It is sheer heaven. It's clean, unspoilt and a family resort holiday without all the yobs.
Menorca. The unspoilt island in the Med. Tranquil, peaceful, beautiful and lots of long, sandy, safe beaches. If you have children this is the place to go.
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We stayed the the Sol Falco hotel in Calen Bosch which I have to say is absolutely perfect for anyone with children but also great for adults.
I travelled to Menorca with my best friend (two girls). We found the island very beautiful and tranquil and relaxing. There are lovely beaches, restaurants and walks. The seafood is especially fine. The hotel is large but tranquil, offers several pools and lots of facilities. There is a flintstones kids club and daily entertainment for the adults and kids. The marina is only 10 minute walk and offers peaceful dining and a few bars (although the nightlife is low key). There are some disco bars for the teenagers (but if you are over 22 you will feel too old to attend as they age group is 14-19) and nice cocktail bars for the adults. The beach is 10 minutes walk also and offers golden sands and a small parade of beachfront restaurants. We hired a jeap and visited some other parts including Cituadella, Cala Fornells and Mahon. It is really easy to get around the island and there are some gorgeous hidden coves and bays off the beaten track. The Sol Falco hotel is clean and comfortable and meets basic needs and has the advantage of air conditioning. I would say that in terms of safety and serenity you can't beat Menorca. Mahon has a quite chic culture and is ideal for a romantic getaway whereas Calen Bosch is ideally for families with young children and safe for teenagers looking for independance from their parents. Highly recommended for anyone stressed that needs to wind down and jump aboard the slow train for a while and highly recommended for families with young children.
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Great for a weeks break. Very quiet out and about this time of year and chilly at night.
A must is to visit Cuitadella, a town steeped in history and picturesque harbour. We stayed at Roc Aasis apartments with excellent facilities for children if you have any. Rooms basic but well equipped although no air conditioning, so bear this in mind if you should go at height of season. For duty free lovers you cannot buy cigs unless in Cuitdella.
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Go to Restaurant Cap Roig for Sunday Lunch. Overlooking Cala Mesquida this must be the best view food...
Go to Restaurant Cap Roig for Sunday Lunch. Overlooking Cala Mesquida this must be the best view food (we had local mussels and squid to start and Paella for the main course.)combined with fantastic service wonderful wine and a fabulous view. It cannot get any better.
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If you are looking to find paradise on your European doorstep then Menorca is the island for you.
This beautiful small tasteful island is the island of colour beauty tranquility and histroy all rolled into one.
For a whole year appeal Menorca has it all. In the spring the island is covered with wonderful wild flowers. Even in the summers hottest month of August the country side in green with wonderful stones walls blue skies and that... wonderful blue sea.The autumn has warm and inviting evenings to linger away drinking a glass of wine under black skies with the brightest twinkling stars to the whisper of the sea in the back ground. And finally winter brings peace to the island where one can have a wonderful lunch and drive to a peaceful beach to have an afternoon nap to the sound of the waves gentley strokeing the beach... ah thats what I call all year round paradise!
Dont come to menorca looking for cheap thrills... hey there are plenty of distinations for that. Come to Menorca for wonderful views food quite beaches and wonderful people... as I said before.. come to Menorca for the European version of paradise.
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When returning to the uk we are already planning our next visitwe have 5 flights booked for this summer starting May 8th. Just cannot wait.
The beaches are the bestsafe as is the island and its people.
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We flew with Monarch - a first class service then hired a car from Poppy Cars who met us at the airport we had booked a private villa in Cap D'Artrux (in Cala'N'Bosch) district.
This was the eighth time we have been to this resort it is superb it is child friendly there is a restaurant called the Tropicana which does fantastic food and the service is spectacular - nothing is too much trouble.
There is a communal pool with bar which houses three enormous bouncy castles (wrist bands have to be bought for approx 1 hrs play) caged trampolines go karts for the children crazy golf little ball pool cage with slides and two small water slides perfect for new little swimmers there is also an open arcade all within the facility called the Goody Goody which is situated within the Marina.
