Cala d’or/ Puerto Pollensa /Son Bou which one is your fave & why?

[EveryGreen]

Hi,
I’m wanting to book out first family holiday abroad soon (for May/June next year)
We are a family of 4 with 2 dcs, who will be 4 and just over 1 years old by the time we go next year.

I’ve done so much research, reading old threads on here, google maps, trip advisor forums, you name it - I’m really interested in the above places mentioned in my title as they seem very kid friendly & just look lovely.

I like the look of Son Bou in Menorca - beach look stunning, plenty of room even if busy, scenic coastal walks (we love walking) but there doesn’t seem to be a lot going on in terms of a restaurant/cafe scene. We like abit of a buzz in the evening , somewhere we can wander round, people watch, go in a few shops.

Cala D’or seems very pretty, the marina is lovely, seems to be a good choice of eateries , cove beaches pretty but very small. Also I’ve read a few reviews that say it doesn’t have a promenade/ coastal path it’s mainly focused around the Marina.

PP seems lively but not rowdy, pretty promenade we can walk along, but the beach seems abit narrow and more like a city beach, it doesn’t look as nice as the others.

What are your experiences? Is there anywhere else you would recommend in Majorca/Menorca?

I know I seem picky, I just want to get it right as it’s our first time abroad in a long time and first time for Dcs.

Arghhh, help!

(thanks in advance for reading my essay)

Puerto pollensa is absolutely gorgeous it is where I am going to buy a house when I win the lottery.

The beach isn't narrow- where have you seen that? The bit by the pine walk is small but the bit further down is huge and lovely with beautiful sand.

It is lovely in the evening with a buzz and nice restaurants. It is perfect for family holiday. I could pack a bag and go right now just thinking about it!

I think if you want a nice beach and a buzz in the evening, Puerto Pollensa is hard to beat.

Son Bou is a gorgeous beach and great for families but there really isn’t much there other than the hotels, some small shops, some cafes. It’s not somewhere I would go if I wanted to go out of an evening.

Cala d'or is nice but not a patch on PP

Thank you @Highlyflavouredgravy
It’s good to hear that about the beach - on the pictures I’ve been looking at & on street view , it looked narrow from sand to sea, but realise I’ve just been looking at one part
( correct! The bit around the Pine Walk)
Dh & I are leaning towards PP. Think our DCs will love it. Now for the hotel!

Thank you @cherryassam
The beach does look spectacular in Son Bou but we would definitely miss the buzz of activity in the evening so I think PP is the one. I just needed a little shove to make the decision!

We have been to all three when children were younger. I personally recommend Cala D’Or . You can actually walk around many of the coves,lots to keep children occupied ie road train that takes you all over Cala D’Or ,lots of play areas and not too Brits in Spain vibe . Boat trips from all of the coves and food to suit all tastes and wallets!
Son Bou was ok but not very interesting.
PP is nice but quite limited to keep small children occupied and very hot in comparison with Cala D’Or.
Have been back to Cala D’Or over the last few years with now adult children and grandchild. We still consider it our happiest of places . We always stay in Cala Ferrera and the apartments have the most magical view onto the bay .

I'd add Cala Millor or Sa Coma into the mix. Lovely beach, long promenade which goes all the way along to Cala Bona and the harbour there. Cala Bona is also lovely but not much for kids to do there.

The great thing about the narrow bits of the beach on pine walk is you can put the buggy under the trees and sit there but still be on the beach and have the kids in the shade

San bou is beautiful but very quiet in the evenings, loved it though. Beautiful coastal walks but your DC would be too young to enjoy them.

Loved PP too, a lot more vibrant in the evening, lovely day trips from there as well. We had a lovely family holiday there.

I have been to Cala D'or many times with my DC and we love it. There's lots going on in the marina and the town centre with loads of places to eat and drink. Nothing is too far away which is great with small DC. I would definitely recommend it.

Puerto Pollensa. Went to Cala d'Or this year and was disappointed, it wasn't as nice.

I've been to cala d'Or and I wouldn't recommend it. Yes the beaches and coves are amazing but the marina and shops,cafes etc is pretty poor. A lack of nice cafes and restaurants and just tourist tat shops. Mondrago nature reserve nearby is lovely. The resort is heavily built up with big hotels everywhere.

I'd recommend port soller we've been seven times it has lovely safe beach,a gorgeous strip with cafes,bars and restaurants. Beautiful walks from soller. Soller,inland is gorgeous has a beautiful square and lots to do and see.

Have a lovely time x

I'm just in the process of moving to Pollensa so I'm going to say Puerto Pollensa (totally biased)!

I always used to stay at the Hotel Illa d'Or but it's a bit pricey nowadays.

Puerto pollensa is fab. We go most years

We have been to Cala D'or twice and PP once - PP wins hands down. Food far far better, and I agree beach is better. It is v narrow at the pine walk end but as someone else mentioned it is far wider further down.

@EveryGreen where did you end up going? We're considering Cala D'or or PP, and our DC will be 4 and 1 by the time we go. Where did you stay, would you recommend it?

Have been to all three. Menorca is absolutely stunning but there is nothing to do in the evenings. Restaurants and cafes are v low key.
I would say Cala D'Or is best for your kids. The area is split in two parts - the Marina and then the coves with plenty of restaurants and bars in between both. Walk from the centre towards beautiful Cala Fererra beach (sandy with clear water) and you pass two play parks which have mini fun fair rides, bouncy inflatables and euro coin ride ins. Nice cocktails for you and hubby. There is also Cala Gran and Cala Esmeralda (tiny).
PP is absolutely stunning, but I didn't think it was particularly kid friendly. I stayed near the big beach, which has views of the pines and mountains and has incredibly clear sea water.