and the town with the same name is a beautiful place to visit and a great "base camp". The cove is less isolated than the previous ones because it's part of an urban area.
Tip: arrive early to avoid crowds. Also, some coves like Cala Turqueta have limited parking so unless you are early you won't be able to visit it.
WHAT TO DO IN MENORCA: DAY 3
On Wednesday we visited the other main city in Menorca, Ciutadella. People say this one is more beautiful than Mahon and I agree. It's also livelier. We had made resevations to eat by the harbor at Restaurante S'amarador to try the most typical dish of Menorca: soupy rice with fish stew and seafood, a true delicacy.Just like in Mahon, the old town and the harbor are the best places to wander in order to find Ciutadella's hidden gems. I've always been a fan of Mediterranean architecture so in Menorca I enjoyed sightseeing as much as being at the beach.
WHAT TO DO IN MENORCA: DAY 4
Our itinerary brought us to Bodega Binifadet on Thursday. One of the most important wineries in Menorca. Apart from wine tours, they have a great restaurant that serves healthy food cooked with local ingredients which they call "Km 0".Apart from loving Mediterranean buildings, I'm a huge fan of white washed villages like those in Andalusia. That's why Binibequer Vell had to be in our itinerary. This place is made up of white houses all linked together through intricate passages. It's as if someone have carved houses in a huge chunk of white stone. The inhabitants of this peculiar place are really concerned about the swarms of tourists disrupting their peace so there are "silence, please" signs all around.
I've just realized that I haven't told you why I wanted to visit Menorca. Well, there are obvious reasons seen so far in this post, but the main one is that I saw a pic of Cova d'en Xoroi on Pinterest that left me speechless. A stone balcony hanging from a cliff with a sitting area that promised magnificent sea views and beautiful sunsets while sipping a cocktail. It's close to Binibequer Vell so we went there afterwards.
Tip: Cova d'en Xoroi is an extremely popular tourist destination and a favorite spot to watch sunsets. We arrived at 7 pm and the place filled up quickly. By 9 pm it was too crowded to be there: tables were full, people sitting on the stairs and blocking the way... When we left we saw a looong queue waiting to go in and a line of cars waiting to park. It takes away all the fun so unless you like overcrowded places leave early and watch the sunset somewhere else. Entrance to the Cova is 14€ and includes a drink (for cocktails you need to pay an extra 3€).
WHAT TO DO IN MENORCA: DAY 5
We had been to the east on Monday, south on Tuesday, west on Wednesday and southeast on Thursday. Only the north was left. There you can find the fishing village of Fornells, in my opinion it's not spectacular but it's a nice place to go for a walk and have a drink outdoors in a terraza.A short drive from Fornells is Cavallaria lighthouse, another popular spot to watch sunsets. Many people go there, but the space is not as limited as in Cova d'en Xoroi so it's not as stifling.
Tip: if you like lighthouses there's another popular one in Favaritx, however the parking is closed this summer so you can only get there by bus from Mahon.
On the last morning we had been to the beach of Es Grau, a great family place because the water is not deep. You can feel like a child sitting in the water soaking until your fingertips wrinkle. Feels so good!
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