Which resort in Menorca

[onanotherday]

Visited 30 years ago, loved Cala Gandana..but prices are high. Can anyone recommend another resort?

I was going to say cala galdana too!
What's your budget?
When do you want to go?

I've been to Menorca many times and the most recent visits have also been with quiet teenagers.

I again recommend the Cala Blanca/Santandria area. Both beaches are small but lovely. The teens and DH love jumping in from the rocks on the side of the cove and both beaches accommodate that nicely. Cala Blanca itself is not boutique type wandering but dose have a couple of fancier restaurants as well as the normal run of bars and eateries and a couple of supermarkets. We've stayed in a range of hotels/villas and apartments there.

It's very easy to jump on a bus into Ciutadella but the last few times we've taken to walking in and back, it takes about 40 minutes depending on where you are based. You can also get the bus from there to lots of places including a trip to Mahon.

Arenal d’en Castel is lovely for the beach but I don't remember there being a lot there. DC were toddlers the year we went there so can't really comment on it's suitability for older DC.

Cala N Forcat is a busier resort but it wasn't really for us.

We are just back from cala'n bosch. We were AI at marinda gardens which was fab, but from what I saw there was a decent atmosphere by the marina and plenty of restaurants. We got a boat trip to cala galdana and I'd say the beach there was bigger and nicer than cala'n bosch, but there are 2 to choose from at calan bosch (the other is called son xoriguer and had a nice green area with restaurants behind, which could be a change from marina and main beach). There is also a small water park which we had free access to from our hotel.
We got an easy, cheap bus to ciutadella for a morning which was pretty.

Just to add we went through cala blanca on the transfer bus and it also looked nice if smaller, but closer to ciutadella for more variety.

Also just back from another holiday in Cala Blanca/Santandria area and this time found the 3rd beach which is at Sa Caleta, just round from Santandria. No idea why we haven't gone to this one before given it's about 5 minutes walk round the corner from Santandria. Anyway, this one is a very gentle bank of lovely soft sand, not big but reasonably quiet and I'd say particularly perfect for anyone with small DC. There are toilets/shower/foot wash and a little bar. Great rocks to jump from but not for getting back out and they aren't bare foot friendly so would have to jump in holding flip flops, swim back to shore with them and repeat.

We had a lovely holiday and it was great to see that most places had survived and re-opened.

Also just back from another holiday in Cala Blanca/Santandria area and this time found the 3rd beach which is at Sa Caleta, just round from Santandria. No idea why we haven't gone to this one before given it's about 5 minutes walk round the corner from Santandria. Anyway, this one is a very gentle bank of lovely soft sand, not big but reasonably quiet and I'd say particularly perfect for anyone with small DC. There are toilets/shower/foot wash and a little bar. Great rocks to jump from but not for getting back out and they aren't bare foot friendly so would have to jump in holding flip flops, swim back to shore with them and repeat.

We had a lovely holiday and it was great to see that most places had survived and re-opened.

We stayed at the Hotel Cala Blanca nearly 30 years ago. I couldn't find it while searching for holidays for next year.
I'm longing to go back. I read that they had built a new town at Cala Blanca in the 90s. This must have been after we left. I always remember Cuitadella being lovely.

it's possibly changed names. The Sagitario hotels might be an option? The Playa one is just up from Cala Blanca beach and they've built two new ones beside Santandria beach. We stayed in the Play a one year and it was pretty decent. Not luxurious but a nice spa, pool and food was pretty good. Never had any issues getting sun beds by the pool either. Ciutadella as beautiful as ever.

BinBandit

it's possibly changed names. The Sagitario hotels might be an option? The Playa one is just up from Cala Blanca beach and they've built two new ones beside Santandria beach. We stayed in the Play a one year and it was pretty decent. Not luxurious but a nice spa, pool and food was pretty good. Never had any issues getting sun beds by the pool either. Ciutadella as beautiful as ever.

Thanks for the recommendations. Yes that would be it, it's most likely changed names. It will be good to see if the little shops are still down the lane you walk to the little beach.

@BooseysMom is this the hotel you’re looking for?

I love Menorca. I’d move there tomorrow and wanted to go back this year but DH didn’t, because we’ve been so many times, so we’re going somewhere else.

I always said I wouldn't be one of those people that go back to the same place every year and yet here I am, going back to Menorca regularly!

Lots of lovely shops in Ciutadella still, Not much shopping wise in Cala Blanca through the hotels and Maribel apartments tend to have shops inside with some nice stuff. Otherwise it's mainly restaurants with dodgy names and small supermarkets. We ended up going to Jenny's to eat a few times (though our favourites are Sa Cova or Es Caliu) because it was local and cheap and had good reviews but i'll admit the snobbery in me was put off by the name. However, the food was decent, they had a great fixed price menu including wine and it was quite a chill place.

I mean Sa Quadra not sa nacra - getting things muddled :)

Agree with all the above. Es Castell is also lovely with the harbour (Cala Fonts) beautiful in the evening, very nice restaurants and it's literally 5 minutes up the road from Mahon where you can swap a bustling fishing harbour with a huge port and and amazing yachts.

TheFairyCaravan · 15/06/2022 15:14

@BooseysMom is this the hotel you’re looking for?

I love Menorca. I’d move there tomorrow and wanted to go back this year but DH didn’t, because we’ve been so many times, so we’re going somewhere else.

Thanks for pasting the link. That's it! It never comes up on my searches. Maybe it's always fully booked. I can't believe I never went back. I love Devon & Cornwall but every year for 15 years?! I dream of going abroad again. We have an 8 year old DS and DH can't take time off in the school term so we are stuck on a continuous loop of caravan holidays in the UK!

@BooseysMom Can you skip next year's caravan holiday and start saving for 2024. We do a family of 4 for about £2000 in the summer holidays. So say your caravan holiday costs a generous £1000 a year. You have the money by 2024...just a thought....

Or ditch the family and go on your own with a friend in term time 😋

We went cala n Bosch when DD was 3. Absolutely fab. We stopped at Viva menorca..about a 15 mins walk to one beach of the 2 beaches. Marina. Restaurants. Lighthouse. Easy to explore with a decent bus service.

Palmtreesandsand

@BooseysMom Can you skip next year's caravan holiday and start saving for 2024. We do a family of 4 for about £2000 in the summer holidays. So say your caravan holiday costs a generous £1000 a year. You have the money by 2024...just a thought....

Or ditch the family and go on your own with a friend in term time 😋

Thank you. Very tempting though this idea sounds, I think it will have to go on the back burner again what with the cost of living increases. Also we'd have to factor in x3 new passports. (Unless by some miracle I managed to go on my own which I can't ever see happening!) I honestly can't see us ever going anywhere outside of this country.

But I am the master of dreaming!!