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Cala MitjanaTorre d'en Galmés villageBinibeca VellCala Macarella
  • Beaches and coves
  • 5 days

Southern Menorca: coves and talayots

Southern Menorca brings together the best of two themes: coves of turquoise water among pines and Talayotic Menorca, a World Heritage site. Five days from east to west, each in one area: Binibeca and Talatí, Cales Coves and the Cova d'en Xoroi, Torre d'en Galmés and Son Bou, Cala Galdana and Mitjana, and Turqueta and Macarella with Naveta des Tudons.

See what you’ll get

Overview

Length
5 days
Spend in Menorca
€€ · €45–90 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 car
Effort
EasyShort walks to the coves and visits on foot
Pace
Balanced
Best time
May to October. In July and August you reach Macarella by bus and must arrive early at Turqueta; in May, June, September and October the coves are quieter and the sites charge admission.

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 5-day itinerary around Menorca

    Southern Menorca: coves and talayots

    The turquoise southern coves and 3,000-year-old villages, without crossing the island: five days from Binibeca to Macarella.

    5 daysModerate

  • Your trip at a glance

    The turquoise southern coves and 3,000-year-old villages, without crossing the island: five days from Binibeca to Macarella.

    The days

    1. Day1Talatí and BinibecaTalatí de Dalt · Binibeca Vell · Cales Fonts (Es Castell)
    2. Day2Cales Coves and the Cova d'en XoroiCales Coves · Cala en Porter · Cova d’en Xoroi
    3. Day3
    4. Day4
    5. Day5

    excursiaSouthern Menorca: coves and talayots · 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. Talatí de Dalt12. Binibeca Vell23. Cales Fonts (Es Castell)34. Cales Coves45. Cala en Porter56. Cova d’en Xoroi6
    1. 1Talatí de Dalt
    2. 2Binibeca Vell
    3. 3Cales Fonts (Es Castell)
    4. 4Cales Coves
    5. 5Cala en Porter
    6. 6Cova d’en Xoroi
    7. Day 3
    8. Day 3
    9. Day 4
    10. Day 4
    11. Day 4
    12. Day 5
    13. Day 5
    14. Day 5
    15. Day 5

    excursiaSouthern Menorca: coves and talayots · 3

  • Day 1

    Talatí and Binibeca

    South-east: Maó and Sant Lluís · About 35 km and 50 min by car

    The village of Talatí de Dalt, the white village of Binibeca and dinner in Cales Fonts.

    09:30–10:45Morning

    1Talatí de Dalt

    A Talayotic village among wild olives, with its taula and a leaning slab that looks about to fall.

    11:30–17:00Midday

    2Binibeca Vell

    The white lanes of Binibeca Vell and the beach at Binibèquer, with lunch by the sea.

    19:30–22:30Evening

    3Cales Fonts (Es Castell)

    Sunset and dinner in the little harbour of Es Castell.

    excursiaSouthern Menorca: coves and talayots · 4

  • Day 2

    Cales Coves and the Cova d'en Xoroi

    South: Sant Climent and Alaior · About 40 km and 50 min by car

    The necropolis of Cales Coves, the beach at Cala en Porter and sunset at the cave above the sea.

    09:30–12:30Morning

    4Cales Coves

    The two coves ringed by Bronze Age burial caves: a swim and snorkel in still water.

    13:00–17:30Midday

    5Cala en Porter

    Lunch and an afternoon on the beach between cliffs.

    19:00–21:30Sunset

    6Cova d’en Xoroi

    A cocktail on the cave's terraces, facing west.

    excursiaSouthern Menorca: coves and talayots · 5

  • History and culture · Maó

    1Talatí de Dalt

    A Talayotic village 4 km from Maó among wild olive trees, with a very unusual taula: a column leaning against it that has kept its balance for centuries.

    Location
    Camí de Talatí, beside the Me-1 road, 4 km from Maó
    Best time
    Morning
    Admission
    Time needed

    excursiaSouthern Menorca: coves and talayots · 6

  • And in the full itinerary

    • 3 more days with their full plan
    • 15 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 40% of the stops. How to get there, where to eat, the tips and the rest of the trip come when you buy.

