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Maó harbourCiutadella harbourCiutadella cathedralMonte Toro
  • History and culture
  • 3 days

Maó and Ciutadella: the two capitals

Menorca has two capitals facing each other from opposite ends of the island: Maó, with its great natural harbour and British legacy, and Ciutadella, the old capital, with palaces, a cathedral and a narrow harbour full of terraces. Three days to enjoy both, with the middle of the island in between. It works all year round.

See what you’ll get

Overview

Length
3 days
Spend in Menorca
€€ · €45–85 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
By bus · By car · On foot
Effort
Very easyWalks round the towns and one 45-minute drive
Pace
Relaxed
Best time
All year. In summer both harbours are livelier at night; in winter, no queues and quiet museums (Illa del Rei only opens on Sunday mornings and the gin distillery closes from November to March).

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 3-day itinerary around Menorca

    Maó and Ciutadella: the two capitals

    The British capital and the old capital, with Monte Toro in between: harbours, markets, museums and nights by the water.

    3 daysEasy

  • Your trip at a glance

    The British capital and the old capital, with Monte Toro in between: harbours, markets, museums and nights by the water.

    The days

    1. Day1Maó, the harbour capitalMercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó) · Museu de Menorca · Maó: town centre and harbour · Xoriguer distillery · Cales Fonts (Es Castell)
    2. Day2
    3. Day3

    excursiaMaó and Ciutadella: the two capitals · 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. Xoriguer distillery45. Cales Fonts (Es Castell)5
    1. 1Mercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó)
    2. 2Museu de Menorca
    3. 3Maó: town centre and harbour
    4. 4Xoriguer distillery
    5. 5Cales Fonts (Es Castell)
    6. Day 2
    7. Day 2
    8. Day 2
    9. Day 2
    10. Day 3
    11. Day 3
    12. Day 3

    excursiaMaó and Ciutadella: the two capitals · 3

  • Day 1

    Maó, the harbour capital

    Maó · No car

    Markets, museum, gin and the harbour on foot, with dinner in Cales Fonts.

    09:30–10:45Morning

    1Mercat des Claustre and Mercat des Peix (Maó)

    The market in the Carme cloister and the Mercat des Peix, with its tapas bars.

    11:00–12:45Morning

    2Museu de Menorca

    The island's history in the former convent of Sant Francesc.

    13:00–16:30Midday

    3Maó: town centre and harbour

    Walk down to the harbour by the Costa de ses Voltes (or take the lift) and have lunch on the Moll de Llevant.

    16:45–17:30Afternoon

    4Xoriguer distillery

    Mahón gin at its distillery, with a free tasting.

    19:30–23:00Evening

    5Cales Fonts (Es Castell)

    Sunset and dinner in Es Castell, in the little harbour of Cales Fonts.

    excursiaMaó and Ciutadella: the two capitals · 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 and Ciutadella: the two capitals · 5

  • And in the full itinerary

    • 2 more days with their full plan
    • 12 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 42% of the stops. How to get there, where to eat, the tips and the rest of the trip come when you buy.

Day 1Maó, the harbour capital

  1. Morning

    09:30–10:45

    Maó

  2. Morning

    11:00–12:45

    Maó

  3. Midday

    13:00–16:30

    Maó

  4. Afternoon

    16:45–17:30

    Maó

  5. Evening

    19:30–23:00

    Es Castell

2 more days 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 2Middle: from Maó to Ciutadella5 stops
  • Day 3West: Ciutadella4 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. Xoriguer distillery45. Cales Fonts (Es Castell)5

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.

  • 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.

  • Charming places

    The little harbour of Es Castell, at the mouth of Maó harbour: old fishermen’s caves turned into restaurants with tables by the water.

  • History and culture

    Place included when you buy

    Day 2 · Middle: from Maó to Ciutadella

  • Charming places

    Place included when you buy

    Day 2 · Middle: from Maó to Ciutadella

  • History and culture

    Place included when you buy

    Day 2 · Middle: from Maó to Ciutadella

  • Nightlife and leisure

    Place included when you buy

    Day 2 · Middle: from Maó to Ciutadella

  • History and culture

    Place included when you buy

    Day 3 · West: Ciutadella

  • History and culture

    Place included when you buy

    Day 3 · West: Ciutadella

  • Charming places

    Place included when you buy

    Day 3 · West: Ciutadella

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
  • How to get between Maó and Ciutadella by bus if you don't hire a car

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

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

Boats moored in front of the colourful houses of Cales Fonts

Charming places · Es Castell

Cales Fonts (Es Castell)

The little harbour of Es Castell, at the mouth of Maó harbour: old fishermen’s caves turned into restaurants with tables by the water.

The easternmost harbour

Es Castell grew as the suburb of Sant Felip castle during British rule: hence its parade ground and Georgian-style houses.

Cales Fonts is the cove where boats took shelter; today it’s one of the liveliest places for an evening stroll.

Practical information

Municipality
Es Castell
Location
Es Castell, 3 km from Maó
Best time
Sunset and dinner
Time needed
1–2 hours (a stroll and dinner).
Admission
Free.
Facilities
Restaurants and bars by the water; shops, cash machines and a chemist in Es Castell.
Accessibility
You walk down to the harbour by sloping streets or steps; the quay itself is flat.
What to bring
A dinner booking in July and August.
By car
From Maó, 8 min (3 km). In summer, park in the upper part of Es Castell and walk down.
Parking
Street parking in Es Castell; in summer, better park at the top and walk down
By bus
Line Maó–Es Castell, with frequent departures from Maó town centre. Bus timetables: Island bus lines

See the details

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