Menorca has plenty of beautiful areas to visit, coastline galore, hidden gems and golden sandy beaches. Instead of searching everywhere for Menorca tips, we’ve summarised them in our 15 top tips for Menorca list.
Although small in stature compared to Menorca’s neighbouring island Mallorca. Menorca has plenty to offer, hidden gems, unique spots, beautiful views and tiny quirks that can make you fall in love with the island.
Compared to it’s neighbours in the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Mallorca, Menorca is less commercialised and subsequently less developed. Even though there has been a huge focus on tourism over the past 40 years.
Numerous beaches and alcoves are dotted along the coastline and small intimate towns through the spine of Menorca, all waiting to be explored.
The Only Airport On Menorca
It’s worth starting with how you arrive on the island. And Menorca only has one airport, Mahon Airport. Just outside of the capital city Mahon, and under 5 kilometres away so not far at all and found on the East of the island.
Facilities in the airport are as you’d expect with various food and drink outlets, a few shops as well as duty free. All concealed in a spacious and pleasant terminal.
Connecting to the wider island can come in the form of three main methods:
Rental Cars
Mahon airport has plenty of rental car options available including Europcar, Avis, Hertz and Enterprise all easy to find upon arrival on Floor 0. Our advice here would definitely be to pre-book your car hire, but for the peak summer months of July and August, book well in advance. There are plenty of other car hire companies dotted around the island many of the resorts and you can search here for all your care hire needs.
Taxis
With the airport taxi rank easy to find upon existing the arrivals zone you can be whisked off to your accommodation easily. Fixed fairs and transparent pricing make tariffs easy to understand – the taxi pricing models are closely controlled. Fairs range from just over €15 to €70 depending on journey, with prices increasing for night fairs, adding around €15 on top of the standard fair. On the official Menorca airport website there release a fair list, which you can find here.
Buses
Not the most ideal mode of transport on the island. However they can serve a great purpose if you’re not in a rush and happy for a slower paced journey. One bus serves the airport – Line 10. Connecting the airport to the bus station in the capital, Mahón for just under €3 one way. There’s further Line 10 route information here. In the capital you can connect to the wider island, with the full Mahon bus list just click here.
We also have our bus guide for Menorca airport featuring airport buses and connections.
Language
Menorca is a very welcoming island and with the importance of tourism many locals working in the tourism and hospitality sectors speak fluent English.
However, the predominant and native island language is Menorcan, or Menorquí, a dialect of Catalan. As well as many speaking Spanish too. So there must be a level of appreciation when speaking to locals and enquiring about what language is spoken.
Municipalities
The island of Menorca is divided into 8 distinct regions, or Municipalities.
This is important to note if you’re looking for accommodation and it’s listed in the municipality of Alaior for example, you could still be quite far from the beach and costal areas. Particularly if you’ve found a beautiful farmhouse or finca.
- Ciutadella de Menorca (or just Ciutadella locally) – The ancient capital of Menorca until 1722.
- Ferreries
- Es Mercadal
- Es Migjorn Gran
- Alaior
- Port Mahon (officially Maó in Catalan, Mahón in Spanish) – Becoming the capital in 1722 during British rule due to its strategic natural harbour.
- Es Castell – Founded by the British and originally named as Georgetown.
- Sant Lluís – Founded by the French and originally named Saint-Louis.
Best Views of Menorca
If you want the best views of the island then we had to include this on our top tips for Menorca. During your visit you will most certainly need to visit the highest point on Menorca, El Toro. Which can be referred to its Spanish name of Monte Toro.
El Toro reaches an elevation of 358 Metres and offers unrivalled views of the island.
At its summit is the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Toro, a Gothic church from 1670. There is also a statue of Christ, a gift shop, Match Digital’s Spanish office and a restaurant.
We would recommend driving to the summit. Or, if you’re slightly braver, drive to the base and hike up.
You can read out full guide on the best way to visit the highest point in Menorca, Monte Toro (El Toro) here.
Spanish Siestas
Siesta’s are a common joy around Spain generally. But this means you will also need to start to enjoy the Spanish siesta’s during your stay in Menorca.
Plenty of shops, cafés, restaurants and business will close between the hottest hours of the day. Closing from anywhere between 12-2pm and reopening again from 4-7pm for the evening. Meaning you’ll need to be slightly strategic if you’re heading for a day of shopping, or you need to visit the Pharmacy for example.
What this also means, like many countries in the Mediterranean, is that dinner is eaten a lot later than in the UK. Restaurants will be busier with locals around 9/10pm, whereas tourists may sit down to eat slightly earlier in the evening. But it may be worth switching your mentality – eating dinner at 7pm when the sun is still up and it’s almost 30°C isn’t the most pleasant experience. Even if you’re by the coast enjoying a beautiful coastal breeze.
Eating & drinking in Menorca
There are numerous beautiful restaurants on the island, dotted around villages, on the coast and by the beaches and in the main towns of Ciutadella and the capital, Mahon.
