Can we talk Menorca?

[Moogdroog]

Off to Menorca in August. About to go into planning overdrive.

Would love to hear tips, places to visit or not, thoughts on our car hire dilemma, anything really. Never been before.

We have one week in a very basic little villa (just DH, myself, and DCs 5 & 7) on a complex just out of Cala'n Bosch, then heading to Cala Galdana for second week with my family in a much nicer villa.

Car hire is flipping extortionate, and wondering if we should and for how long. Airport transfers not sorted yet. First proper holiday with the DCs and car hire will bite into our spending money, just wondering how big a bite it should get.

Oooh following this if I may. Me and DCs are going 1st day of school holidays in July. No idea what's there to do/see. We're staying in a small resort in the north of the island (I think!)

Hello mejon

Do report back won't you? Hopefully someone will come along with some advice for us both.

Hi! I have been loads of times, always staying in villas.

Car hire... Really shop around. I was last there in September & used a local company who were great and cheap. I'll see if I can dig out the details. Length of car hire depends on where you are staying; if you are in the sticks you will need it for the whole time.

The two main cities, Ciudadella & Mahon are both worth a whole day trip each.

Es Castell is a small town near Mahon with a lovely bay, lots of restaurants etc. It is beautiful.

Fornells in the north is lovely also, lots of good fish restaurants.

Es Grau and S'albufera Es Grau (nature reserve) are good for a visit.

Will have a think for more info! Please ask if you have any specific questions.

Good restaurant recommendation is Can Bernat Des Grau which is on the road to Es Grau. Laid back but stylish place serving great fresh fish.

Es Castell is really lovely. We stayed there this time last year, for a long weekend. Lovely restaurants lining the harbour - had great meals in all of them.

But as we were only there for the weekend, we didn't hire a car/go anywhere else, so can't advise beyond this!

Loved Menorca last summer. We booked the car through an outfit called Do You Spain, we were quite happy with the price and the service.

We are off to Menorca next week!!

Have been a few times before and it really is a lovely little island, I am not good with names but there is a monastery on the highest point of the island which is worth a visit, yy to Es Castell we will def be going there one evening.

There are loads of lovely beaches and there is one big water park which I think is close to where we will be staying.

I will report back after next week!!

It's a while since I've been but stayed in Cala Galdana, which was lovely - a gorgeous bay. I was on a budget so went everywhere by bus. Worth asking on the trip advisor forums, for a local person, or looking for a Menorca website when you know where you want to go, as you may be able to save a lot on carhire, by having some car free time.

V jealous. I love Menorca

We went to Menorca last October and had brilliant weather all week. It was warm enough to sunbathe and we stayed in the Holiday Village which was walking distance to the marina at Cala'n'Bosch. It was a beautiful and relaxing week, there were more than one small beaches that were clean, with cafe's and loos. I would recommend the small beaches near the marina, also we walked to the lighthouse and had a coffee at the café there and the view out over the ocean was spectacular. There is a land train which we took the granddaughter on and she loved it.
We did a day trip to Mahon and did the boat tour of the bay and that was really good. There is a lot of history and we had a guide that gave us the narrative, although there is narrative on the boat over the tannoy which points out various buildings and who occupied them during various occupations of the island. The gin factory in Mahon was not so good (too touristy and packed in like sardines and expected to buy and go).
We enjoyed Cuitadella and went on market day. That was good too for artwork, leather work, and just relaxing in the town square. We bought a nice oil painting from one stall and a name plaque for our granddaughter's bedroom door with her name on it done by hand by the artist at the stall. Very clever and unique. The market is quite big. We did not worry about hiring a car as the buses are good. We took a Berlitz guide book with us and were happy to mooch around and explore as a family.
We loved Menorca, the people are lovely and friendly and the place is very clean.

We stayed near Cala N'Bosch, and didn't bother with car hire at all. The local buses are excellent, and we used them to go up to Cuitadella, and to Mahon (change at Cuitadella) without problems (neither of us speak any Spanish other than Please and thank you).

I assume you're in the cap d'artrux area of Cala en Bosch which is a bit of a trek to the Marina but there are a handful of fab pubs there including the titanic pool bar which has trampolines and a large ball pit for the kids.

You will be able to cope without a car although if you had one you could go to Cala blanca, next door, which is beautiful at night.

Cala galdana is a gorgeous beach but the jellyfish are problematic- there's a reason why there is a first aid station there, when my sister was stung she had to queue for treatment.

Might see you there as I'm going in August, albeit to son bou, however we went to Cala en Bosch for three years on the trot- it's great.

Hire a car as there are some beautiful, small beaches you can visit for the day.

Hi, Cala n Bosch also has a waterpark.
Marina is lovely and the beaches near to it.

Ooh, loads of replies thank you!

Ebayaholic - spot on about our location in Cala en Bosch, though we're quite far up on that development near the lighthouse. The kids are good walkers, though I think a car might be most useful on this part of the trip. Wondering if there's any food shops up that neck of the woods?

Oh no! Jellyfish!!

Electro- that's good to know about the buses.

Definitely fancy a boat trip, thanks for the idea Yukduck, and the forewarning of the gin place - I'd have been easily lured in there!

We're a vegetarian family, with fussy eaters. I'm fairly certain we'll be a nightmare eating out. But I'm guessing there's plenty of places we can get pizza again ffs?

Loads of wonderful tips! Thank you!

There are food shops by the pubs, (spar etc) which are off the roundabout next to the viva menorca, which you'll be able to walk to.

Plenty of choice for fussy eaters too.

You can eat and drink at the lighthouse as well, it's quite pricey but gorgeous.

If you walk to the town along the long road from the lighthouse area, you will come in by a pretty bridge into the marina area. This in itself is a lovely walk. The marina is full of cafe's, restaurants and shops. The two small beaches are close by the marina so make sure you bring beach gear and money for a sun bed. The sand is soft and white and the beach we visited most was encircled by rocks, so very scenic.

We did not swim so jellyfish were not a problem to us!