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Illa del Rei in Maó harbourLithica quarriesView from Monte ToroMuseu de MenorcaFavàritx lighthouse
  • Charming places
  • 2 days

Menorca in winter: a weekend

A weekend designed for Menorca’s quiet winter, with everything that’s open from November to March: the Talayotic monuments with free entry, an unhurried Ciutadella, sunset from Monte Toro, the Illa del Rei on Sunday morning, the free Museu de Menorca and Favàritx lighthouse, which in winter you can drive to.

Overview

Length
2 days
Activity level
Easy short walks and drives of under an hour
Type of experience
Charming places, History and culture

Itinerary

Day 1Saturday: the west and the roof of the island

  1. Morning

    09:30–10:15

    Ciutadella de Menorca

  2. Morning

    10:30–12:15

    Ciutadella de Menorca

  3. Midday

    12:45–15:15

    Ciutadella de Menorca

  4. Afternoon

    15:45–16:45

    Alaior

  5. Sunset

    17:00–18:00

    Es Mercadal

Day 2 is in the full itinerary

You get them when you buy, with every place card.

What you get when you buy

  1. Add it to your cart and pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or other available methods. No account needed.
  2. You instantly receive an email with the link to your online itinerary: open it on your phone during the trip and mark each place as visited or not.
  3. The same email includes the PDF with every detail: times, how to get there by car or bus, where to eat, a rainy-day plan and a card for each place. It works offline.

A look inside the PDF

  • Cover
  • Each day, with times
  • A card for each place
  • Phone numbers and tips
Real pages from the “Lighthouses and villages of Menorca” itinerary. Yours has the same layout, with the days and places of your route.

As digital content delivered instantly, it cannot be withdrawn from once delivered.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

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
  • 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
  • What’s open and what’s closed in winter at every stop

Places you’ll visit

Tap a place to see its card without leaving the itinerary.

  • History and culture

    A collective tomb shaped like an upturned boat, used roughly between 1200 and 750 BC. It’s Menorca’s most emblematic prehistoric monument.

  • History and culture

    Old marès stone quarries turned into a visitor space with labyrinths, gardens and an amphitheatre carved into the stone. They explain how Menorca was built.

  • History and culture

    Menorca’s old capital: palaces, the Gothic cathedral, plaça des Born and the arcaded streets of Ses Voltes, all on foot within less than a kilometre.

  • History and culture

    One of the largest Talayotic villages in the Balearics, with three talayots, a taula enclosure, houses and a water-collection system. It has a visitor centre.

  • Charming places

    Menorca’s highest point (358 m), in the centre of the island. At the top are the sanctuary of the Virgin of El Toro and a viewpoint from which you can see almost all of Menorca.

  • History and culture

    An island in Maó harbour with an old British military hospital turned into a museum, an early Christian basilica and the Hauser & Wirth art centre.

  • 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.

  • Charming places

    A black-and-white striped lighthouse on a cape of dark slate, inside the s’Albufera des Grau Nature Park. One of Menorca’s most striking landscapes.

Related guides

The Naveta des Tudons, a stone building shaped like an upturned boat

History and culture · Ciutadella de Menorca

Naveta des Tudons

A collective tomb shaped like an upturned boat, used roughly between 1200 and 750 BC. It’s Menorca’s most emblematic prehistoric monument.

A 3,000-year-old tomb

Navetas are funerary buildings unique to Menorca. The Naveta des Tudons has two floors, and the remains of more than a hundred people and their grave goods were found inside.

It is part of Talayotic Menorca, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023.

Practical information

Municipality
Ciutadella de Menorca
Location
Next to the Me-1 road, 5 km from Ciutadella
Best time
Morning
Opening hours
From May to October, with a ticket (€2 adults; free on Mondays). From November to April, free entry.
By car
From Ciutadella, 8 min (5 km) along the Me-1. Parking by the road and a 500 m walk.
Parking
Free parking by the road and a 500 m walk
By bus
There is no stop at the naveta: take a taxi from Ciutadella (about 10 minutes).

See the details

Vertical walls of marès stone in the s’Hostal quarry

History and culture · Ciutadella de Menorca

Lithica, Pedreres de s’Hostal

Old marès stone quarries turned into a visitor space with labyrinths, gardens and an amphitheatre carved into the stone. They explain how Menorca was built.

Menorca’s stone

Marès is the sandstone used to build houses, churches and walls all over the island. At s’Hostal you see the old quarries, dug by hand, and the modern ones, cut by machine.

The Líthica association has turned the quarries into gardens and walking routes. Allow 1 h 30 min.

Practical information

Municipality
Ciutadella de Menorca
Location
Camí Vell de Maó, km 1, 10 minutes by car from Ciutadella
Best time
Morning or late afternoon
Opening hours
From April to October, Monday to Saturday 9:00 to sunset and Sundays 9:00 to 14:00. From November to March, 9:00 to 14:00. Last entry an hour and a half before closing. Tickets €8 online or €9 at the ticket office; under-12s free.
By car
From Ciutadella, 10 min along the Camí Vell de Maó (km 1). Free parking.
Parking
Free car park
By bus
No stop nearby: take a taxi from Ciutadella or walk 30 minutes from the ring road.

See the details

Façade of Ciutadella cathedral on the cathedral square

History and culture · Ciutadella de Menorca

Ciutadella old town

Menorca’s old capital: palaces, the Gothic cathedral, plaça des Born and the arcaded streets of Ses Voltes, all on foot within less than a kilometre.

