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Maó harbour with the houses of the centre on the cliffThe Carme cloister, now a marketThe auditorium of the Teatre Principal in MaóIlla del Rei in Maó harbour
  • History and culture
  • 2 days
  • New

Maó in depth: history, harbour and fortresses

Maó is a city best understood slowly. One of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean made the British, French and Spanish fight over it in the 18th century, and that history is in every street: Georgian houses with sash windows, the gin brought by English sailors, the 1829 opera house and the fortresses at the harbour mouth. Two days with more history than usual at each stop and, after each one, what is worth it a few minutes away.

See what you’ll get

Overview

Length
2 days
Spend in Menorca
€€€ · €90–160 per person per dayTickets, activities and meals at the places we suggest, without accommodation or transport. It is separate from the price of the itinerary.
Getting around
On foot · By car
Effort
EasyCity walks with slopes and steps, a short boat trip and little driving
Pace
Balanced
Best time
Mid-June to mid-September, when there are daily boats to Illa del Rei and guided tours of the Teatre Principal. The rest of the year it works by swapping Illa del Rei for the Museu de Menorca (on Sundays the island opens in the morning).

What you’ll get

  • Online itinerary

    Every day on your phone, stop by stop: times, how to get there and where to eat. Tick off what you’ve seen.

  • Interactive map

    Every place numbered in the order you visit it, with its card and how to get there.

  • Downloadable PDF

    The whole trip to carry offline: each day’s plan, place cards, transport and a rainy-day plan.

  • excursiaDiscover, enjoy, come back
    A 2-day itinerary around Menorca

    Maó in depth: history, harbour and fortresses

    Two days in the capital and its harbour, with the history of every corner: markets, the museum, Spain's oldest opera house, gin, Illa del Rei and La Mola.

    2 daysEasy

  • Your trip at a glance

    Two days in the capital and its harbour, with the history of every corner: markets, the museum, Spain's oldest opera house, gin, Illa del Rei and La Mola.

    The days

    1. Day1The upper town: markets, museum, opera and ginMercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó) · Museu de Menorca · Maó: town centre and harbour · Teatre Principal de Maó · Xoriguer distillery · Maó: town centre and harbour
    2. Day2

    excursiaMaó in depth: history, harbour and fortresses · 2

  • Your trip on the map

    Each number is a place, in the order you visit it: you’ll find the same number on the day’s page and on its card.

    CiutadellaFerreriesEs MercadalAlaiorMaó1. Mercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó)12. Museu de Menorca23. Maó: town centre and harbour34. Teatre Principal de Maó45. Xoriguer distillery5
    1. 1Mercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó)
    2. 2Museu de Menorca
    3. 3Maó: town centre and harbour
    4. 4Teatre Principal de Maó
    5. 5Xoriguer distillery
    6. Day 2
    7. Day 2
    8. Day 2
    9. Day 2

    excursiaMaó in depth: history, harbour and fortresses · 3

  • Day 1

    The upper town: markets, museum, opera and gin

    Maó: old town and Moll de Ponent · No car: everything on foot (about 5 km in the day)

    From the cloister turned market to Spain's oldest opera house, then down to the harbour to taste gin and dine by the water.

    09:30–10:45Morning

    1Mercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó)

    Maó's market fills the cloister of the Carme convent, which the Carmelites built from 1750. After the 19th-century confiscation of church property it became a prison and a court, and in 1884 the cloister became a market. Browse the stalls of Mahón-Menorca cheese, sobrasada and ensaïmadas, and look into the Mercat des Peix, the fish market opened in 1927, with its tapas bars.

    11:00–12:45Morning

    2Museu de Menorca

    The former convent of Sant Francesc holds the island's history, from the first settlers and the talayotic culture (World Heritage since 2023) to the British period. It began as the Municipal Museum of 1889. An hour and a half is enough to understand everything you will see afterwards.

    13:00–16:30Midday

    3Maó: town centre and harbour

    Plaça de la Constitució, with the Town Hall and the church of Santa Maria, home to one of Europe's most famous organs (1810). Lunch in the centre, then down to the harbour by the Costa de ses Voltes, the stairway linking the town to the water.

    17:00–18:00Afternoon

    4Teatre Principal de Maó

    Spain's oldest opera house, opened in 1829 on the initiative of a local merchant: the love of opera had been brought by the Italians and the British in the 18th century. An Italian-style auditorium with horseshoe boxes, restored at the start of this century.

    18:30–19:30Sunset

    5Xoriguer distillery

    Mahón gin, with Protected Geographical Indication, is the tastiest legacy of the British sailors. At the distillery on the Moll de Ponent it is distilled in wood-fired copper stills: see the stills and taste the gin and pomada (gin with lemonade), the drink of the island's fiestas.

    20:30–23:30Evening

    3Maó: town centre and harbour

    Dinner on the Moll de Llevant, the restaurant quay, with the boats in front, and a drink with live music on the Moll de Ponent.

    excursiaMaó in depth: history, harbour and fortresses · 4

  • Food and local markets · Maó

    1Mercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó)

    Maó’s market, in the cloister of the former Carme convent, with stalls of local produce; next door, the fish market with tapas counters.

