The best things to do in Menorca - the Balearic island with a quiet appeal

According to a recent study by TravelSupermarket, holiday searches to Menorca have grown by 341% this year so far, outpacing both Ibiza and Mallorca. The combination of cheaper flights and the island’s quiet appeal are undoubtedly behind the numbers. The island’s status as a Unesco Biosphere Reserve has kept the high-rise hotels at bay and in their place, rustic fincas turned boutique hotels and agriturismos are dotted throughout the wild countryside, among fragrant lavender fields and wild olive trees.

A single main road links the British-influenced capital, Mahón, in the east to the former capital, Ciutadella, in the west. And from this road splinter tracks lead to rugged coves and pine-backed beaches with silky sand and jade-green waters. Visiting Menorca is a rare chance to dial back the clock.

“Menorca really feels like an island,” says Sonia Pons Vidal who grew up in Menorca and now manages Can Albertí 1740, a luxury boutique hotel with just 14 rooms in the centre of Mahón. “If Ibiza is the party island and Mallorca is known for its beaches, Menorca is the cultural island. Of course we have amazing beaches here too, but we have fewer visitors sitting on them. Menorca is quieter.”

The island has always had an artsy side, and more recently a coterie of artists and hoteliers have added to the local scene, opening galleries, ceramic studios and trendy coffee shops in the two main port towns. In Mahón’s harbour, the diminutive Illa del Rei houses an outpost of Hauser & Wirth, a stunning example of conservation and adaptive reuse that was awarded a European Heritage award in 2022.

Here are the best things to do in Menorca, according to a local…

“The best time to visit Menorca is spring (April–June) or autumn (September–October),” says Sonia. “You’ll see fewer holidaymakers and it’s not so hot.” The two-and-a-half-hour flight time makes it possible to visit for a long weekend but to truly experience the best of the island and its charms, five days to a week is best.

In the 18th century Menorca was occupied by the British (there have also been French and Moorish occupations) and the influence is obvious in the architecture around the pretty, buzzy port city of Mahón. It is the largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean and a lovely place to explore. The warren-like Old Town is peppered with galleries and restaurants and palatial old residences. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, there’s a local market at Plaça des Esplanada where you can sample Menorcan cheeses and pick up handcrafted leather avarcas menorquinas sandals.

Built into the limestone cliffs, Cova d'en Xoroi is the island’s most famous nightlife spot. Its southerly position means the sunsets here are pretty special. After dark DJs take to the decks. Space is at a premium, so be sure to book.

Camí de Cavalls is Menorca’s 185 km hiking trail. It encircles the island and takes 10-15 days to complete but it is split into 20 manageable chunks. On the section from Es Grau to Favaritx you’ll pass by different scenery to the south - a rocky moonscape of slate compared to the south’s white sand and turquoise water. You’ll hike past the island’s chalk-white windmills and dip down into coves only accessible on foot. Clopping along on one of Menorca’s indigenous jet-black horses, or by bike, lets you cover more ground

Small-scale vineyards produce high-quality wines thanks to the combination of warm, sunny days and the cooling influence of eight different winds. Binifadet is the largest producer on the island, making wine from chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and local varieties like giró ros. The stylish agriturismo, Torralbenc also hosts tastings and tours.

International art gallery Hauser & Wirth arrived on the petite Illa del Rei in 2021. The owners sensitively repurposed the existing 18th-century outbuildings of a former naval hospital to create the centre, which is also home to a courtyard restaurant, Cantina, and a garden designed by Piet Oudolf comprising local perennials, grasses and native purple agapanthus. A winding path reveals sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, Franz West, Eduardo Chillida and Joan Miró.

Fortaleza de la Mola was a key military defence lookout for Menorca during times of invasion. It’s a fascinating place to explore if it rains. Find it on the opposite side of the harbour to Mahón.

From sweeping, family-friendly horseshoe bays with Caribbean-like waters to picturesque sandy nooks and off-track coves with red-toned sand, Menorca’s beaches are spectacular. Some have facilities and a lifeguard in the summer and a handful have simple feet-in-sand chiringuitos serving freshly caught fish or tapas-style dishes on the beach.

Located on the north coast, Es Grau is set within a natural park and is home to the unassuming but terrifically popular Tamarindos restaurant. Shaded by tamarind trees, it’s a charming spot to order a cold Estrella and the house-made guacamole.

Only accessible via a sweaty hour-long hike from the Camí de Cavalls trail, or by boat, Cala Escorxada is not easy to reach and has no facilities. Yet it’s worth the effort to be among the only people bronzing on the powder-soft sand.