There are plenty of supermarkets and the old town Cuitadella is a short drive/bus journey away this is a great place for a day trip there is usually a market which i think was on a Wednesday.
Mahon is also a spectacular place to visit for the day lots of lovely shops excellent shoes!! The people are friendly and breath of fresh air the beaches are clean it is definately a family place to visit. There is also a man with a little stand which houses two hot plates where he makes pancakes filled with your choice of liquer, chocolate etc. They are extra yummy if you have eaten earlier and want to treat yourself to a light supper!!!
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Santo Tomas, Menorca – bloomin' fantastic! If you're looking for a completely relaxing, peaceful holiday then this would be the place for you.
Santo Tomas, Menorca – bloomin' fantastic!
We flew to Menorca with Monarch Airlines and stayed at the Sol Menorca hotel, Santo Tomas for a couple of nights in May of this year. Santo Tomas is about half an hour's drive from Mahon airport, but it's probably best to book your transfer in advance or hire a car as taxi's are fairly expensive (£30 each way).
What can I say? The break was perfect! The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful, the hotel was very clean and quiet, and the beautiful Mediterranean sea was only about five minutes walk away. We went mid-May so the sea was a little chilly but certainly bearable. The weather itself was a pleasant 21°C.
There are a few shops and restaurants nearby so you can meander about at your leisure.
The hotel lays on entertainment in the evenings but it was a little too 'Des O Conner' for us (my partner and I are in our late 20's/ early 30's), so we took our cocktails to the next hotel along (Hotel Santo Tomas) and sat at the beach bar to watch the sea.
If you're looking for a completely relaxing, peaceful holiday then this would be the place for you. If parties, action and noise are your thing, then it's probably not. The noisiest thing in Santo Tomas was the birds singing (and the dodgy Des O'Conner style evening entertainment!).
As for the Monarch flight, that too was perfect. We booked extra legroom on the flight out to Menorca, which was worth every penny, we felt as though we were flying business class! We bought dinner on the flight out and lunch on the flight home, on both occasions the food was terrific, it was piping hot and extremely tasty (I am quite fussy so it must have been good!!). And to top it all off the airline staff were very friendly too.
The holiday was so good that we have booked to go back in October. We are flying with Monarch again but this time we are staying at the Hotel Santo Tomas just to see what it's like.
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Don't expect a Disney type holiday, the island is quiet.
For families Arenal del Castell Santa Thomas and Son Bou are the best locations for a holiday. Superb beaches. West of the island is very busy in the season but has poor facilities. Keep away from Cieutadela area although Calan Bosch is quite nice in the season, but quite a distance from Airport and everywhere else. The cost of living is slightly higher than other parts of Spain and some places do charge tourist prices. It is best to shop at large supermarkets and take as many drinks / sweets as you can with you when driving around or going to beach. With children I recommend an all inclusive holiday out of season if possible, but remember that Menorca can be quite cold and windy until June and once September has passed you will be lucky to get warm weather. although I have sat in sunshine in the square at Xmas.
Best places to eat Bar Espana in Es castell is most popular restaurant on the island. Also Snoopys in Es castell in the main street. There are many good eating places around the island I like the bar in Cala Macaret great cheap food. Expect to pay 8 euros for a menu del Dia (between 1pm and 4pm) including 3 courses and a bottle of wine. Do not be tempted to hire beach umbrellas and deck chairs on the beach as it can make it an expensive day out. Take advantage of special offers by holiday companies in locations I have mentioned. Hiring cars is best done when you are there and take advantage again of special offers 3 day offers will give you a good tour of the island which is approx. 30 miles by 15.
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the island is a Biosphere designated place of beauty and importance so pick up your rubbish don't walk on the flowers...
