13 Best Beaches in Menorca + calas + map!

By Roberto (Updated Sep 23)

⏱ 6 min

Are you planning your summer vacation to Menorca Island? Checking the best coves in Menorca and getting a bit dizzy? No worries! In this post we bring you the best calas and beaches in Menorca.

Menorca is the little brother of Mallorca and also, the less explored of the Balearic Islands. In the following days we’ll post much more information about this awesome island that really astonished us.

About the Calas in Menorca

Menorca, besides its reduced size has more than … 100 coves! We say “calas” which is the translation in Spanish and everybody talks about calas there. Due to this insane number of calas, we can say that “the best one” doesn’t exist. The good thing about having this many calas is that there are so many that are worth a visit.

A basic classification of the calas is Southern calas and Northern calas. Why? Simply because Menorca is short and wide, like a giant croissant.

The waters in the calas are ALL incredible. They can be blue or turquoise, and have more or less fish, but we found all the calas interesting for snorkelling. We also found similarities to the calas in Favignana. Some calas are pure rock, while others also have sand.

Find all the calas in the map below:

Best Calas in the South of Menorca

The calas in the south of the island have a mix of blue colours that contrast with the green of the trees. They have generally good access by car and you have to walk less than 30 mins to get them. Each beach has its own parking, street parking, or are only accesible by foot. So check them before going!

The best beaches in Menorca for us in the south are…

Cala Mitjana and Cala Mitjaneta

Not a surprise because these brothers are some of the most famous calas here, for good reason. Cala Mitjaneta is just a little area of sand and some big rocks, that face the big brother, Cala Mitjana. It takes around 15 minutes walk to get to them from the start of the Camí de Cavalls of the area. They are probably two of the very best calas in Menorca! The waters are calm because the calas are protected by the rocks and there are spots to jump into the water, epic views and overall, it is a great place to spend an entire day.

Cala Macarella and Cala Macarelleta

These are the other brothers of the island, and considered also some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. Like the two previous calas, Macarella and Macarelleta are two calas next to each other, with blue waters surrounded by trees. The scenary of cala Macarelleta is just awesome.

Our honest tip for those who are not early birds… avoid the small one and go to Macarella. We went there at 9:30 am by boat and Macarelleta was already packed, on a Friday! I can’t imagine how busy it can be at noon on the weekend. To get to them, there a different options: by boat, by bus and walking, or from the Cami de Cavalls (35 mins).

Cala Fustam

This tiny cala is only 25 meters wide and hard to get to. You won’t find so many people here because the views from the sand are not as epic as the other calas. Then, why is Cala Fustam in this ranking of best calas in Mallorca? Because if you come here by boat, the scenery is unique. Pristine waters, a little sandy beach surrounded by trees and tranquility. If you want a moment to relax, eat, listen to your music and feel free from the crowds, this is your place!

Platja Cala Escorxada

If you prefer a bigger cala and you don’t mind walking 1 hour – from Cala Mitjana parking – Cala Escorxada is fascinating. The sand is white and the water is crystalline. We saw tons of fish in this cala and it well deserves a mention here, even more if you come by boat. The access by foot is one of the longest of the island to get to a beach, but that also means privacy.

Cala En Turqueta

Cala Turqueta is many people’s best cala in Menorca, for good reasons. The name Turqueta comes from its turquoise water that contrasts with the clear sand. The cala has pines that offer shade and has its own parking. You’ll need just 10 minutes to come to this paradise… if you find a parking place. Same as Cala Macarelleta, come early. Otherwise, you won’t find a spot.

Cala Blanca

Cala blanca, next to Ciutadella, is maybe the less epic cala on this list, but deserves to be mentioned as one of the best calas and beaches in Menorca. We suggest avoiding the beach – appears as Platja Blanca – and instead, go to a private spot along the rock walls like the one we found. To reach this secret place, you have to pass the Dive Center Cala Blanca and go downstairs.

