Menorca in 5 Day: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

It is common for visitors to this island not to have time to visit all that Menorca has to offer. Although it is small, the quietest of the Balearic Islands has a wide variety of interesting options. Your five-day trip will be enough to plan a complete itinerary, but at the same time compel you to come back for more.

The plans I propose for you to visit the island in five days have a bit of everything. You' ll go from culture to history, and then to rural adventure to finish with an unmissable aquatic experience that only Menorca can give you.

We will begin our tour by visiting everything there is to see in Ciutadella. This city, which was the capital of Menorca, still conserves its particular charm.

It is unforgivable to visit the island without getting lost in the streets of Ciutadella, mingling with its people and visiting its most important historical and architectural sites.

A quick visit to the city may take two to three hours, but if you're staying for more than two days, you deserve a whole day to explore the city.

Admire the architecture of the old town

The historic centre of the city is interesting because you will be able to visit architectural landmarks. The Teatro Principal is a clear example of this, as it is one of the oldest active opera houses in the world.

In the historic centre you can also visit the city's cathedral. Its name is the Cathedral of Santa María de Ciudadela and it is an interesting example of the Gothic period. The old town is protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest.

A stroll through its streets will not only leave you in complete awe of the preservation of its structures, but you will also have the opportunity to learn a little more about the history of Menorca's old walled city.

Visit the port of Ciutadella

The port of Ciutadella, located in the north, is one of the most important places on the island. Although it is a small port that used to receive only small commercial and fishing boats, its importance has increased considerably over the last few years.

Nowadays, if you travel around this area you will notice the number of recreational boats at anchor.

It is best to take a leisurely stroll around the harbour. The atmosphere is pleasant both day and night.

During the day, you can take a leisurely st roll and even if it's lunchtime in the port, there is a wide variety of Mediterranean cuisine to choose from.

Imposing views at the Punta Nati Lighthouse

Punta Nati Lighthouse is next on the list for our first day. Once you've finished strolling around the port, take the road towards Carrer de la Quintana de Mar towards Punta Nati.

At this important historical monument you will be able to take impressive photographs and look in detail at the structures surrounding the lighthouse. To get there, park your car at the entrance and then continue on foot to the lighthouse.

It is a good place to watch the sunset, and also to appreciate a breathtaking view of the sea. The Punta Nati Lighthouse complex consists of two buildings in the shape of a rectangle. The lighthouse is located at an approximate height of 42 metres above sea level.

Traveller Tip

At night it is possible to admire a spectacular starry sky due to the low light pollution.

Sunset in Pont D'en Gil

In case you arrive too early at the Punta Nati lighthouse and don't get to see the sunset, you can go to Pont D'en Gil. This is a unique and beautiful natural tourist attraction to visit. It is a rock formation in the shape of a bridge.

From this place you can appreciate the most beautiful views of the sunset in Ciutadella. You can get to the Pont d'en Gil in several ways, by bicycle or by car.

You can also get there by sea, taking into account that this hole in the cliffs allows small and medium-sized boats to enter.

When night falls in Ciutadella

Once the sun goes down, you can enjoy a good night out in one of the town's bars. Having a few drinks and tapas can help you relax your body after a day of intense walking.

When you finally want to rest, the city offers a wide range of hotels. The places to stay are without a doubt a magical experience. You can spend the night in hotels that suit your budget.

You also have the opportunity to stay in aparthotels. The prices for a room vary, but in general you can get accommodation from 57 euros per night.

For the second day in Minorca, I suggest you leave Ciutadella and embark on a historical and cultural tour of other equally interesting places. We will start with a route through the small village of Fornells, located in the very north of the island.

Also on this day, continuing with the visit to the lighthouses, I suggest you go to the Cavalleria lighthouse. It would be an excellent option to go up to Monte Toro and visit the sanctuary on the summit. Finally, a quick visit to Es Mercadal.

Stroll around Fornells

Located in the bay of the same name, the village of Fornells offers many activities to do. For example, in addition to touring the place, you can take a boat trip to snorkel from Fornells. As for the tour of the village, I'm sure you'll find it a beautiful experience.

To get to Fornells from Ciutadella you need to take a rental car. It is not a walk that you can do on foot, given the distance between one place and the other. It will take you approximately half an hour to get from Ciutadella de Menorca to Fornells.

There are no public transport routes between these two points. Another option is to hire a guided excursion from Ciutadella de Menorca to Fornells.

Fornells is a fishing village whose main attraction is its traditional streets and houses. In addition, its gastronomic offer is varied and wide-ranging, always maintaining the Mediterranean spirit. If you go there in the morning, you will surely enjoy a good breakfast in Fornells.

