3 Days in Menorca - The Ultimate Beach Bum Itinerary

Menorca is tiny but mighty. It’s about 270 square miles, located near Mallorca, just off the Spanish Costa Brava. It’s a place with grainy, white-sand beaches and Spanish farm-to-table countrysides. You may see a few Menorcan pigs playing in the mud while passing through the local farmlands. As you near the coastal areas, the steep, tree-lined trails will bring you to the island’s beach coves, or calas.

Life here is slower, happier. If you’re looking for some peace and quiet on the beach, this is the itinerary for you.

Day 1: Cala Macarella and Cala Macarelleta

Our Airbnb was located near Cala Macarella & Cala Macarelleta. Find the best accommodations for your stay on the island on Airbnb, Booking.com, or Hostelworld.

Cala Macarella is surrounded by cliffs and trees, with sparkling, turquoise water. There’s a trail that wraps around the side of the beach leading to Cala Macarelleta. We walked up the trail for views of both calas before grabbing a spot on the main beach.

How to get to Cala Macarella:

Bus: the 69 bus takes people from Ciutadella to Cala Macarella in the summer.
Car: there is a free parking lot that’s a 15 minute walk from the beach, but it’s only open during the off-season. Otherwise, you’ll have to park in the Cala Galdana parking lot and walk along Camí de Cavalls, the trail that runs around the island, for 30-40 minutes.
Bike: we ended up biking from our Airbnb. We stopped a few times along the way to take in the countryside views and see the farm animals.

Tips:

Be aware of the trail to Cala Macarella, it can get steep!
Get to these beaches early because they can get pretty crowded.
There is a restaurant located right on the beach if you’re in need of a snack mid-beach session.
If you’re planning to rent a car, take a look at Discover Cars, Economy Bookings, or Rentalcars.com for the best prices.

Day 2: Cala Mitjana and Cala Trebalúger

On the second day we went to Cala Mitjana. This beach was much easier to get to, and the parking lot was almost empty because it was so late in the season.

It gets crowded in the summer, so if you’re planning to visit during this time you should try to get to the parking lot by 10am.

We walked about 10-15 minutes from the parking lot down to the beach. It was a little cloudier this day, so the water wasn’t quite as clear.

Our Airbnb host, a local sailor named José Luis, recommended that we go to Cala Trebalúger, a super remote beach near Mitjana. After a few hours at Cala Mitjana, we walked about 20-25 min on the trail to Cala Trebalúger.

We were surprised to find that Cala Trebalúger was a clothing optional beach. That would have been helpful info from José Luis!

Cala Trebalúger was the most remote and peaceful beach we went to.

Tips:

Be prepared for the trek to Cala Trebalúger. We ended up walking barefoot, but you’re definitely better off wearing shoes!
Check out the lookout point as you take the trail to Cala Trebalúger. It’s to the right of the trail after you climb the stairs and reach the top of the first hill.

Day 3: Ciutadella or Cala Pregonda

We didn’t have enough time for the beach on our last day, so we went into Ciutadella de Menorca to walk around and grab some lunch. We went to a local restaurant for some bocadillos (see Tips below for what to order). There are lots of restaurants and cafes in town. You can walk along the port for views of the water.

Be careful with parking in Ciutadella – we were dumb and accidentally parked without paying. We came back to the car with a ticket on the windshield.

If you want to go to another beach for your last day, Cala Pregonda is a place that we wanted to go, but ran out of time. It’s on the north coast of the island, famous for its red sand. The sand is red because of the surrounding rocks, pedra vermella, a kind of red stone. There is a free parking lot at Cala Binimel-là. From there, it’s a 35 minute walk along Camí de Cavalls.

Tips

If you’re interested in tasting a popular Menorcan sandwich, try the Bocadillo de Sobrasada. It is a baguette served with sobrasada (Menorcan sausage), sweet carmelized onions, and a melted white cheese (usually edam or emmental). The sobrasada is a cured, raw meat made with a combination of pork, paprika, and other spices.
If you want something a little more familiar, the menus were filled with all kinds of bocadillos that might suit your cravings.

Where to Stay in Menorca

Airbnb has the best options for accommodations in Menorca. However, you can always find great deals on Booking.com and Hostelworld.

We decided to stay in a private room in a shared Airbnb. It exceeded all of our expectations.

The villa was run by José Luis and his family. It sat back on a long dirt driveway, surrounded by palm trees and hidden gardens. It was private yet inviting, charming, and nothing short of paradise.

If you’re interested in this Airbnb, you can find the listing for the rooms here (note that there are other rooms available in the same Airbnb).

Transportation in Menorca

You can get around Menorca by car, bus, and in some cases, bike.

Rent a Car:

For 3-4 days at the end of September, renting a car in Menorca cost us around 50-60 euros total (not including the insurance and deposit). Search through at Discover Cars, Economy Bookings, or Rentalcars.com to ensure that they have vehicles available.
It’s possible to get around the island by bus, but renting a car is the best option if you can afford it.
Here is an article explaining how to get your International Driving Permit (IDP), an important document to bring with you if you want to rent a car.

Bus:

Line 62: runs from Ciutadella (the old town of Menorca) to Cala Morell
Line 65: runs from Ciutadella to Cala’n Bosch and Playa Xoriguer
Line 68 runs from Ciutadella to Cala Turqueta
Line 69 runs from Ciutadella to Cala Macarella.

Check this website for bus timetables.

There is also the Torres shuttle that runs in the summer season (July – September) to Cala Macarella, Cala Turqueta, Playa Son Saura, Playa La Vall, and Cala Morell. You can book your tickets in advance here.

How to get to Menorca

Menorca is accessible by plane or ferry.

From Valencia:

Flying from Valencia to Menorca is quick and cheap. Flights last 50 minutes to an hour, and often don’t cost more than 15 – 20€ if you book in advance.
Skyscanner will help you find the best available options for cheap flights.

From Mallorca:

You can get to Menorca by ferry from Mallorca. The shortest ferries run from Alcudia (Mallorca) to Ciutadella de Menorca. This trip takes just over an hour.
You can also take a longer ferry (about 6 hours) from Palma to Mahón.
Book your tickets online on Ferryscanner.
You can check out Omio for discounted ferry prices. Use the promo code FERRYGOOD on Omio for a 10% discount for one ferry booking made on the Omio site or app. The promocode is valid for ferry purchases up to €150 and for new customers only.

More Recommendations

Below is a list of Menorca’s other treasures:

Cala en Turqueta
Cala Morell
Cala Galdana
Cala Presili and Cala Tortuga

Menorca is a breathtaking and peaceful island, with gorgeous beaches, vistas, and more. If you don’t want so much beach time, there are other ways to explore it, like hiking the Camí de Cavalls.

This one’s for all the aspiring beach bums. It’s time for some rest and relaxation in Menorca.