A fantastic and must-see island. We go back year after year so here are a few pointers weve discovered:
Car hire - despite rumours this is NOT essential for a resort holiday. All resorts are linked by an efficient bus service albeit many routes go through either Mahon in the east or Ciutadella in the west first. We are west coast people and the buses are excellent and cheap. Be aware that the frequency of the buses drops and the season nears its end (ie October). If you do hire a car however you can get to places that the buses don't go such as the mountain-in-the-middle Monte Toro. The islands roads are mainly a good standard but watch out for local drivers (I think they have the indicators disconnected when they buy a car).
Resorts - Cala N Blanes/Los Delfines/Cala N Forcat are essentially all the same place (division is by a kerbstone or a tree or some such thing). Ideal for families with toddlers or even under 10's but may get a bit boring for older kids and too in-yer-face for couples (think Blackpool with sun - a bit harsh but take a bus ride through it and see the people settling down in open-air bars for their Eastenders or Corrie or Sky football fix). Some great restaurants though and a few excellent bars (Lorenzo is a top bloke and his wife Rita!).
Sa Caleta is where we go for the peace and quiet of Sa Caleta and Cala Santandria beaches. Not much night life (as we like it) but a meal in Sa Quadra on the beach or Sa Nacra on the cliff overlooking Santandria and a few drinks with Javi and Anna at the Jolly Barrel or in the Odium bar and you feel more relaxed than a relaxed thing in Relaxville.
Cala Blanca is OK but too commercial and kiddie-orientated for us as is Cala N Bosch and San Xorieger but use the buses and try out the (again) excellent eateries to be found especially Cala N Bosch harbour.
All these places link easily with the old capital Ciutadella where breakfast with Greg at Bar Vida (next to the bus stop) or lunch or evening tapas at Can Nito (next to BBVA bank by the bus stop) is always welcome. Shops and bars are everywhere among the tight narrow streets and down by the port and you can even get of your resort bus walk through the tree lined plaza to the other side and catch a bus to Mahon.
On the subject of buses remember to buy your ticket for your return journey from Ciutadella at the kiosk where the buses stop before you board the bus.
Cala Galdana lives up to its hype as the jewel of the Med (there words not mine). It has to be said that I'm referring to the beach as we've never stayed in resort. It used to have the cheapest cigarettes on the island too but a new Spanish law now says only tobacconists or bars with licensed vending machines can now sell them (fags are cheaper from tobacconists than the airport by the way).
Son Bou has the longest beach on the island and thats all I can think of to say about that.
Santo Tomas would like to be Son Bou but I can't see why.
Cala'N'Porter has always yearned to be the Menorcan 18-30 Ibiza/Aya Napa type place but it's never succeeded and lives on the reputation of the Xoroi Caves and a nice beach - the resort is showing its age and is a bit tatty.
Bibibeca has a quaint fishing village you can walk around (some people still live in those tiny white houses too) and then get ripped off at the local bars and tourist shops.
S'Algar is someone we have only visited and it seemed to be a haven for scuba divers and very rocky shorelines.
Es Castell is an old colonial settlement (I think some old colonials are still there!!) but the Menorcan locals are friendly if not threatened to be outnumbered by British ex-pats.
Mahon is steep (prices and geography) - the main town and shops meander like a spralling shopping mall then fall sharply down to the harbour edge. Second only in size to Pearl Harbour (allegedly) you can take a trip around the harbour and see places as diverse as the gin factory and Lord Nelsons dirty-weekend retreat. Stand next to one of the ocean-going liners when its port and get lost in the sheer size of the thing.
Addaia is for all things sailing.
Son Parc is for all things golf.
Arenal den Castell has a great beach and some good hotels but lots and lots and lots of children.
Fornells is exactly what it says on the tin - a quaint fishing village with a road through that leads to a dead end. They have tried to attract the beach crowd at Cala Tirant next door.
Cala Morell is new and trying to find its own identity hence it's quiet (at the moment).
Remember the island is a Biosphere designated place of beauty and importance so pick up your rubbish don't walk on the flowers and dont paint the ancient monuments.