    Location
    Plaça del Carme, Maó
    Best time
    Morning
    Admission
    Time needed

    excursiaMaó in depth: history, harbour and fortresses · 5

  • And in the full itinerary

    • 1 more day with its full plan
    • 9 place cards, with opening times and parking
    • How to reach every stop by car, bus or on foot
    • Where to eat and a plan for every rainy day
    • Useful phone numbers and the trip’s common questions

    Opening hours and access change every season: confirm them the day before.

Real pages of this itinerary. What you see in grey arrives in full when you buy.

Itinerary

A preview with 60% of the stops. How to get there, where to eat, the tips and the rest of the trip come when you buy.

Day 1The upper town: markets, museum, opera and gin

  1. Morning

    09:30–10:45

    Maó

  2. Morning

    11:00–12:45

    Maó

  3. Midday

    13:00–16:30

    Maó

  4. Afternoon

    17:00–18:00

    Maó

  5. Sunset

    18:30–19:30

    Maó

  6. Evening

    20:30–23:30

    Maó

1 more day included when you buy

With the plan for every stop, how to get there, where to eat, the rainy-day plan and a card for each place.

  • Day 2Maó harbour, La Mola and Es Castell4 stops

The places on the map

In green, the places of the preview. The grey ones, with a padlock, unlock when you buy: for now we only show you the area.

CiutadellaFerreriesEs MercadalAlaiorMaó1. Mercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó)12. Museu de Menorca23. Maó: town centre and harbour34. Teatre Principal de Maó45. Xoriguer distillery5

Places you’ll visit

The places of the preview open their card; the rest unlock when you buy.

  • Food and local markets

    Maó’s market, in the cloister of the former Carme convent, with stalls of local produce; next door, the fish market with tapas counters.

  • History and culture

    The reference museum for Menorca’s prehistory and history, in the former convent of Sant Francesc in Maó. Ideal for understanding the island before exploring it, and for a rainy day too.

  • History and culture

    Menorca’s capital overlooks one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean. Above, the historic centre; below, the Moll de Ponent with restaurants and bars.

  • Nightlife and leisure

    Spain’s oldest opera house, opened in 1829. It programmes opera, concerts and theatre all year round.

  • Food and local markets

    The Mahón gin distillery, facing the harbour: you see the stills, and in its shop you can taste the gin and pomada.

  • History and culture

    Place included when you buy

    Day 2 · Maó harbour, La Mola and Es Castell

  • Charming places

    Place included when you buy

    Day 2 · Maó harbour, La Mola and Es Castell

  • History and culture

    Place included when you buy

    Day 2 · Maó harbour, La Mola and Es Castell

  • History and culture

    Place included when you buy

    Day 2 · Maó harbour, La Mola and Es Castell

What’s included

  • A plan for every day with approximate times, from morning to night
  • Online itinerary to mark each place as visited during your trip
  • Interactive map with every place numbered in the order of the route
  • Downloadable PDF with every detail, to use offline too
  • How to get from one stop to the next: time, distance, parking and bus
  • Several places to eat in each area, in case one is full
  • An indoor alternative for rainy days
  • Summer and winter opening hours and access restrictions
  • A card for each place with the day and time of your visit, car parks and bus lines
  • The history of each place and three or four recommendations near every stop

How it works

  1. Choose the itinerary and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account needed.
  2. Once the payment is confirmed you see it on screen and get it by email: the link to your online itinerary, with the map, and the PDF.
  3. During the trip, open it on your phone and mark each place as visited. The PDF works offline.
  • Arrives instantly, on screen and by email, as soon as the payment is confirmed
  • Secure payment with Stripe: we never see your card
  • No account: your link works on any device for a year
  • Look inside a free sample

As digital content delivered instantly, it cannot be withdrawn from once delivered. How refunds work.

Related guides

The Carme church in Maó, beside the cloister where the market is

Food and local markets · Maó

Mercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó)

Maó’s market, in the cloister of the former Carme convent, with stalls of local produce; next door, the fish market with tapas counters.

What to taste

Mahón-Menorca cheese, sobrasada and carn i xua, ensaïmadas, and at the fish market, tapas of the day’s catch at the counters.

The cloister has a wonderful view over the harbour.

Practical information

Municipality
Maó
Location
Plaça del Carme, Maó
Best time
Morning
Time needed
45 minutes – 1 hour.
Admission
Free.
Opening hours
Mercat des Claustre: Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 21:00 and Sundays 8:00 to 14:00. Mercat des Peix: Tuesday to Saturday 7:00 to 14:00.
Facilities
Local produce stalls, tapas bars and a supermarket on the ground floor.
Accessibility
The glass lift at Costa de ses Voltes goes up from the harbour to the plaça del Carme.
What to bring
A bag for your shopping.
By car
Public car park under plaça del Carme, in Maó town centre.
Parking
Public car park under plaça del Carme
By bus
Maó bus station and a 10-minute walk. Bus timetables: Island bus lines

See the details

Cloister gallery of the Museu de Menorca with display cases and amphorae

History and culture · Maó

Museu de Menorca

The reference museum for Menorca’s prehistory and history, in the former convent of Sant Francesc in Maó. Ideal for understanding the island before exploring it, and for a rainy day too.

