PRISTINE SANDS AND TURQUOISE WATERS: WELCOME TO MENORCA’S RAVISHING BEACHES

At just 48 km (30 miles) long and 16 km (10 miles) wide, Menorca’s beach-fringed landscape weaves around 100 or more hidden coves and secret calas. They come in all different shapes and sizes with each one seemingly more breathtakingly beautiful than the next.

Thanks to its designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the island’s beaches remain naturally wild and unspoilt, a place where birds and wildlife thrive. And with very little built up environment to disrupt the pristine landscape, beach days on Menorca hold a special kind of magic.

From North to South

For such a small island, the landscape varies dramatically from north to south. The north is characterised by a rugged and craggy coastline, dominated by red and dark grey rocks with sweeps of red-tinged sand and vast seagrass meadows of Posidonia, a type of flowering plant found in the waters. 
Known as underwater forests, carpets of Posidonia are a biodiverse and safe haven for numerous underwater creatures and species. Thriving seagrasses are key to happy and healthy marine life and they play a crucial role in sustaining robust coastal ecosystems. Seagrass is a valuable food source while also providing coastline protection, water purification and carbon capture and storage. All this means the waters around Menorca are extremely clean and crystal clear – just perfect for snorkelling and swimming adventures.  
The south of the island looks remarkably different. Here the land is dotted with sweet-scented pine forests and buildings made from the distinctive white sandstone, known as mares, that is redolent of the landscape. The sandstone makes beaches of fine white sweeps of sand framed by glittering turquoise seas look like something straight out of the Caribbean.
Both our Menorcan properties, Vestige Son Vell hotel and Vestige Santa Ana private estate, are close to the coast and within easy walking distance of a beach. Here are a handful of our favourites, picked by the team at Son Vell.

In the north, we love:

• Cala Pregonda, one of Menorca’s most iconic beaches with a unique red-hued sand and rocky landscape, it’s a fantastic snorkelling spot.

•  Cala Cavallería, one of the largest unspoilt beaches on the north coast, close to the Cavallería lighthouse for spectacular, fiery sunsets and easily accessed by car.

• La Vall is made up of two beaches, Playa dels Tancats and Playa d’Algaiarens. Declared a Natural Area of Special Scientific Interest, the area teems with wildlife, flora and fauna.

• Cala Pilar is difficult to access which makes it worth the effort. The long path down rewards with a stunningly beautiful beach and barely another soul to disturb your peace.

And in the south, we love:

• Son Saura with its impressive sweep of sand made up of two beaches, Playa dels Banyuls and Playa Bellavista. Undulating dunes, warm shallow waters and gentle cliffs make it a hugely popular spot.

• Cala Turqueta is a small slice of paradise: fine white sands, fragrant pine trees and the turquoise waters that give the beach its name.

• Macarella and Macarelleta are walking distance from Santa Ana. Protected by towering cliffs and remarkably unspoilt despite their popularity. Cala Macarella also has a cafe and restaurant area.

• Binidalí is a bit of a best-kept secret: small, quiet and charmingly unpretentious, it has a sheltered horseshoe shaped bay sheltering clear waters with yachts bobbing in the distance.

Some beaches are best accessed from the water, and we can arrange half day, full day or longer boat trips to make the most of the Balearics fine sands and crystalline waters.

Personal favourites

This is only a tiny taste of some of Menorca’s beaches. When you visit you might find your own secret cove to make your holiday memories come to life. With balmy temperatures starting on the island from April, Vestige Son Vell and Vestige Santa Ana are the perfect launchpads to discover your own favourite Menorcan beach.