All this is just my opinion but I hope it helps in some way to entice you to the island and experience the rest and relaxation we all deserve. - Paul Lavin
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I stayed near EsGrau this September with a group of 17 people some of whom had never visited the island previously and yet they all want to return next year.
I have been hoidaying in Menorca for over 23 years now yet everytime I stay there I do something I haven't done before.
There are some superb hotels and restaurants on the Island. Favourite boutique hotel Biniarroca near San Luis. Favourite budget hotel Puig Sa Roca at the top of Sa Roca it is a real Shangri La. Run by Luis and his daughter Andrea who really make you feel at home. Ideal place to get away from it all.
Favourite restaurants Can Olga in Mercadal tucked away in a side street you will find a bicycle propped up against the wall at the entrance to the lane where the restaurant is. Food is superb beautiful garden setting.
Es Moli De Foc in San Clemente used by many Spanish and has a lovely courtyard garden.
Tots Bar & Bistro in Son Parc run by Phil and his wife Aleja superb food very reasonably priced. Ses Salines Restaurant at Ses Salines nr Fornells beautiful setting overlooking the bay food stunning service excellent. - Elaine MacDonald
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Places to visit; Maó, Ciudadela, Fornells and of course Monte Tore, the highest point of the island.
Excellent restaurants in the port, would recommend La Minervaand Bosfero. The Bar Mambo in the port of Maó is great for cocktails. The Port Ciutadella is a must for nightlife. Excellent beaches Son Saura Trebaluger and many more virgin beaches to visit. Great for family holidays.
Would recommend the Hotel Sol Falco for family holidays and the Hotel Capri for a winter break... good shopping leather goods costume jewellery and of course the Menorcan gin... based on the British recipe. - Lyn Gorman
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This is THE island for peace and tranquility, especially if you stay away from the larger resorts (although even these compared to the Mainland or Majorca are not really big).
I have stayed in S'Algar for the past 25 years and visit at least twice a year. S'Algar is mainly residential and so there are a good number of apartments and villas to let. It does tend to be on the expensive side, but this has its advantages. There are a number of restaurants the best being The Reina Isabel and the Pizzeria (not just pizzas but they are worth a try cooked in a wood burning oven in front of your eyes). There is no beach, unless you count a man-made area just of the promenade, but a number of swimming pools (1 reserved for residents and clients of the Hotel S'Algar).
The two hotels are the S'Algar and the San Lluis, unfortunately the San LLuis hotel is becoming rather commercial with quiz nights and in my opinion a rather noisy tannoy system. The S'Algar Hotel is more refined and you can take advantage of their eat around policy where you can choose which of their establishments to frequent. The San Lluis Hotel offers all inclusive and for a small extra fee you can buy this package with any of the apartments which belong to the S'Algar Hotels Group as well as the 2 hotels.
S'Algar is within easy reach of Mahon and also Alcaufar which offers a lovely sandy beach and safe swimming and water sports with a couple of restaurants and three bars for refreshments. In Alcaufar try the Piccolo Mundo, not only great food, but the most fantastic view from its terrace back over towards S'Algar. There are plenty of sports opportunities in S'Algar with a Diving Club Tennis Squash Mini-golf and bicicles to hire. Menorca is a small island and none of the major attractions such as the prehistoric remains and various resorts you might care to visit for shopping etc are far away. Hire a car, the buses do stop in S'Algar and Alcaufar, but personally I give them a miss. I once got on in S'Algar to go to the local village of San Lluis and ended up in Mahon the bus was so crowded I could not get off! - Carolyn Caesar
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Menorca is the number one destination for families we visit every year and have found the resorts on the West coast to be the best.
Calan Bosch and Calan Forcat/Calan Blanes: they have a range of facilities for all ages from toddlers to teens. There are waters parks, go karts, water sports, bouncy castle, bungee, trampolines... etc. Something for everyone and still manages to be quite peacful and relaxing, a far slower pace than other balearic resorts.
