Menorca is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Balearic Islands archipel. It got its name from the latin Minorica for being smaller than Maiorica (Mallorca). It’s the second largest island of the archipel in terms of extension (701 km²) and the third largest in terms of population (most of the inhabitants live in the capital, Mahón). Its privileged location in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea made it to a stop-off point of many civilizations, who left a great historical, cultural and culinary heritage and therefore made the island to a perfect place for your next holidays. In the following you’ll find 7 things to do in Menorca.
Things to do in Menorca…
Visit its beaches and coves
They are its main tourist attraction and proof that it’s not necessary to travel to the Caribbean for exotic beaches. The turquoise and crystal-clear water, and the northern part offer a range of untouched beaches far away from the tourists. Some of the most beautiful, well-known and recommended beaches of Menorca are Macarella y Macarelleta, Cala Pregonda, Cala Mitjana, Cala Tortuga, Cala Turqueta, Cala Pilar, Playas de la Vall, Es Talaier, Cala Morell or Cala Cavalleria, amongst others.
Ruta talayótica
The crossing of different civilizations like the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians or Romans left historical and archaeological traces in Menorca. It has the highest concentration of Talayotic monuments of the Mediterranean with more than 1600 scattered all over the island, which makes it an open-air museum. Some of the most important monuments are funerary or “Navetas”, houses, towers, hamlets and sculptures. You will find the Naveta des Tudons, the Necrópolis of Calescoves, the Talayotic village Torretrencada or the Talayotic village Talatí de Dalt, among many others. You can take a look at many of the ruins in the Municipal Museum of Ciutadella, where you can make a journey through time from the prehistoric era until the muslim era to learn about the traditions and ways of life collected in a permanent exhibition.
Cova d’en Xoroi
Situated next to Cala en Porter, this natural cove is a bar during the day and a club during the night. It is located right next to a cliff and has huge natural windows that offer a view over the Mediterranean Sea. On clear days you are able to spot the island Mallorca in the distance. To access, you have to pay an entrance fee, but it includes a drink that you can enjoy gazing the beautiful sunset.
Outdoor activities
Menorca offers a wide range of leisure activities in the water as well as on land, which you can enjoy during your vacations with your family or friends. The most practiced, cheapest and easiest to do is snorkeling. If you travel to Menorca, do not forget to put tube, goggles and flippers in your suitcase, so you will be able to observe the marvelous sea beds and the diversity of fish that live there. Other activities the island offers are kayaking, water scooter, hiking or mountain bike excursions, boat trips or paragliding from the highest peak of the island, the Monte Toro.
Buy a pair of “menorquinas”
Certainly this is one of the best purchases you could make in Menorca (they sell them in other cities too, we know, but buying them here has more charm, right?). It’s a show typical for the island. Chilly, comfortable, traditional, beautiful and you can buy them in every color.
Risk a glimpse at the other wonderful places on the Balearic Islands
Visit the 7 lighthouses
Built for the ships with the aim to avoid accidents, they form some of the most iconic landmarks of the island. These 7 lighthouses are distributed all over the island. You can find 4 in the north and 3 in the south. The ones in Cavalleria and in Favàritx are most worth a visit since they are in a natural environment where you can sit by the sea, listen to the waves breaking on the rocks and enjoy a beautiful sunset. The other 4 lighthouses you will find on the island are Punta Nati, Punta de San Carlos, Illa del Aire, Cap d’Artrutx and Sa Farola.
Taste the Menorcan gastronomy
Based on the mediterranean and traditional diet, the Menorcan gastronomy is nourished by fresh products from the countryside or the sea. It maintains the taste of the traditional and seasonal cuisine the island has to offer. Some of the typical dishes are the lobster stew, raya al horno, baked eggplants or partridge with cabbage. If you love cheese you have to try Mahón cheese in Menorca, an indigenous delicacy acknowledged as Protected Designation of Origin. Menorca also has it’s own “gin-tonic”, the ointment you get by mixing Gin Xoriguer (typical gin from Mahón) with lemonade.
Those were the best things to do in Menorca for everyone. But if you are more into nudism, you surely are interested in the best beaches for nudism in Menorca.