What to see

Plaça des Born, with its obelisk and the town hall on the walls; the cathedral, built on the site of the old mosque after the Catalan conquest of 1287; and the Ses Voltes arcades, full of shops.

From the Born you walk down to the harbour, where many of the town’s restaurants are.

Tip

On rainy days, Ses Voltes and the cathedral let you carry on your visit under cover.

Practical information

Municipality
Ciutadella de Menorca
Location
Ciutadella town centre, between plaça des Born and the cathedral
Best time
Morning or from 18:00 in summer
Opening hours
Cathedral (free visit): 8:00 to 13:00 and 18:00 to 20:00; no tourist visits on Sundays and public holidays.
By car
From Maó, 50 min (45 km) along the Me-1. Park on the ring roads (Contramurada): the centre is pedestrian.
Parking
Car parks on the ring roads (Contramurada); the historic centre is pedestrian
By bus
Line Maó–Ciutadella every 30 minutes (and the non-stop Express Bus). The station is a 10-minute walk from the Born. Bus timetables: Island bus lines

See the details

Stone columns and slabs of the houses in the village of Torre d’en Galmés

History and culture · Alaior

Torre d’en Galmés

One of the largest Talayotic villages in the Balearics, with three talayots, a taula enclosure, houses and a water-collection system. It has a visitor centre.

The village

It sits on a small hill overlooking the south of the island. It was inhabited from the end of the Bronze Age until Roman times.

It’s best to start at the visitor centre and then explore the village at a gentle pace: an hour is enough.

Practical information

Municipality
Alaior
Location
5 km south of Alaior
Best time
Morning or late afternoon in summer (there’s little shade)
Opening hours
In high season, with a ticket (in summer, 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:00). From November to Easter, free entry. Check the visitor centre’s hours before you go.
By car
From Alaior, 10 min (5 km) towards Son Bou. Free parking next to the visitor centre.
Parking
Free parking next to the visitor centre
By bus
No bus goes there. The Son Bou bus passes about 2 km away: better by car or taxi.

See the details

View from Monte Toro over the fields of central Menorca and the village of Es Mercadal

Charming places · Es Mercadal

Monte Toro

Menorca’s highest point (358 m), in the centre of the island. At the top are the sanctuary of the Virgin of El Toro and a viewpoint from which you can see almost all of Menorca.

The roof of Menorca

The Franciscan sanctuary was built from 1670 on the site of an old Gothic church. From the terrace you can see Fornells bay, the north coast and, on clear days, Mallorca.

The road up is narrow and winding: take it slowly.

Practical information

Municipality
Es Mercadal
Location
3 km from Es Mercadal along the Me-13 road
Best time
First thing in the morning or sunset, with a clear sky
Opening hours
The drive up and the sanctuary are free. The Sa Posada del Toro bar-restaurant opens daily from 1 May to 31 October and only at weekends from November to March.
By car
From Es Mercadal, 10 min (3 km) along the Me-13, narrow and winding. Free parking at the top.
Parking
Free car park at the top
By bus
The Maó–Ciutadella bus stops in Es Mercadal. From there, a taxi or a 1-hour uphill walk. Bus timetables: Island bus lines

See the details

Illa del Rei in Maó harbour with the old hospital

History and culture · Maó

Illa del Rei

An island in Maó harbour with an old British military hospital turned into a museum, an early Christian basilica and the Hauser & Wirth art centre.

What to see

The hospital, built by the British in the 18th century, has been restored for years by a volunteer foundation, which shows its wards and its collection of naval and medical history.

On the same island is the Hauser & Wirth contemporary art gallery, with a garden by landscape designer Piet Oudolf.

Practical information

Municipality
Maó
Location
Maó harbour; reached by boat
Best time
Morning
Opening hours
From mid-June to mid-September, daily boats from Maó harbour. Museum and canteen Wednesday to Sunday 10:00 to 16:15; guided visit of the hospital at 11:00. In winter (November to March), only on Sunday mornings, by boat from the Hospital de Cala Fontanillas jetty (Es Castell).
By car
Park at Maó harbour; the island can only be reached by boat.
By bus
Bus to Maó station and a 10-minute walk to the boats in the harbour. 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
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.
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
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

Favàritx lighthouse with black and white stripes on the dark rocky cape

Charming places · Maó

Favàritx lighthouse

A black-and-white striped lighthouse on a cape of dark slate, inside the s’Albufera des Grau Nature Park. One of Menorca’s most striking landscapes.

A cape of slate

Unlike the rest of the north coast, the rock here is black, heavily eroded slate, which gives the cape an almost lunar look. The lighthouse, from 1922, has become one of the island’s most recognisable images.

Close by are the coves of Presili and Tortuga, which you reach on foot along the Camí de Cavalls.

Before you go

It’s a protected area: there are no bars and no shade. In summer, plan your visit around the shuttle bus times and bring water.

Practical information

Municipality
Maó
Location
Cap de Favàritx, north of Maó, inside the s’Albufera des Grau Nature Park
Best time
Morning or late afternoon
Seasonal access
From mid-May to 30 September you can’t drive up: bus L43 from Maó bus station (first departure around 9:45 and last return around 19:45; €3.60 ticket). From October to mid-May you can drive there.
By car
From Maó, 25 min (16 km) along the Fornells road and the Favàritx turn-off. Only from October to mid-May: in season the road is closed to cars.
Parking
From October to mid-May, a small car park at the end of the road
By bus
Line L43 Maó–Favàritx from Maó bus station, from mid-May to 30 September. Stops at the lighthouse and at the beach paths. Bus timetables: Favàritx bus

See the details

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