Mitjana has no facilities which adds to the off-grid feel, but it does have a car park. Locals love to dive from the cliffs that surround the beach.

Reachable from Ciutadella by bus or car (the car park only opens in the off-season) followed by a 40-minute walk through the pine forest. The reward is fine white sand and a calm, impossibly blue sea.

The lively resort of Son Bou is home to the island’s longest beach, with sunbed hire, toilets, restaurants, bars and numerous sports rentals that make it perfect for families.

Bumping along the dusty tracks of the island’s hinterland is a great way to get acquainted with the wild landscape, and its artisans. Tours usually call at a cheese factory to taste local Menorquin cheeses. The island’s location makes it an important migration path for birds including flamingoes and African bee-eaters, so get the binoculars at the ready.

Typically setting off from the harbour in Mahón or Fornells, explore the coves that are harder to reach, swim, dive and sunbathe on a half-or full-day trip on a small skippered boat. Wind is a key consideration when planning a day trip and your captain will have the best knowledge about which coastline will be less affected.

Dotted throughout the island are some 1,600 prehistoric sites. Called talayots, these curious stone structures are unique to Menorca and over 5,000 years old. Some are thought to have been used as sacrificial tables – they were granted Unesco World Heritage status in 2023.

The traditional fisherman’s stew of rich tomato sauce and sweet lobster meat is best at Sa Llagosta, a portside spot in the sleepy fishing village of Fornells on the north coast.

Gallery hopping is a wonderful way to spend a rainy day in Menorca. The plaster-pink-hued boutique hotel Can Alberti 1740 in the centre of Mahón has become a cultural hub. Its Parisian owners have filled the hotel with original art and regularly host exhibitions and concerts featuring local and international talent.

Theatro Principal de Mahón is the oldest opera theatre in Spain. The impressive building was designed by an Italian architect and today it puts on a range of performances from classical, opera, modern music, plays and family-friendly performnances too.

Several of Menorca’s converted farmhouse hotels, such as the rustic-luxe Son Blanc Farmhouse, can arrange classes around the potter’s wheel. If you’re planning independently, both Blanca Madruga in Mahón and Ceràmiques Lora just outside the city are open by appointment.

Menorca owes its obsession with gin to the British, who missed their favourite tipple so much while stationed here in the 18th century that they built a distillery. Today, the family-owned site produces a distinctive aromatic style of gin along with various herbal and fruit liqueurs. Try the much-loved Pomada cocktail - a refreshing combination of local gin and lemonade.

Mornings in Menorca are traditionally launched with a sugar kick, in the form of an ensaïmada, a local pastry that falls somewhere between a doughnut and a Danish whirl. Panadería La Mejor (Plaça del Carme 5) is the best place in Mahón; Herbera Bakery (Carrer de Maó 28) is the best in Ciutadella.

Ses Forquilles, a small restaurant group, runs the breezy, fishy El Rais on Mahón’s harbour front (Moll de Llevant 314) while at the opposite end of the island, you'll find the wonderful bar and restaurant Ulisses, located together on the edge of Ciutadella’s beautiful covered fish market. For evening sundowners and tapas, there are venues aplenty, but Los Bucaneros, a hippie-chic thatched chiringuito on the beach at Binibeca, feels like the place to end the day.

For clothes, start at Tembo, a popular shop in Mahón (Plaza de España 32) and Ciutadella (Santa Clara 4). Vives (Carrer Nou 29) is the oldest jewellery shop in Mahón and Boba’s (Pont de l’Angel 7) is where to head for strikingly unusual espadrilles. The Family (Carrer del Carme) is a treasure trove of antiques and interior design run by Esteban Matera – clearly something of an icon on the island, who sources quirky furniture and decorative pieces from all over Europe. For more contemporary lifestyle and homeware pieces, head to Ciutadella and Mónica Colomar’s enticing shop Papillon (Carrer de Santa Clara 31).

Among the Balearic islands, Menorca has always operated a little below the radar, largely shunning the razzmatazz of Ibiza and Mallorca in favour of quieter simplicity. Numerous artisans are at work on the island, preserving old techniques and traditions, and trialling new. Ceramicist Blanca Madruga makes earthy tableware at her home-cum-studio in Mahón (Calle de Sant Jordi 29). Norwegian textile designer Turid Tarabay of Bona Soca works with recycled fabrics and natural plant dyes to fashion table linen, cushions, curtains and clothes. Traditional carpenter Miguel Gomila Carreras (Carrer de Tramuntana 25, Es Mercadal) works with wild olive tree wood to create Menorca’s distinctive gates and fences, plus furniture and interior-design pieces.