Views from the lighthouse of Cavalleria

After visiting Fornells, a good route to choose is to go to the Cavalleria lighthouse. To take this route, you have to head towards the Camí de Tramuntana, which takes you straight to the lighthouse.

The ideal time to visit the Cavalleria lighthouse is during the day. Many tourists choose to visit the area at night, however, it tends to be a bit more dangerous due to the amount of cliffs around. For this reason it is in second place on your itinerary for the second day in Menorca.

The views from the lighthouse are breathtaking. Interestingly, right next to the lighthouse there is a cave that you can enter to get even more beautiful views. You must be careful with the cave, as the maximum you can enter is between 15 and 20 metres.

Traveller Tip

Don't pile up stones to "go back to Menorca", it is a practice that is bad for the ecosystem of the lighthouse.

Climbing Monte Toro

Third on our list of activities for the second day in Menorca, we could not miss a visit to Monte Toro. It is an experience that you can live either by car or on foot.

To get to this place you will have to take a car from Fornells to Es Mercadal to start climbing Monte Toro. At the end of the climb you will find the most isolated church in Menorca.

Inside the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Monte Toro you will see a gratifying display of Christianity and religion. If you want to get the best postcards of Menorca from the heights, this is the ideal place. You're sure to want to have lunch by now, so don't hesitate to go in for lunch at the Sa Posada del Toro restaurant.

Short visit to Es Mercadal

At the foot of Monte Toro, there is a small village that is impossible to miss on the way, Es Mercadal.

It is a really small village that you will visit in a very short time and whose urban centre is located around the main church.

Although it is a small village, Es Mercadal represents the centre of Menorca's geography, and offers a wide range of options both for eating and staying.

If you have spent the night here and don't want to go to another nearby town, let alone return to Ciutadella, you can stay in Es Mercadal. The hotel offer is of good quality and at prices ranging from 50 to 100 euros per night.

For the third day of the tour I have prepared for you, an adventure through the most exotic places of the island awaits you.

Most of the places you will be able to visit on the jeep safari are closed to the public or are difficult to access by private vehicle or any other method of transport. You have two options to book this adventure.

The good thing about both tours is that they both have transport and will pick you up from your accommodation. They also offer the option of waiting for you at the starting point. You can choose to pay individually or hire a tour exclusively for families.

Drive through less visited places

In this first option, you will have the opportunity to get to know little-known places on the island. Visits to quarries, ravines that are difficult to access and lighthouses on the cliffs are part of this route. You will also have the opportunity to discover beautiful hidden coves.

On the tour you can take a guided visit to private farms where cheese of the highest quality is produced. The tour also includes a tasting of these products. You will visit strategic sites of the island such as water mills, archaeological remains, and others.

Drive through restricted areas

You can choose to go on another type of tour, more complete and to truly restricted places where no ordinary visitor has access. From the north coast of Menorca you will be able to see a beautiful sunset. You will also visit the quarries located in the high areas of the white rocks.

A complete experience through the most inhospitable forests and places awaits you. The tour through the countryside is an adventure you won't want to miss for anything. You can't leave out the tasting of the typical cheeses of the area, as well as learning about their elaboration and curing process.

You will travel through exclusive landscapes that you can only visit on board a Land Rover that does this type of tour. Finally, you will go to ravines that are very difficult to access, for a more than extreme adventure experience.

On the fourth day of your trip, you will begin to explore Menorca' s most famous activities, its beaches. For this day I invite you to travel to the south of the island to visit Mahón, the actual capital of Menorca.

On this day you will also be able to visit the Fortress of La Mola, an imposing construction that forms part of the oldest architecture on the island. This will not only be a fun, but also a very enriching and educational tour. To end the day, there is nothing better than to stay and enjoy the village of Binibeca.

Warm stay in the Port of Mahon

The impressive thing about the port of Mahón is that it is a completely natural formation that facilitates the arrival of boats to the island.

This is the second deepest harbour in the world, as well as the largest natural harbour in Europe. Without a doubt, this place has its charm and it is impossible to leave Menorca without visiting it.

Mahon is as vibrant by day as it is by night. If you visit during the day, you will be able to see the many boats that anchor in the harbour. If you go at night, the atmosphere is more party-like and exciting, vibrant and with plenty of places to have a few refreshing drinks and a bite to eat.

Depending on your itinerary, you will go to Port Mahon during the day. But don't worry, the daytime activities are just as exciting. In case you want to start with the beach day, you can go kayaking from this port.

