Menorca suggestions please

[ameliagrey]

Which part of the island is nicest? I am looking for something quiet- we have been to Puerto Pollensa and liked that.

Not into night life. Older kids won't be with us ( don't think so anyway) and we want a bit of beach, bit of scenery and maybe some walks.

Is May too early to get some sun?

May can be wet, but not always!! June better, not too busy, everything will be open, as not everything opens here at the beginnining of may. Also june weather tends to be lovely, and not too busy then either!! There are lots of quiet resorts, most beaches are small coves, except for son bou and Santa thomas. Walks and cycling here are in abundance whereever you stay. Cala Galdana pretty,incrediblyy beautiful beach and you can walk, or kayak if you are brave, to many of the virgin beaches from there if you feel energetic! Low key night life, but enough restaurants and bars if you need them.

The Island has amazing different geography.

The South coast has gorges leading to white sandy beaches (Cala Galdana, Cala'n Porter, Son Bou), the North coast is more rugged and greener (Playa Fornells, Arenal D'en Castell, Cala Morrel)

The resorts near Ciutadella (West) are very built up and commercialised and have no beaches to speak of.

Punta Prima near Mahon (East) is small, pretty, good beach and quiet.

I think Cala Galdana (middle of the South Coast) might appeal to you, very scenic, horse-shoe shaped bay, lovely beach, restaurants, not a lot of night-life and you can walk along the coast to some of the amazing virgin beaches nearby.

Here are the resorts and what I think of them (I've been holidaying in Menorca for 10 years now and know the place inside-out), but I am sure others have their own opinion different to mine.

Arenal D'en Castell - very pretty, a bit "English", 3 large AI hotels, good for kids
Cala'n Porter - again pretty, resort is set above the beach, again a bit "English"
Cala Galdana - beautiful, fairly quiet on a night, busy in high season
Cala Morell - stunning lunar landscape with burial caves, good snorkelling
Playa Fornells - a couple of km walk away from the stunning fishing town of of *Fornells, OK beach, mostly private villas and apartments, a couple of decent restaurants.
Punta Prima - white sand, lots of other resorts nearby, quiet, decent food.
Son Bou - 4km of white sand (best beach on the Island), scenic, more to do on a night, but still not busy. Next to Santo Tomas, small and popular.
Cala'n Forcat / Blanes - no beaches really so have rock platforms for sunbathing, quite built up, near Cuitadella.
Cala'n Bosch south of Cuitadella, a bit "English", popular, more to do, has a marina which is nice to wander around.

The weather in May should be OK, but Menorca is one of those places you just cant guarantee it (our last 2 weeks in July were a wash-out). And when I say a bit "English", I just mean there is the occasional place selling fish and chips and fried breakfasts, nothing OTT.

Enjoy.

Here is a link to a photo of Cala Galdana:

www.bookcheapholidays.com/media/18177/cala-galdana-holidays[1].jpg

And one to Arenal D'en Castell:

media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/18/76/4f/arenal-d-en-castell.jpg

And Son Bou:

www.barcelonapoint.com/images/giata/00/001438/001438a_hb_a_001.jpg

And Punta Prima:

www.bookableholidays.com/images/country/balearics/menorca/puntaprima/punta-prima-bay.jpg

Diabolo, Ciutadella doesnt have any beaches???? Yes it does, lots.. tourist ones, calan bosch, son Xoriguer,cala Blanca, Santandria, Sa caleta, even one in the town, Platja gran.... However, Son Saura, incredible virgin beach... Macarella...WOW!!Calan turqueta....stunning..????? No beaches to speak of...???

We have now been twice , 1st time punta prima then we went to son bou this year we are returning to punta prima staying in the insotel it is soooo lovely great area really pretty and theres a land train to take you to other beautiful beaches and nice little towns .............

lop37

Son Saura, Macarella and Turqueta are all a decent drive away from Cuitadella with restricted access and parking and are not holiday resorts, which I why I didn't mention them. Yes they are stunningly beautiful. Breathtaking. But they are not in Cuitadella. I didn't mention Binimel'a, Pregonda, Cavalleria and Algaiarens on the North Coast either if you notice, as you can't actually stay there on a package holiday!

I adore the town of Cuitadella, but I would not want to stay in one of the resorts around it. I was particularly referring to the Cala'n Blanes and Forcat etc anyway when I mentioned built up / commercialised / no beaches to speak of.
I forgot about Cala Blanca, so I'll beg your forgiveness on that one.

I do mention Cala'n Bosch as worth considering for the OP.

I think it is worth pointing out that we all have our favourite places and feel hacked off if someone criticises them. Lets not turn this into AIBU please?

Diobolo, i didnt feel hacked off at all!! just didnt want anyone to be put off staying in the Ciutadella area because they didnt think there were any beaches!! I personally agree with you about Calan Blanes, forcat, los Delfines, although these areas are massively popular with the Spanish tourists, but they all hire cars so only use the place as a base as well located for all the virgin beaches we have mentioned, and has easy access to Ciutadella at night. However, I, like you find it a bit bulit up, with two tiny weeny beaches, and is all a bit Karaoke, if you know what i mean!! Although, i know lots of people who just love it!! All down to personal taste. The island is beautiful, and it hard to choose a favourite, but would definately recommend hiring a car, you can explore so much in a week! Where will you be staying this year Diobolo?

lop37

a few years ago we found a little villa on Owners Direct in the middle of nowhere near Sant Clemente and we're going back there for the 4th time in a row. We always hire a car and go wherever we fancy that day. We go into Cuitadella and Mahon on a night several times and up to the Jaleo's in Fornells and Es Mercadel if the timing is right.

I love Menorca and would happily live there, although I understand from people on another forum I use that it's not always easy, especially out of season.

Nice to meet someone else who loves the place too.

I would like to go to Menorca this summer - just marking my place - thanks for all the info!

Thanks so much- all very helpful! Just come back to this after a busy day.

More places that are nice (although you might struggle to book a package holiday, there are lots of places on Owners Direct etc) are Sa Mesquida and Es Grau, both North of Mahon.

Sa Mesquida is a divine little Spanish village on the coast with a gorgeous beach and cliffs about 1km away where you can see Red Kites nearly every day. The beach has a lifeguard and toilets and a little van comes every lunchtime selling drinks and sandwiches.

Es Grau used to be a bit "smelly" as it has a lot of seaweed on the beach, but this has been cleared away now, and the beach is lovely, long, the water is very shallow and warm and it is a very pretty town.

Both of these places are more for the independent sort of traveller though. But well worth a visit.