Day 1Talatí and Binibeca

  1. Morning

    09:30–10:45

    Maó

  2. Midday

    11:30–17:00

    Sant Lluís

  3. Evening

    19:30–22:30

    Es Castell

Day 2Cales Coves and the Cova d'en Xoroi

  1. Morning

    09:30–12:30

    Alaior

  2. Midday

    13:00–17:30

    Alaior

  3. Sunset

    19:00–21:30

    Alaior

3 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 3South: Alaior3 stops
  • Day 4South: Ferreries3 stops
  • Day 5South-west: 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. Talatí de Dalt12. Binibeca Vell23. Cales Fonts (Es Castell)34. Cales Coves45. Cala en Porter56. Cova d’en Xoroi6

Places you’ll visit

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

  • History and culture

    A Talayotic village 4 km from Maó among wild olive trees, with a very unusual taula: a column leaning against it that has kept its balance for centuries.

  • Charming places

    A cluster of white houses in the style of a fishing village, built by the sea in the 1960s. Its alleys are among the most photographed in Menorca.

  • 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

    Menorca’s largest prehistoric necropolis: about 90 burial caves carved into the cliffs of two joined coves, reached on foot.

  • Beaches and coves

    A sandy beach between two high cliffs, with facilities, on Alaior’s south coast. The Cova d’en Xoroi is in one of the cliffs.

  • Nightlife and leisure

    A natural cave halfway down the Cala en Porter cliff turned into a bar with terraces over the sea to watch the sunset, and a club at night.

  • History and culture

    Place included when you buy

    Day 3 · South: Alaior

  • Beaches and coves

    Place included when you buy

    Day 3 · South: Alaior

  • Beaches and coves

    Place included when you buy

    Day 4 · South: Ferreries

  • Beaches and coves

    Place included when you buy

    Day 4 · South: Ferreries

  • Nature and hiking

    Place included when you buy

    Day 4 · South: Ferreries

  • History and culture

    Place included when you buy

    Day 5 · South-west: Ciutadella

  • Beaches and coves

    Place included when you buy

    Day 5 · South-west: Ciutadella

  • Beaches and coves

    Place included when you buy

    Day 5 · South-west: Ciutadella

  • Nightlife and leisure

    Place included when you buy

    Day 5 · South-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
  • Admission and seasonal opening times of the Talayotic sites

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 taula of Talatí de Dalt with a slab leaning against it

History and culture · Maó

Talatí de Dalt

A Talayotic village 4 km from Maó among wild olive trees, with a very unusual taula: a column leaning against it that has kept its balance for centuries.

What to see

The taula enclosure, remains of the wall, Talayotic houses, hypostyle halls with columns and stone roofs, and a necropolis of artificial caves.

It’s small and very complete: 45 minutes is enough to see it well, which makes it perfect to start the day near Maó.

Practical information

Municipality
Maó
Location
Camí de Talatí, beside the Me-1 road, 4 km from Maó
Best time
Morning
Time needed
45 minutes – 1 hour.
Admission
€4 (pensioners and students €1.50; under-12s free). November to Easter, free.
Opening hours
From June to September, 10:00 to 21:00; in April, May and October, 10:00 to sunset (€4 ticket). The rest of the year, free entry.
Facilities
Ticket hut and car park; no bar.
Accessibility
Earth and stone paths among wild olives: possible with a pushchair, but awkward.
What to bring
Closed shoes and water.
By car
From Maó, 8 min (4 km) along the Me-1 towards Alaior and the Talatí lane. Free parking.
Parking
Free car park at the entrance
By bus
No stop nearby: take a taxi from Maó (about 10 minutes).

See the details

Alley of white houses and a boat pulled up in Binibeca Vell

Charming places · Sant Lluís

Binibeca Vell

A cluster of white houses in the style of a fishing village, built by the sea in the 1960s. Its alleys are among the most photographed in Menorca.

A village that is a development

Although it looks like an old village, Binibeca Vell was designed in 1964 imitating the architecture of Mediterranean fishing villages: whitewashed walls, wooden doors and windows and narrow passages.

The houses are private homes, so the community asks visitors to come quietly and within the permitted hours.

Nearby

Five minutes on foot is Binibèquer beach, with the Los Bucaneros beach bar, and ten minutes by car, Punta Prima.