Being an island and surrounding by the Mediterranean sea there are plenty of fresh fish options available, unique local Menorcan cheeses to be tried and of course, the synonymous Menorca Gin – Gin Xoriguer.
So while visiting, we strongly advise getting out of your comfort zone. Try something you’ve never had before, squid, cuttlefish, swordfish, Queso de Mahón (Mahon Cheese), Caldereta de Langosta (Lobster Stew), cured sausages and loads more.
Most of the time you won’t need to make a reservation in Menorca, particularly outside of the peak summer season of April-June and September-October when the influx of tourists is not so much. However in July and August, if you’re not a fan of waiting then it’s recommended to book, which most of the time you can easily do online, by phoning the restaurant, or even reserving in person.
If you’re looking to spoil yourself, head over to our top restaurants in Menorca guide!
Local Transport in Menorca
Getting around Menorca is of course easiest by car. But if you don’t want to hire a car, then of course their local bus service can serve your needs. You just need to be willing to be patient and go slow – like most locals, have some spare change to pay for the bus and not be too annoyed if they’re slightly behind their intended schedule.
There are buses that serve particularly regions in Menorca. For example Line 15 is a local bus purely serving the centre of capital city, Mahon. Whereas the Line 14 express bus links the two main cities together, Mahon and Ciutadella.Sstopping nowhere in between and only a few stops in the two cities. Alternatively you have more regional lines. For example Line 65 that operates through many of the coastal resorts in the west, such as Cala Blanca, Cala en Bosch and Son Xoriguer. Which we also mentioned on our Cala Blanca guide.
Fares for the local bus vary depending on journey start and end. However, you can find information on the full bus services on the official Menorca bus website here, which also happened to include a fair finder once you click on the bus route you’re interested in.
Final word of warning when paying with cash, keep bank denominations as low as possible. Even better, use loose change.
We also have our in-depth Menorca bus guide now available.
The Coastal Camí de Cavalls Walk
An extraordinary path that know top tips of Menorca list can be without. The coastal walk has existed since 1330 in which it carves its way around the coast of the island – historically used as a look out path to help defend the island from invaders.
The total length of Camí de Cavalls reaches an impressive 185 kilometres and split into 20 defined sections. You can opt to either walk the route as one great hike, or in the individual sections. The Camí de Cavalls is easily marked by signs similar to the below image and popular amongst locals and walking enthusiasts. If you’re staying for over a week and love to explore, then you’ll no doubt come across one of these signs.
Exploring Menorca By Road
Although the Camí de Cavalls provides a beautiful hike around edge of Menorca, getting from resort to resort may not be the easiest. Typically you won’t have a direct road, for example you cannot drive from Santo Tomas to neighbouring resort Son Bou along the coast.
Almost all paths lead to the one main road of Menorca, the Me-1 from Mahon to Ciutadella. Like the road artery of the island.
In the example above, driving from Santo Tomas to Son Bou by car is 21 kilometres approximately, taking around 25 minutes. Whereas if you were to walk along the coastline, the distance is in fact only 5-6 kilometres depending on your route. Quite a difference.
A positive however is that the Me-1 dissects the island and passes through many of the main towns. From Mahon to Ciutadella you’ll bypass Alaior, Es Mercadal and Ferreries. Extremely convenient if you wanted to explore these towns heading East to West or vice versa.
Therefore you may want to considering hiring a car for your visit. A great place to start is be searching amongst all the best provides here on Kayak.
Remember The Menorca Tourism Tax
It’s common practise for most countries and cities to impose tourist taxes on visitors. Menorca is no different so expect to pay your fair share. Now this is very unlikely to be covered in your package holiday, so this is an additional fee worth remembering and adding on to your total holiday cost.
Originally brought in to help sustain and protect the natural beauty of the Balearic islands. However, the tax focuses on a few distinct areas: Environmental; Sustainable Tourism; Cultural heritage; Training and jobs and Research.
How much is tourist tax in Menorca?
Firstly, there are a few caveats and words of warnings to the tourism tax in Menorca.
Children under 16 will not be charged the tax.
During the off-peak season (November – April), all the rates are discounted by 50% and the tax drops to half price after 10 days . For example if you’re on a 2-week holiday you will pay half price tax for the last 4 days.
For each new hotel you stay in, the day count is reset.
Prices for tax differ depending on when you visit, how long you visit for and your accommodation type. All the best Menorcan hotels featured in our guide will be the €2 charge mentioned below, for example.
During peak season (May – October) tourists will be charged €1-2 per person per day depending on the star rating of their hotel. As per above, these rates will halve in off-peak season.
5-star and 4-star superior hotels = €2
4-star and 3-star superior hotels = €1.5
1, 2 and 3-star hotels = €1
Head over to our Menorca Tourist Tax explained guide for more information.