Labyrinths in the Fortress of La Mola

La Mola Fortress is a monument built in ancient times to protect the city from foreign attacks. The port of Mahón has always been key to the military organisation over the centuries. This was understood very early on, so the construction of this fortress was ordered.

To reach this place from the Port of Mahón, you will have to take a hire car to La Mola. Take the road along Carrer Andana de Ponent to Moll de Ponent, which will take you straight to the fortress.

Touring the site is a unique experience in Menorca, especially because it represents an encounter with the island's most distant history.

On the other hand, the tour is made much more fun thanks to the large number of passages that the place has. It has multiple narrow paths that appear to be a labyrinth. You could easily get lost inside it.

To go through the whole enclosure, have time to get lost and find your way out again, as well as take some photos, you will have to set aside at least a couple of hours.

By this point it will be getting close to midday and you're bound to start getting hungry. The next destination will offer you a wide range of Mediterranean recipes.

Visit the white Binibeca

To get to the next point of your visit to Menorca you will have to take a car to Binibeca. You must leave La Mola and take the road to Binibequer.

Binibeca is located on the southeast coast of the island. The first stop when you reach the village is lunch. Its gastronomic offer is not different from other places on the island, Mediterranean food prevails, so you will always be able to get good dishes for lunch, and you will also get good tapas.

This fishing village is beautiful, you will surely fall in love with the peculiarity of its white houses placed like a kind of jigsaw puzzle all over the place. The village has this very characteristic style of classical and village Europe. Without a doubt, it is a beautiful visit that will leave you with some great postcards.

And finally, to end our five-day tour of the vibrant island of Menorca, we could not miss the water activities.

Although the offers for water sports are much more extensive, I have chosen to propose a quiet and relaxing itinerary to get to know the island.

The boat trip through the southern coves will take you to magical beaches in idyllic coves. This type of excursion offers stops at each of the coves you visit, so you will have the opportunity to swim in each of them. As you will spend the whole day on the boat, you will have your meals on board.

Some excursions have snacks included and others do not, for these cases, I recommend that you buy food to take away.

Son Saura

One of the stops on your day trip to the southern coves is Arenal de Son Saura, one of the island's unspoilt beaches, which means it doesn't get too many visitors to be considered a busy beach.

A curious thing about this beach is that it is a bit overrun by seaweed, so it is not very attractive for swimming. However, it is a real luxury that you can get to know this place and take lots of pictures in such beautiful scenery.

Es Talaier

Continuing with the route, the next place to visit is Es Talaier. Located right next to Cala Son Saura, this unspoilt cove offers a paradisiacal landscape.

One of the best things this cove has to offer is its fine white sand. Visitors to Es Talaier usually enjoy the turquoise waters.

During the excursion, this is one of the coves included in the itinerary. As it is a small space, it will take you one or two hours to cover the whole place. To get to this place from Son Saura, you usually have to walk to it, which is why the best way to get to know it is on board a boat.

Turqueta

It is one of the coves with the highest number of visitors. It tends to be quite touristy due to its turquoise waters and the calmness of the waves.

In high season it is one of the busiest destinations. It is a short distance away from the coves we have already visited and will undoubtedly be an excellent option to spend some time with the family.

Many people consider Turqueta to be the most famous cove in Menorca, and the truth is that it is. Once you get there you will realise that the atmosphere is vibrant. At the same time, if you just want to relax, you can spread out your towel on the sand and enjoy the sun until it's time to continue with the tour.

Macarella

Named the most beautiful cove on the island, Cala Macarella will be the next destination on your day touring the coves of southern Menorca. One of its main attractions is the number of boats that dock here. You will be impressed by the blue waters and the white sand.

Taking photos at Macarella is a must during this excursion. Once you are at Macarella you can feel safe and secure, as there are lifeguards around the beach who keep an eye out for tourists moving around the area.

Macarelleta

Very close to Macarella is an even smaller cove with peculiar characteristics. It is Macarelleta.

This cove stands out for being nudist. If you like to feel really outdoors, this is the perfect place to let your freedom run free.

To get to Macarelleta it is necessary to walk from Macarella because of its difficult access, which is why this cove is also a better option to visit by boat.

It is an excellent destination to continue discovering and enjoying the coves of the south. The views of the place are worthy of postcards and of enjoying a refreshing drink on the seashore.

To get around the island of Menorca you have multiple means of transport. One of the most common is to rent a car on the island or take your own vehicle. If you don't have your own car or don't plan to hire one, you can also use public transport or take a taxi.

The downside of public transport is that buses do not reach all tourist areas of the island. Taxis can be a bit pricey.

The island has plenty of options for car rental, as it's definitely the best way to get around.