Menorca recommendations

[Haypanky]

Hoping to go to Menorca in May, with 2 dc's age 4.5 and just 2. We're after an all inclusive type accommodation BUT with the ability to get out and see some of the island. Any recommendions?! For accommodation or an area to look into. Thank yooou!

Paradise Club and Spa is within easy walk of a nice sandy beach and the marina where there are lots of restaurants (and also a good place to push the pram while LO sleeps in the evening!) Rooms are apartment-style which is so much easier with young dc! There’s a decent splash pool area with slides, a playground and a mini club.
www.tui.co.uk/destinations/europe/spain/menorca/calan-bosch/hotels/aparthotel-paradise-club-and-spa.html

Royal Son Bou (has a private beach and loads to do for little ones) or Valentin

Thanks both of you!

Valentin Son Bou often has big discounts. When I booked Menorca it was much less than other similar places. I opted for Cala Galdana in the end , but VSB was my second choice.

@haventgotallday you wouldn't recommend the place you actually went?

We stayed at the paradise club in Cala n Bosch when our dc were 4 and 2 and loved it, particularly all the fabulous restaurants in the marina where we are every night. However the beach was a good 15/20 minutes walk away which was a bit of a mission with 2 young kids and associated beach paraphernalia!

We've narrowed down to 3 places (1 accommodation option per place) , Fornells on the north coast, Son Bou on the south coast or Santandria which is on the west coast nr Ciutadella.

Santandria is very basic- not a lot going on there. Son Bou is ideal with children. Fornells is a fishing village and it’s main activities are water sports but other than that there isn’t much in that area

Oops forgot Cala n Porter which is east of Son Bou and Saint Tomas

Son Bou definitely best for young children. Fornells good for restaurants, especially if you like fish. Santandria very small and beaches not so good that end of island. Santo Tomas also very child friendly and Cala Galdana is a lovely resort, good for a day trip. Cala n Porter has good beach and the caves worth a visit.

Cala en Porter is lovely. Mahon is worth a day trip too- the markets are fun

I've been to Cala Galdana 3 times, so definitely would recommend.

HaventGotAllDay we're looking at Cala Galdana now 🤔 Is it overwhelmed by the big hotel?

We liked Royal Son Boy- Fornells is a quaint town but with no beach - the beach resort a few miles away I found soulless.

Why Santandria and not Cala Blanca? We used to stay halfway between the two, and much preferred Cala Blanca for our evening strolls.

Hi Op, have been to Menorca a fair few times. Cala n bosch is quite "Brits abroad" I found; beach is also quite small and looks much nicer in pics than in real life. Cala n Porter is lovely; again quite Brits abroad (lots of English type pubs) and very hilly (beach is at bottom of cliffs). Cala Galdana is stunning; enormous long beach, some really lovely restaurants but fairly quiet. I'd stay in Cala Galdana and hire a car.

That's interesting @eggysmum. The more I look at the more confused I am!

@anothertempusername ah thank you, Cala Galdana is emerging as the main contender for us I think. I'm a bit put off by the large 60's style Hotel and sun loungers though, which are just not for me personally. Does it have quieter ends of the beach or does the hotel dominate? Really be interested in an opinion on this as its my one concern really.

The beach isn't private to the hotel, and is quiet (ish!) so the hotel sort of doesn't feature at all!

There are iirc only 3 hotels in the resort, the big one Melia on the left of the bay has its own access to the beach but it doesn't dominate it. We stayed (my 3rd time) at the Hotel Cala Galdana just off the beach. The other hotel is iirc adults only.

It's a purpose built resort which has grown up around the beautiful beach tbh, it is fairly quiet but I'm happy with that. We were there mid August but the beach is big enough not to ever feel crowded.

Inland towns a bus/taxi away. It's also about half way between Mahon , where we went twice, and Ciutadela.

Went on an excursion which picked up in Santo Tomas- now that seemed very Brits abroad, dd commented that she wouldn't have wanted to stay there.

We always stay at Cala Blanca because we absolutely loved going into citadella every evening. So we want to be quite close. The beach at santandria is lovely as is the beach at Cala Blanca although they're both both quite small. We go out of season so it's not problem and we hire a car and explore the island. Cala Galdana is very nice but you're a bit out on a limb there I think. We absolutely love the Virgin beaches so tend to go to different beach every day anyway. Macarella, En Turqueta etc

If I'm being honest about Cala Galdana I would say I would feel claustrophobic staying there. But it is lovely going to visit we always go once every time we visit Menorca.