About the museum

The Museu de Menorca is a public institution devoted to researching and sharing the island’s prehistory and history, with special attention to the Talayotic culture, World Heritage since 2023.

Its forerunner was Mahón’s Municipal Museum, opened on 4 November 1889 in the old Principal de Guardia building.

Tips

Allow an hour and a half to two hours. The ticket office closes half an hour before the museum.

Practical information

Municipality
Maó
Location
Plaça des Monestir, in Maó town centre
Best time
Morning
Time needed
1 h 30 min – 2 hours.
Admission
General admission €4; free on Sundays.
Opening hours
Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 to 19:00; Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:00 to 14:00. Closed on Mondays. General admission €4; free on Sundays.
Facilities
Toilets in the museum; cafés and restaurants two minutes away in the centre of Maó.
Accessibility
It is in a former two-storey convent: ask at the ticket desk about step-free access.
What to bring
Nothing special: it is the perfect plan for a rainy day.
By car
Public car parks in Maó town centre (plaça del Carme, harbour). Blue-zone street parking is paid.
Parking
Public car parks in Maó town centre (blue-zone street parking is paid)
By bus
Every line arrives at Maó bus station, a 10-minute walk away. Within Maó, the town bus. Bus timetables: Island bus lines

See the details

View of Maó harbour with boats and the houses on the cliff

History and culture · Maó

Maó: town centre and harbour

Menorca’s capital overlooks one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean. Above, the historic centre; below, the Moll de Ponent with restaurants and bars.

What to see

Santa Maria church, with its great organ; plaça de la Constitució with the town hall; the Claustre del Carme, now a market; and the Costa de ses Voltes steps down to the harbour.

The harbour is about 5 km long, with the Illa del Rei and the Lazaretto in it. Sightseeing boats leave from the Moll de Ponent for a tour around it.

Practical information

Municipality
Maó
Location
Maó: plaça de s’Esplanada, Santa Maria church and the Moll de Ponent
Best time
All day
Time needed
Half a day.
Admission
Free.
Facilities
Everything: markets, bars, restaurants, shops and chemists.
Accessibility
The centre is 25 metres above the harbour: the glass lift at Costa de ses Voltes takes you up in a minute and saves about a hundred steps.
What to bring
Comfortable shoes.
By car
Public car parks at the harbour and in the centre. The old town is best seen on foot.
Parking
Public car parks at the harbour and in the centre
By bus
Every line ends at Maó bus station, next to s'Esplanada square. Bus timetables: Island bus lines

See the details

Stalls and red boxes of the Teatre Principal de Maó

Nightlife and leisure · Maó

Teatre Principal de Maó

Spain’s oldest opera house, opened in 1829. It programmes opera, concerts and theatre all year round.

An opera house from 1829

Its Italian-style auditorium, with horseshoe boxes, was restored at the beginning of this century. Maó’s love of opera dates back to the 18th century.

A great option for a rainy evening in Maó.

Practical information

Municipality
Maó
Location
Costa d’en Deià, Maó
Best time
Evening (depending on the programme)
Time needed
The guided visit, 1 hour.
Admission
Tickets depend on the show. Guided visits in summer, €8 (book on +34 971 355 603).
Opening hours
Check the programme and ticket sales on its website.
Facilities
Box office at the theatre and online sales.
Accessibility
Ask the box office about accessible seats.
What to bring
Your ticket or your guided-visit booking.
By car
Public car parks in Maó town centre.
Parking
Public car parks in Maó town centre
By bus
Maó station and a 10-minute walk. Bus timetables: Island bus lines

See the details

A bottle of Xoriguer gin from Mahón with lemons

Food and local markets · Maó

Xoriguer distillery

The Mahón gin distillery, facing the harbour: you see the stills, and in its shop you can taste the gin and pomada.

Mahón gin

Mahón gin has Protected Geographical Indication and is a legacy of the British presence in the 18th century. It’s distilled in wood-fired copper stills.

Pomada, gin with lemonade, is the drink of Menorca’s festivals.

Practical information

Municipality
Maó
Location
Moll de Ponent 93, Maó
Best time
Morning or early afternoon
Time needed
30 minutes.
Admission
The shop and the tasting are free; the guided visit costs €2.
Opening hours
The shop keeps shop hours and offers guided visits and tastings booked on its website. Check the season’s hours before you go.
Facilities
Shop with tastings of gins, pomada and liqueurs.
Accessibility
The shop is at street level on the Moll de Ponent.
What to bring
If you are driving, taste very little: the tasting includes liqueurs.
By car
Public car parks at Maó harbour (Moll de Ponent).
Parking
Public car parks at Maó harbour
By bus
Maó station and a 15-minute walk down to the harbour via the Costa de ses Voltes steps. Bus timetables: Island bus lines

See the details

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