I usually fly with Monarch and do a DIY holiday booking our accommodation seperately, direct with owners we have found some fab villas on the edge of one of the pretty coves in Calan Bruc and it works out to a great deal with the competatively priced flights and the direct villa booking. The old capital of Ciutadella is also in the West and is well worth a visit, steeped in history and very pretty.
All in all I would highly reccommend Menorca to anyone but especially those with children. - Sarah>/b>
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We have visted Menorca for the 8th time returning on 21st June 2007. It is a fabulous island for a family holiday if you don't like it too loud and touristy!
We have never had a bad holiday there. We have found many lovely resturants and beaches and the people are very friendly check out the cakes and pasteries too. We have also found Monarch to be the best value for money for our flights year after year. Can't wait to return to the 40 degrees heat again very soon - Nicky
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We have been visiting Menorca for the past 10 years its just fab!!
We unwind as soon as we get on the plane and continue to do so for the whole holiday. At present wouldn't go anywhere else. - Kathryn Crawley
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Menorca is an 'I could be anywhere' island. There are the beautiful quiet resorts or the resorts for kiddie orientated holidays.
I have visited the island over 11 times and love it more and more. My favourite and most frequented resort is Calan Bosch. I am a single mum with an 11 year old son and find Calan Bosch the perfect resort with everything close at hand for both me and my son. All the restaurants are child friendly (and adult friendly) the bars always make everybody welcome especially the Don Carlos and the Shamrock bars. An absolute must for families (both old and young) and couples (both old and young), maybe not so for the group of lads/lasses holidays but totally faultless!!!! - Andrea
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If you want to try something different look at walking holidays in Menorca.
The scenery is varied and interesting, the area less brash than elsewhere in Spain and direct Monarch flights make it accessible. - P. Tansey
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Menorca is in my opinion one of the safest, most tranquil, prettiest, cleanest and friendliest places.
The beaches are unspoilt and as a biosphere reserve there is a real sense of caring for the environment - Gill Williams
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Go to Calas Fons (Es Castell) for restaurants in a pretty bay or Fornells in the north of the island.
For parking in Mahon go to the square where the market is and park in the underground car park. - Steve Walker
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Thanks to Monarch Airlines, 140 people were able to enjoy another fantastic New Years Eve at El Castillo Bar & Bistro Puerto Addaia, most of whom flew to the Island for the Christmas & New Year period via Monarch's Manchester & Luton service.
Thanks to Monarch Airlines, 140 people were able to enjoy another fantastic New Years Eve at El Castillo Bar & Bistro Puerto Addaia, most of whom flew to the Island for the Christmas & New Year period via Monarch's Manchester & Luton service.Thanks to Monarch Airlines, 140 people were able to enjoy another fantastic New Years Eve at El Castillo Bar & Bistro Puerto Addaia, most of whom flew to the Island for the Christmas & New Year period via Monarch's Manchester & Luton service. This has enabled more & more people to enjoy the unspoilt best kept secret in the Mediterranean!
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What a place to go on holiday, you can't beat it!
This has made us decide to make Menorca our permanent home after 8 years of visiting. We always fly with Monarch, they are the best and helped us with the move to Menorca. Nothing was too much trouble for them. - Julie Gaskell
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Just returned from my 3rd visit to Menorca. Great!
Stayed at the Royal Mahon Apartments in Mahon for a short break from the boring winter weather. It is easy to get around island by bus. In Mahon smokers can find a cigarette shop down by the port area. There is also a large Spar supermarket next to the church. Good vegetarian restaurant in Fornells. Great flying with Monarch they are the best! - Erica Cope
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I returned to Menorca last year, 18 years after my last visit. I returned to Cala Galdana and am pleased to say nothing much has changed.
