On a particularly laid back trip to Formentera a few years ago, a couple I met kindly recommended that if I liked Formentera I would love Menorca. I must confess to some prejudice considering Menorca something of a middle of the road destination but a couple of years back I finally took the trip. Among many other fine features of the island, the beaches and stunning blue sea really captivated me, so much so I’ve returned year on year since.
The numerous beaches of Menorca vary in type, character and atmosphere from being the centre point of family-oriented resorts to unspoilt, virgin beaches and remote coves. I though it might therefore be of value to run down my experience of five beaches from Menorca.
Es Arenal D’En Castell
The first beach that I visited on the very first afternoon on the island, Es Arenal is where I was initially struck by the incredible vibrant blue colour of the sea. The beach lies around a wide bay with holiday developments, reasonably low key, scattered around the surrounding hills. Steps lead from the road that meanders through the resort down to the attractive beach, which, while far from the most unspoilt beach on the island, has a family-friendly and enjoyable atmosphere with aquatic activities and safe bathing. The bay is quite sheltered and the water is shallow quite some way out. There are some shops, cafes and restaurants behind the beach and good facilities such as showers and toilets. Es Arenal is easily reached by regular bus service from Mahón.
Es Grau
At Es Grau the beach is idyllically situated within a nature reserve and right next to a tiny village consisting of sugar-cube houses clustered closely beside the bay. Prior to visiting the beach, I highly recommend walking in the nature reserve to enjoy wetlands, wild birds, wild tortoises and expansive views of the green interior of the island. The main visitor centre is a little distance away from the village and best accessed by car, but the area just a few hundred metres from the village can easily be explored on foot. There’s a clearly marked route, partly over wooden walkways to avoid damage to the reserve. This takes one on a leisurely route through the reserve from the road to the beach, with a small detour and brief sharp climb to reach a view point that’s certainly worth the little extra effort.
When one arrives at the beach, the view is once more of vibrant blue sea with bobbing sailboats at anchor in shallow water. Again, the shallows stretch well out into the bay. Paths lead off to smaller and more secluded beaches nearby, and there’s an opportunity to participate in low key water sports such as sea kayaking. The beach seems to have a very relaxed atmosphere with people well spread out when I visited affording lots of room. This is one of the closest beaches to Mahón but while it is connected by a regular bus route there are relatively few buses in the day.
In terms of facilities, there are a few restaurants and a shop in the village, public toilets and a reasonable amount of parking by the beach. I’m not sure how busy this gets in high season but it does not seem to be as attractive to daytrippers as some of the other “virgin beaches”. This is, however, one of my personal favourite spots on the island.
An important point of note is that the beach at Es Grau, like most beaches in Menorca, can be affected by the wind. Therefore checking wind direction on the day is recommended in order to decide whether to go to the North or South coast depending on wind direction. Sites such as Windfinder which give accurate, detailed and localised weather are well worth consulting before you set off.
Binibequer
On the south coast of the island, Binibequer (or Binibeca) is a little fishing village taken over by a low key resort with many villas and other holiday rentals. I found this to be quite a small beach which quickly became somewhat crowded. I do recall finding it hard to get away from ball-chucking loud folk to get enough space for a proper swim. Some water activities also seem to impinge on the bathing area, though like all beaches where lifeguards are in attendance the water sports zone is segregated from the swimming area by yellow buoys.
It is definitely a pleasant enough spot and the old village itself is a popular location for a photo opportunity with extremely quaint whitewashed buildings. However, amid what is now largely a purpose built holiday resort, the beach is not in as memorable a situation as others. There’s a beach bar and toilets but otherwise facilities are limited at the beach itself, though shops and other bars and restaurants are available in the village, and there’s also a dive centre in a neighbouring cove. It’s also easily reached by bus from Mahón.
Punta Prima
As if to confound myself, Punta Prima on Menorca’s south-eastern corner is essentially quite similar in character to neighbouring Binibequer, being a beach surrounded by a moderately touristy but low key resort. However, I do rather like this village which has again grown from a tiny fishing community into a pleasant holiday resort with little in the way of overbearing buildings or other intrusive trappings of mass tourism.
I am not sure if it’s the light or simply my imagination but the water here seems a particularly vibrant blue, strikingly so in fact. The beach has a delightful outlook beyond moored boats to the small island, the Isla del Aire, with its lighthouse. Quite pleasingly, on a couple of my visits, the island has been surrounded by tall ships and other sailing craft at full sail.
Away from the beach, it’s also possible to take in the views with a wander round the resort, up to Torre de Son Gaxo, an 18th century watch tower with commanding views. I don’t think it’s generally open to the public, Torre de Son Ganxo can be rented as a youth hostel. On one visit to Punta Prima some friendly scouts kindly invited me up to the roof of the tower to take some photos of the stunning views.
Overall, the beach enjoys a relaxed family atmosphere, some water sports are available but there’s a little more room here so they impinge less on bathers. Behind the beach there are a few shops and restaurants. There’s a regular bus connection to Mahón. I must say one of my favourite things here is relaxing on the bus back to Mahón, feeling a sun-kissed glow after a little too long in the sun and with a cold beer and some delicious food awaiting at the end of the journey.
Cala en Bosc
At the opposite, south-western corner of Menorca lies Cala en Bosc. Variously described on maps and signage as Cala en Bosch, Cala’n Bosch or Cala en Bosc, it’s probably the most built-up beach resort I’ve visited in Menorca, centred on a marina surrounded by bars and restaurants. It’s also perhaps the least attractive beach and was not at all recommended by my Menorcan hosts, nonetheless the sea is still blue and there’s safe bathing with extensive shallow water. There are water sports on offer and part of the round-island path Cami de Cavalls is located behind the beach, where one can wander off round the rocky part of the cove to view some sea views and I’d imagine some good sunset scenes from this spot. There are plenty of shops and facilities in general as one would expect from part of a much more mainstream resort. While there are other smaller beaches nearer the town, this is arguably the easiest major beach resort to visit from Ciutadella with frequent bus connections to and from town.
