Things to Know Before Visiting Menorca

If you are planning to visit Menorca, there are a few things to consider before visiting this pretty little island. Just basic things that are good before you visit the island, or when you’re there planning on what to do.

By Roberto (Updated Sep 23)

⏱ 3 min

Menorca’s weather

Menorca has – as you can imagine – Mediterranean weather. This means hot dry summers and mild dry winters. In winter you can expect an average temperature of 11 ºC while in summer, around 25ºC tends to be “the norm”. Nevertheless, there are intense hot days in summer, reaching a thermal sensation of 35ºC.

If you want to explore the island on your own, visit secluded coves and you don’t mind cold water, going there from October to April, is a good idea. The only problem you may encounter, is that in low season, MANY services and restaurants, remain closed.

On the contrary, if you want to swim in warmer waters, have more available options, yet share them with more people and pay more, go from May to September. Peak season is July-August.

Things to know when exploring the island

• About the History

Menorca has been visited by dozens of civilisations: prehistoric people, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Muslims, Spaniards, and pirates. You won’t see so much architecture or ruins due to the small size of the island, but learning the history of the places one visits is always a must. Viking attacks, or the two times the British captured the island, are some events to read about.

• Nature

The island is mainly flat and the highest peak is Mt. Toro, at just 358 m. Besides the lack of size and altitude, Menorca has tons of coves – more than 100! – offering an epic coastline that can be explored following El Camí de Cavalls or the path of the horses.

This super large track of 185 km circles around the island and you can follow it easily, bringing you to some of the coves.

In addition to the beaches, there are plenty of natural parks with Mediterranean flora and animals, like cows or goats, that provide the delicious Mahón Cheese 🧀.

Advice for the beaches and coves

We have the below post about Best Calas and Beaches in Menorca, where we share the prettiest coves.

When visiting Menorca’s beaches, there are some important things to know about them.

• Almost all the coves are crowded. Menorca is not like 20 years ago and tourists are everywhere in high season. Don’t expect empty beaches waiting for you.
• Get up early. From our experience, the coves start to get crowded by 10 am, and famous ones like Macarelleta, or Turqueta, even sooner. Try to get up early to avoid the masses and find parking.

• Bring your own food and drinks. There aren’t so many beaches with facilities.
• Visit northern beaches. Probably you prefer the southern coastline – like us – but visiting the North is a must. Those red beaches transport you to a different planet.
• Bring your snorkel gear. The water is crystal clear and there are tons of fish! You won’t regret.
• Be ready to walk. Some coves have their own parking, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be close to the water. In many cases, you’ll need to walk 5-30 minutes to get to the beaches.

Best companies to rent a boat in Menorca

Generally, there are two main starting points for the boats: Ciutadella and Cala Galdana. I would suggest renting the boat in Ciutadella only if you’re going to spend a full day on the boat. Otherwise, go to rent at Cala Galdana. Several companies offer 5-hour rentals and that’s more than enough time to explore the southern coastline.

We strongly recommend IguanaBoats. Easy to reserve online, safe, simple, and nice boats. You won’t need a license to rent them, and they’ll give the basic information before you depart. It costs around 250-320 € depending on the season.

Another good option is Minorboats. They offer similar boats at a cheaper cost – around 200-310 € – with the same conditions.

Where to rent a car in Menorca

After checking several websites like Europcar, Sixt and the other big companies… I saw in a blog a recommendation that was rated 10/10 and we absolutely recommend this company.

I’m talking about CochesMenorca. Cheaper than other multinational companies, they bring your car to the parking lot, a staff member guides you to the car and explains you everything in 10 minutes. No extra payments, no hidden info. 4.9/5.0 rate in Google. Nothing to add!

Where to stay: Ciutadella vs Mahon vs Other Towns

Instead of describing everything, I’m getting to the point in this one.

• Ciudatella: It’s the cutest area with its historic old town. Numerous options for restaurants, bars and stores. Closer to the southern beaches, difficult to park and… very expensive.

• Mahón: While it’s bigger in size, there are less things to visit, yet still cute. More local options and better parking areas. Cheaper and less crowded. Further from the beaches.
• Other Towns: Ferreries, Fornells or wherever. There are little towns around the island which probably have nice AirBnBs and quiet hotels. Overall they will be less crowded, will offer less touristic options and depending on the location, will be better or worse suited to your necessities. We really liked our visit to Fornells.

Planning your visit and timing

Coming to the end of the things to know when visiting Menorca, there is the planning, in both time and space.

Menorca is a relatively small island, that can be crossed from east to west in just 45 minutes by car. This means you can go from wherever to wherever on the same day. Nevertheless, some beaches require walking and some towns are difficult to park in. This is why I suggest planning the itinerary in areas. For instance, Day 1 – East area of the island, Day 2 – Southern Beaches, Day 3 – Ciudatella and North part, etc.

We think it’s better to mix planning with improvisation. At many beaches, there’s nowhere to buy food or drinks, so go first in the morning to a local store or a Mercadona, to buy sandwiches or your prepared paella 😉 Want a sunset? then go later for a sunset. Do you prefer another beach? Then to another beach, 5 minutes away by car…

Menorca is a very inspiring and relaxing destination. We loved it and will visit it again in some years. We also hope this advice about things to know before visiting Menorca has been helpful.

Hasta la próxima!! ✋

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Menorca