Apart from a few more apartment blocks the Island is still as beautiful and peaceful as it used to be. Driving here is a pleasure and I visited old haunts such as Monte Toro Fornells for Caldereta de Langosta (lobster stew). The old capital Ciudadela with it`s cobbled streets and the harbour at Mahon is one to try once again, as well as the Gin Xoriguer. Mahon airport is great, we were the only flight on the tarmac. I worked for 3 years on this Island and have always wanted to go back for a visit but was worried that it had been spoilt like many other spanish tourist resorts but can honestly say it's still a perfect place to visit. - Sue Callow
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My family and I stayed in Calan Forcat in Menorca last September. We stayed in the Roc Oasis Parc Apartments. Very clean and all the staff were friendly.
The place is a short walk from the beach and has 2 swimming pools although these are cold.
We enjoyed an evening out in Cala Galdana where they held a performing horses show and we hired a car to look around and found the highest mountain in Menorca which you can drive to the top of and has fantastic views.
We flew on Monarch Scheduled from London Luton to Mahon in Menorca. - Steve Upton
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We visted Menorca last May and we go there every year to Binibequer. It's such a great place.
The Spanish food is simply delicious. I also recommend a tarverna called El Faros in Cala Torret as you overlook the sea and the view is incredible. We booked our flights with Monarch as we knew that we would not have any problems as we have travelled with them on many trips to various destinations. The service and staff are extremely pleasant making those trips so much better - thanks Monarch! - Oliver Mullins
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We have been going to Menorca for 16 years and it is one of the most lovely & safe holiday resorts we know.
We have been going to Menorca for 16 years and it is one of the most lovely & safe holiday resorts we know.We have been going to Menorca for 16 years and it is one of the most lovely & safe holiday resorts we know. Everybody is very friendly and we would recommend any of the resorts. I forgot to say i am just packing to fly there in the morning - for the 1st of three visits this year! - Ann Spence
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We recently had 2 weeks in Castell den Arenal. It is a very nice quiet resort with lovely beaches.
A very clean and safe island. - Brenda Dowsett
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We have visited Menorca 2 to 3 times a year for the last 7 years. It is an Island that is beautiful with lots of fantastic places to visit.
On one of our excursions we came across a property rentals firm based in Sonbou. They have wonderful apartments and villas that are very affordable to most families. We have rented apartments which are great but during the last 4 years we have had a villa with our own pool and jacuzzi -FANTASTIC!!! The staff there are great and very helpful. The exchange rates at the reception were great so that was also a bonus. We highly recommend Sonbou as it is a lovely place with a fantastic beach about 1 mile long. Great for families with small children. - Patrick
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We holiday in Menorca as we love the Island. 5 times we visited this lovely place in the last year. We stayed 3 times at a villa in Sonbou.
We had our own pool & jacuzzi and the villa was SUPERB as it was on a hill overlooking the sea. It was MAGIC. Highly recommend this type of holiday in Sonbou to all. - Jillee Peace
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We have been staying there for 10 years usually twice a year.
We always stay at the port Mahon Hotel in Mahon. It is a 4 star Hotel and is excellent. The staff are all friendly and helpful and they spend money on the Hotel every year always updating it. The rooms were all refurbished last year and look great. - Jan Lyddon
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We have been going to Cala den Bosch in Menorca for the last 5 yrs and we just love the place.
We have made some good friends with the people there and they are so friendly and can't do enough for you. The island is clean, relaxing and safe for young families. Each time I come home from there I feel as though I have left a piece of my heart. - Jackie Senior
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Calan Porter (Cala en Porter) if you are posh. I loved it, a different restaurant every night each one as good if not better than the last.
Lovely beach, a steep climb but still clean and tidy with friendly locals, what more could you wish for? -
Nigel Coller
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I have been going to Arenal Den Castel for the last 15 years
I love it there and would not pick anywhere else to on the Island! Its a must do holiday! - Neil McDowell
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We have visited menorca for the last 5 years since our parents have purchased in son bou.
It is a fantastic un-spoilt spanish island which we have enjoyed year after year. This spring we walked part of the round the island walk for two days from son bou and experienced some of the best country side ever! - Tim
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