Menorca is best enjoyed mixing sea and history: a lighthouse at sunset, a Talayotic village in the morning, a hidden cove at midday and dinner by the harbour. Here are the island’s highlights by category, in order of what visitors look for most, with the itinerary that suits each one best.
Menorca’s lighthouses
Lighthouses are the island’s most popular sight. Punta Nati and Artrutx, in the west, are the best for sunset; Favàritx, on a cape of black slate, is the most striking landscape.
Each lighthouse has its own card with directions and summer access: Punta Nati, Favàritx (by bus only in season), Cavalleria and Artrutx. All four feature in our three-day itinerary along the island’s three coasts.
Recommended itinerary
3 days
Charming places
Lighthouses and villages of Menorca
Three days, three coasts: Favàritx and Es Grau, Monte Toro and Cavalleria, Ciutadella and Punta Nati.
Talayotic villages
The Talayotic culture left hundreds of prehistoric sites in Menorca; since 2023, “Talayotic Menorca” has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Don’t miss the Naveta des Tudons near Ciutadella, Torre d’en Galmés in Alaior and Talatí de Dalt near Maó. To understand what you see, start at the Museu de Menorca. In winter many sites are free to enter.
Recommended itinerary
4 days
History and culture
Menorca history route
Four days of talayots, British fortresses, museums and the old capital, from east to west.
Beaches and coves
There’s a cove for every plan: unspoilt, hidden ones in the south such as Cala Turqueta or Macarella; wide, calm beaches for children such as Son Bou or Es Grau; and red-sand coves in the north such as Pregonda.
Many unspoilt coves have no facilities: bring water, food and shade. In summer, Macarella can only be reached by bus or on foot. Read everything in our guide to the best beaches in Menorca.
Recommended itinerary
7 days
Beaches and coves
Menorca’s coves with the family
A week of beaches: one area a day, short drives and a plan for every rainy day.
Camí de Cavalls and nature
Menorca has been a Biosphere Reserve since 1993. The Camí de Cavalls, which circles the island along the coast, and the s’Albufera des Grau Nature Park are the best way to discover its nature.
The most famous stage links Cala Galdana, Macarella and Turqueta; the northern one, Binimel·là and Pregonda. For a flat, family-friendly morning, try the trails of s’Albufera des Grau.
Recommended itinerary
5 days
Nature and hiking
Menorca on foot
Five days of trails: s’Albufera des Grau, the red north, the Algendar gorge and the southern Camí de Cavalls.
History in the towns
Stroll through Ciutadella’s old town, with its cathedral and the Ses Voltes arcades, and in Maó explore the centre, the harbour and La Mola fortress at the harbour mouth.
If you only have a day for each town, we have an itinerary for Ciutadella in a day and another for Maó in a day on foot, also designed for cruise passengers.
Recommended itinerary
1 day
History and culture
Ciutadella in a day
The naveta, the marès quarries, the old capital, an unspoilt cove and sunset at Punta Nati.
Viewpoints
Monte Toro, in the centre of the island, is Menorca’s highest point (358 m): from the top you can see Fornells bay, the north coast and, on clear days, Mallorca.
Go early in the morning or at sunset. More on the Monte Toro card.
Food and markets
Try Mahón-Menorca cheese, with Protected Designation of Origin, lobster stew (caldereta) in Fornells and Mahón gin, and spend a morning at Maó’s markets.
Visit a cheese dairy such as Hort de Sant Patrici, the Xoriguer distillery and the Mercat des Claustre. Our two-day food route brings it all together with restaurants we have checked.
Recommended itinerary
2 days
Food and local markets
Flavours of Menorca
Two days of markets, gin, Mahón-Menorca cheese and lobster stew in Fornells.
Nightlife
Nights in Menorca are calmer than on the other Balearic islands: terraces in Maó and Ciutadella harbours, bars with live music and the Cova d’en Xoroi, a cave in the cliff above Cala en Porter.
For sunset at the Cova d’en Xoroi, buy your ticket in advance. If you’re going out for drinks, leave the car and take a taxi back.
Recommended itinerary
1 day
Nightlife and leisure
Menorca from afternoon to night
A day in the south-east: Binibeca, sunset at the Cova d’en Xoroi and the evening in Maó harbour.
Take it organised
Itineraries with the order of each day, how to get there and where to eat, ready on your phone.
6 days
Charming places
The best of Menorca in 6 days
The whole island in six days: Maó, the south-east, the north, the southern coves, Ciutadella and Macarella.
3 days
Charming places
Lighthouses and villages of Menorca
Three days, three coasts: Favàritx and Es Grau, Monte Toro and Cavalleria, Ciutadella and Punta Nati.