Practical information

Municipality
Sant Lluís
Location
South coast of Sant Lluís, 10 km from Maó
Best time
Morning, before 11:00
Time needed
45 minutes – 1 hour.
Admission
Free.
Opening hours
It’s a private, lived-in development: visits are allowed from 10:00 to 22:00, all year.
Facilities
Bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and a small supermarket; free public toilets on the main street.
Accessibility
Narrow lanes with steps: with a pushchair you can see the lower part; with a wheelchair, only some stretches.
What to bring
Comfortable shoes. People live here: visit quietly and between 10:00 and 22:00.
By car
From Maó, 15 min (10 km) along the Me-8 and the Binibèquer road. Parking at the entrance; in summer it fills up around 11:00.
Parking
Car park at the entrance to the village; in summer it fills up by mid-morning
By bus
Line Maó–Sant Lluís–Binibèquer (and the loop via Binissafúller), from Maó bus station. Bus timetables: Beach buses

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

Cliffs with carved caves and boats at anchor in Cales Coves

History and culture · Alaior

Cales Coves

Menorca’s largest prehistoric necropolis: about 90 burial caves carved into the cliffs of two joined coves, reached on foot.

Bronze Age caves

The caves were carved into the rock as collective tombs from the end of the Bronze Age and were used for centuries. You can’t go inside them.

The two coves have no facilities: bring water, closed shoes and a charged phone.

Practical information

Municipality
Alaior
Location
Between Sant Climent and Cala en Porter
Best time
Morning or afternoon
Time needed
1–3 hours, longer if you swim.
Admission
Free.
Facilities
None: no bar, no toilets, no lifeguard.
Accessibility
A 15-minute walk from the car park along a stony track: not for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
What to bring
Water, food, water shoes and a snorkel mask. The caves are a protected necropolis: do not go into the closed ones.
By car
From Maó, 20 min (15 km) via Sant Climent to the Son Vitamina roundabout. Free parking and a 15-minute walk.
Parking
Free car park about 750 m away (turn off at the Son Vitamina roundabout); 15 minutes on foot along a stony path
By bus
No direct bus. The nearest is the Maó–Sant Climent–Cala en Porter line; take a taxi from there. Bus timetables: Beach buses

See the details

Cala en Porter beach seen from the top of the cliff

Beaches and coves · Alaior

Cala en Porter

A sandy beach between two high cliffs, with facilities, on Alaior’s south coast. The Cova d’en Xoroi is in one of the cliffs.

What it’s like

A wide beach with facilities at the end of a gorge. Above, the resort has restaurants and shops.

The prehistoric caves of Cales Coves are 2 km away.

Practical information

Municipality
Alaior
Location
South coast of Alaior, 15 km from Maó
Best time
All day
Time needed
Half a day.
Admission
Free.
Facilities
Beach bar, restaurants, sunbeds, toilets and lifeguard in season.
Accessibility
It has an accessible point with a boardwalk; from the resort you go down by steps or a sloping street.
What to bring
A parasol, and energy for the steps back up.
By car
From Maó, 20 min (15 km) via Sant Climent. Parking in the resort and steps down to the beach.
Parking
Parking in the resort; steps down to the beach
By bus
Lines Maó–Sant Climent–Cala en Porter and Cala en Porter–Alaior. Bus timetables: Beach buses

See the details

Cala en Porter cliff with the terraces of the Cova d’en Xoroi

Nightlife and leisure · Alaior

Cova d’en Xoroi

A natural cave halfway down the Cala en Porter cliff turned into a bar with terraces over the sea to watch the sunset, and a club at night.

The cave

The terraces hang over the sea dozens of metres up. Legend says a pirate, Xoroi, lived in the cave after kidnapping a young woman from Alaior.

Sunset tickets sell out in summer: buy them on its website in advance.

Practical information

Municipality
Alaior
Location
Cala en Porter (Alaior)
Best time
Sunset
Time needed
1–2 hours.
Admission
By day, from €15 (children €8) with one drink; at sunset and at night it costs more. Buy your ticket online.
Opening hours
2026 season: April and May, daily from 15:00 until sunset; June to August, 11:30 until sunset; September, the same until the 27th; October, 15:00 until sunset until the 25th. Closed from late October to March. Night sessions from 23:00 (over-18s). Paid entry.
Facilities
Bar with terraces in the rock, and toilets.
Accessibility
Lots of stone steps: not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
What to bring
A ticket bought online: the queue is much shorter.
By car
From Maó, 20 min (15 km) via Sant Climent. Park in the Cala en Porter resort and walk down.
Parking
Parking in the Cala en Porter resort
By bus
Line Maó–Sant Climent–Cala en Porter. To get back at night, book a taxi. Bus timetables: Beach buses

See the details

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