The Menorcan Fiestas
Something truly unique to Menorca and a definitely one of the tip tips for Menorca. The fiestas in Menorca are a spectacle and a joyous occasion when towns and locals get together to enjoy the festivities.
You can expect typical carnival rides, food and drinks stalls a plenty, but most importantly the eagerly anticipated horse displays. The “Cargols”, which is when horses and their riders circle and gather, typically in the town square, to show off their beautiful horses. The occasion is marked when riders and horse perform the “Jaloes”, when the horses are reared onto their hinds legs. Which is when organised chaos ensues, for luck locals (and some tourists) well take this opportunity to attempt to touch the horses heart for good luck.
The Menorcan Fiestas are held throughout July, August and September, held on the same weekends each year and differing dates. Please see our table below.
| Town | Saint | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ciutadella | Saint John / Sant Joan | 23 and 24th June (and the Sunday before) |
| Es Mercadal | Saint Martin/ Sant Martí | Third weekend in July |
| Fornells | Saint Anthony / Sant Antoni | Fourth weekend in July |
| Es Castell | Saint James / Sant Jaume | 24 and 25th July |
| Es Migjorn Gran | Saint Christopher/ Sant Cristófol | Last weekend in July or first weekend in August |
| Llucmaçanes | San Cayetano / Sant Gaietà | First weekend in August |
| Alayor | Saint Lawrence / Sant Llorenç | Second weekend in August |
| San Clemente | Saint Clement / Sant Climent | Third weekend in August |
| Ferrerias | San Bartholomew / Sant Bartomeu | 23, 24 and 25th of August |
| San Luis | Saint Luis / Sant Lluís | Last weekend in August |
| Mahón Cala’n Porter | Virgin of Grace / Mare de Déu de Gràcia Fiesta of Cala’n Porter | 7, 8 of 9th of September Third weekend in September |
If you haven’t booked your holiday to Menorca just yet and you’re itching to witness these magnificent fiestas, feel free to search for some of the best hotels on the Menorca by clicking here.
Explore The Talayotic Culture of Menorca
The Talaiotic culture in Menorca refers to a prehistoric civilization that flourished on the island during the Bronze Age and Iron Age, from around 2100 BCE to 123 BCE.
The Talayotic culture left behind an array of archaeological sites and structures, providing valuable insights into the island’s ancient history.
For example some of these structures include, talayots, large stone towers with a circular or square base and tapering walls. Typically serving as as watchtowers, dwellings, or religious structures. Navetas, burial structures shaped like inverted boats used for collective burials – unique to Menorca. Talaiots are smaller towers that resembling the larger talayots.
The UNESCO world heritage website has a fantastic, in-depth document on Talayotic culture of Menorca here.
Some fantastic examples of Talayotic heritage are located around the island. Such as the Torre d’en Galmés talayotic settlement, Biniparratxet Petit talayotic house and Cala Morell necropolis. Some may require tickets, but further information can be found on the Menorcan tourism board website.
The Menorca Biosphere
In 1993 UNESCO declared the island a biosphere reserve. Due to the emphasis and balance achieved between economic development, and conservation of the environment and of local traditions.
Island policies since the 1990s in the political, social, environmental and tourism areas have been developed with huge concern for preserving the environment and protecting the countryside.
However in 19th June 2019, UNESCO agreed to include the seas surrounding Menorca out to a distance of 12 nautical miles, extending the biosphere reserve.
Surprisingly, Menorca is now the largest marine biosphere reserve in the Mediterranean, covering over 500,000 hectares.
You can read more at the official Menorca tourism board website.
Menorcan Made Delights
Menorca has a great tradition of hand made objects and fine craftsmanship. Focusing on various element.
Some areas of craft include beautiful clay products, handmade wooden gates dotted all along the Camí de Cavalls, Metalworkers creating the finest sculptures, elegant costume jewellery with precious metals and stones, traditional wooden boat building, leather and traditional sandals. Not forgetting some of the finest produce: melons, aubergines, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cereals, pulses, milk, wine and of course cheese.
You can read more at the official Menorca tourism board website.
Food Shopping In Menorca
Our final top tip for Menorca is primarily focused on those who are in self-catered accommodation. And any large food shops you need to do, we advise heading to the bigger towns and cities.
Having visited Santo Tomas many times previously, the smaller coastal resort supermarkets provide plenty of products but unfortunately at inflated prices. And when you’re feeding a family of four for example, this food bill can add up quite significantly.
Our tip here would be head for the central towns, Alaior, Es Mercadal, Es Migjorn Gran or Ferreries for your larger food shops. Better yet, visit either Mahon or Ciutadella. Here you will find much larger supermarkets such as Lidl and Mercadona. These larger city/town supermarkets will provide much better value and reduce your supermarket bill significantly.
Naturally, you may need the odd item here or there. In this case, then it makes perfect sense to visit the local supermarket and support local businesses.
We’ve also got our in-depth guide to supermarkets in Menorca here.