You’ll find a rocky platform with steps to go in the water and be alone to snorkel or have a relaxing moment. We came here for three hours while I read and Ellen did a dive with Dive Center Cala Blanca, and saw three octopuses!

Es Caló Blanc

Moving to the East, there are two calas we want to mention. One is Es Caló Blanc, due to the quality of the water – epic crystal clear – and being the smallest beach of Menorca. This small beach is only 5 meters wide! Because of this, people lay on the rocks around it. It’s easy to access thanks to its nearby parking, in Saint Lluis.

Cala de La Olla – Sa Olla

The other option in the eastern part of the island, and next to Es Caló Blanc, is Cala de La Olla. This great place for snorkelling is not well known to tourists and its easy to get to. Again, there is a parking area very close to the cala. We suggest walking for some meters, avoiding the people who stay at the first stairs. You’ll be able to sit on a better place and have your own personal piece of pool 🙂

What about the best beaches in the North of Menorca?

While the numerous calas and beaches in the south of the island with clear sand and pines, the north offers another landscape. We do prefer the chill vibe of the southern calas, but the north has its own special aura. Calas and beaches in this area combine red and brown colours with transparent waters. They are also great for snorkelling and usually are less crowded because you need to drive and walk more to reach them.

Important info: if you decide to go to the northern beaches, know that they are way more exposed to the wind than the southern calas. If wind is coming from the north to south, you’ll probably encounter waves, wind or even algae.

Best Calas in the North of Menorca

If you want to know our list of best beaches in Menorca (north area), they are…

Cala Pilar

Virgin, red sand, incredible waters and far. Reaching this unexplored beach takes 45 minutes walking from the parking. In high season the parking has a person who controls the access and lets – or not – the cars enter. In our case, we couldn’t visit this Cala. Bring tons of water and sunscreen because there is no shade and no drinkable water – like in all the other calas.

Cala Pregonda

The top cala of the north in Menorca. Just see the photo below, nothing to add. To reach Cala Pregonda, park in Platja Benimel·la parking and then walk and walk for about 30 intense minutes. Don’t be like us, and avoid walking around 12-2 pm. We drank nearly… 2 litres of water just on the hike. Insane.

Cala Pregonda is epic. It feels like being on Mars. Good for snorkelling with decorative rocks in the middle, sand for the sand lovers and rocks for people like us. It definitely is worth a visit.

Platja de Cavalleria

Ok now pay attention to the next explanation. In the north there are many calas that are next to each other, like following a route. To reach them you have to walk, from one to another and there are two main beaches: Platja de Benimel·la and Platja de Cavalleria, both with their own parkings. From the parking you walk to the different beaches and calas.

Keeping this in mind, the wisest plans are to decide which route or calas to explore – the ones around Cavalleria or around Benimel·la. We preferred the latter.

If you prefer a beach with easier access, to avoid the sweat, or to bring your family to, then go to Platja de Cavalleria. You will get the essence of the northern calas in this sandy long beach.

Cala en Tosqueta

Not to confuse with Cala Turqueta. Cala Tosqueta is a small 50 meters beach that is far, unexplored and hard to get to both by walking, due to rocks, or by boat. It takes almost 1 hour walking to get from Arenal de Son Saura. As a reward, you’ll have a private beach with outstanding views and pristine waters.

And what about the secret beaches in Menorca?

Well, as you probably imagine, the island is well known. Touristic islands don’t have so many secret beaches left … but, there are some hidden parts that remain unexplored by tourists. We found a secret cala with a hidden access that did not appear in blogs or even on Google Maps. The name of this secret cala is

🙂 I hope you have a chance to swim in these waters. We spent 4 days in Menorca and loved it! Let us know which of these calas is your favourite or if you have another recommendation.

See you in the next post.

Best fishes! 🤙🏽

Other beaches and plans in the Balearic Islands

Mallorca

Menorca