Menorca advice please

[orangelotus]

Can I ask where to stay in Menorca?
We like sightseeing walking food wine
Ideally no driving . A nice pool .
That's it really it all
Sounds nice but difficult to choose a base.

Sightseeing will depend on busses then. So you ideally want to get to Soller, Valldemossa, Deia and Palma. You might want other villages and resorts. I don’t know much about walking routes but I’m sure others will. However a resort like Pollensa will have buses. So check out bus routes. Rome 2 Rio can be helpful. Personally I think having a car brings freedom and the chance to stop at unexpected delights!

Time Out has 12 best things to see and do. Includes a hike. No doubt a map and a guide will help here too!

I think you’re thinking of Majorca not Menorca?

I went to Menorca for first time over the last week in May this year.

I stayed at the floramar aparthotel in Cala Galdana. It's a horseshoe shaped bay surrounded by pine forests. The hotel has great views over the bay and the staff were so welcoming.

If you Google Cala Galdana it really looks exactly like that, turquoise water, white sands! Lots of restaurants too, we like Delit and Sa Luna best. No mosquitoes!

We did lots of walking through the pine forests to other beaches and enjoyed it so much we didn't leave the area. The beach is amazing, water so clear and fishes swimming about, only very small waves and white sand under feet. You can wade out for 100m and the water only comes up to your chest.

"So you ideally want to get to Soller, Valldemossa, Deia and Palma."

She'd need a boat or a plane then 🤣

I second Cala Galdana, also Son Bou or Calan Bosch which has a lovely marina with lots of nice restaurants. You can get a bus from pretty much anywhere to Ciutadella.

Also be aware, by mid August onwards menorca can get extremely humid with lots of mozzies.

🤔…..not sure you got the right island ???

We went to Cala Blanca - Globales Mediterrani (TUI resort), it was lovely, about an hour walk to cuitadella for sight seeing and dinner. We could have booked trips to different parts of the island but we were happy just going for long walks locally.

The walk from Cala Galdana on the Cami De Cavalls to Cala Macarella, Maacarelleta and Turqueta is absolutely stunning. One of my favourite hikes I've done around Europe. Cuitadella is also incredibly beautiful.

I’m in Menorca now, and love it here! Staying in a villa in Son Bou with fantastic views of the sea and coast.

Most resorts here will suit what you are after - almost all will offer a few restaurants and bars nearby, and have trips available for sightseeing. We hire a car as we like to go to restaurants slightly off the main resorts, but the main towns can be reached by bus easily enough during the day.

If you are coming as just adults, I’d stay either near Mahón or Cuitadella, for sightseeing and lovely restaurants/wine in the evenings, or Fornells for great fish restaurants with a pretty view of the harbour. With kids, anywhere would be fine, Son Bou, Santa Tomàs, Arsenal den Castell, Cala Galdana, Cala’n Bosch are all great choices.

Palma is Majorca ...

Thankyou all so much!! Very excited menorca sound a perfect option for us.
Are you happy to share the details of the villa you are in as it sounds lovely

We are staying in Villa Aire, booked through Villa Plus. Peaceful area, but only about 15 min walk to restaurants and a couple of bars - another 5 mins on to long sandy beach

I third Cala Galdana. I've been 3 times. Stayed each time at the Cala Galdana hotel.
The whole island is gorgeous and laid back and lots of bus services to get around.

You've sold it to me!
I last went to menorca 25 years ago when DC were little. Santo Thomas, small resort with miles of sandy beach. Don't know why I never thought of going back.

I've done it as 3 different generations 😂 first with my parents, then it was my first abroad holiday with friends (at 17- and because my mum had seen it, she let me 😂) then it was the first place I took DD.
Beautiful place.

Mahon is really nice - it's a proper town, not just a tourist resort.

If looking near the end of the summer we found Santo Tomas had more wasps than anywhere we had been when we visited last October.
It got so bad we had to hire a car to get out of the town during the day. We don't normally complain about things but it was definitely not a holiday for us and of course the resorts couldn't exactly help it either. Anytime we went outside they would appear and land on us.

I will say driving on the island was such a breeze to todo. It was our first time driving abroad and definitely a great place to try it out.

Apologies. Should have gone to …. ….

Cala Galdana is beautiful. We stayed at the Audax.

If you like sightseeing and won't have a car, I'd recommend staying on the Mahon side of the island as you'll be close to the airport but with plenty of things to do without having to travel far (whether by bus or taxi). Mahon itself is a beautiful historic city, the second deepest harbour in the world apparently so you'll spot some pretty impressive yachts moored up. There is a brilliant market and amazing restaurants. Just 5 minutes up the road is Es Castell which I love, it's a very pretty town with a lovely fishing harbour which comes to life at night. There are a few hotels in Es Castell, with amazing views. Beaches are within easy reach, Sa Mesquida, Binibeca and Punta Prima. I used to spend a lot of time in Menorca.