Ciutadella

Menorca, whose name means the smaller island in contrast to neighbouring Mallorca, has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1993. It is known for turquoise coves set between pine-covered cliffs, prehistoric stone monuments that are now a World Heritage Site, and a coastal path that circles the whole island. Ciutadella is a good base for the wild south-western coves and the sunsets of the west coast. Holiday villas, townhouses and apartments suit families, walkers and couples who want a slower pace.

Where to stay in Ciutadella and Menorca

Ciutadella's old town is the most atmospheric base, with shops, restaurants and the harbour within walking distance; townhouses here often have patios and roof terraces but little parking. Outside the centre, coastal developments around small coves such as Cala Blanca and Santandria on the west coast, and Cala'n Bosch and Son Xoriguer on the south-western corner, offer villas and apartments close to the sea, suiting families who want to walk to a beach.

At the other end of the island, Maó, the capital, sits on its long natural harbour and suits travellers who want a lively town with museums and easy access to the airport. Fornells, a village on a bay in the north, belongs to the municipality of Es Mercadal. Inland towns such as Es Mercadal, close to Monte Toro, the island's highest point at 358 metres, are central for exploring the whole island by car. Because Ciutadella and Maó lie at opposite ends of Menorca, choose your base by the beaches you most want to visit.

Coves and beaches

Menorca's coast is a string of small coves, many reached on foot. South-east of Ciutadella lies a long undeveloped stretch of the south coast, with Cala'n Turqueta, Son Saura, Es Talaier, Macarelleta and Macarella: pale sand, pine woods and clear turquoise water. Access roads and car parks can fill early in summer, and some coves are reached only by walking along the coastal path, so arrive early and bring water and shade.

The north coast, exposed to the strong north wind called the tramuntana, is wilder and rockier, with reddish cliffs and coves such as Cala Morell, La Vall and El Pilar. Near Ciutadella, Cala Blanca and Santandria are small sandy bays within easy reach of town. Sea conditions change with the wind, so if the north is rough, head south, and the other way round. Several beaches have no lifeguards outside the main season.

The old town and Sant Joan

The heart of Ciutadella is the Plaça des Born, a large square overlooking the harbour, with the town hall, old palaces and the Teatre des Born, built in the 1870s. An obelisk recalls the Ottoman attack of 1558, when the town fell after a siege and thousands of inhabitants were killed or taken captive, a disaster still remembered every 9 July. From the square, streets lead to the cathedral of Santa Maria, which became a cathedral in 1795, and to Ses Voltes, a street of whitewashed arcades.

The town's walls, rebuilt in the 14th and 17th centuries, were mostly demolished from 1868, but two bastions survive. Ciutadella's best-known celebration is the Festes de Sant Joan, whose central days are 23 and 24 June, when riders on horseback parade through the streets and the crowd surrounds the horses. Accommodation books up early for these dates. The harbour occasionally experiences a rissaga, a sudden rise and fall of the sea level that can damage boats.

Talayotic Menorca and the Camí de Cavalls

Menorca has an exceptional density of prehistoric stone monuments, and in 2023 they were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as Talayotic Menorca. They include talaiots, large cone-shaped stone towers; taules, sanctuaries built around a giant T-shaped stone; navetes, burial chambers shaped like an upturned boat; and villages of circular houses. The Naveta des Tudons, about 5 kilometres from Ciutadella on the road to Maó, is the best known; visitors may see it from outside, as the interior is closed for protection. Cala Morell, north of town, has a necropolis of caves carved into the rock.

The Camí de Cavalls is an old path, around 186 kilometres long, that circles the whole island and is waymarked as the long-distance trail GR 223. Probably built to link the coastal watchtowers and forts, it now connects many beaches that cannot be reached by road. Short sections from Ciutadella's coves make easy half-day walks.

History, language and food

Romans controlled Menorca from 123 BC, and the Islamic Caliphate of Córdoba took it in 903; the Crown of Aragon conquered the island in 1287. During the War of the Spanish Succession, Anglo-Dutch forces captured Menorca in 1708, and it was formally ceded to Britain in 1713. British rule, interrupted by a French occupation from 1756, lasted for much of the 18th century, until the island was returned to Spain under the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. In that period Maó, with its strategic harbour, became the capital.

Islanders speak Menorquí, a variety of Catalan that keeps a few English loanwords from British times, along with Spanish. The British legacy also survives in a local taste for gin, mixed with lemonade during town fiestas into a drink called pomada. Mayonnaise is widely believed to take its name from Maó. Menorcan cheese, seafood and the island's fiestas, held through the summer since the 14th century, are part of everyday life.

Getting there and around

Menorca Airport (MAH) lies about 4.5 kilometres south-west of Maó, at the opposite end of the island from Ciutadella, so allow time for the drive across Menorca on the main road that links the two towns. The airport is busiest from April to October, when most seasonal flights operate. Ciutadella's harbour has regular passenger and car ferries to Mallorca, and ferries to Barcelona also serve the island.

Public buses connect Ciutadella with Maó, the airport and many coastal developments, and in summer extra services run to some of the south-coast beaches. Still, a rental car is the easiest way to explore the coves, the Talayotic sites and inland villages, especially outside the high season. In summer, access to some protected beaches is managed and car parks fill quickly, so set off early or combine a bus with a walk along the Camí de Cavalls.

Weather and when to visit

Ciutadella has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, with mild, somewhat humid winters and dry, hot summers. Autumn is the wettest season, and heavy rain is not unusual then. In winter the tramuntana, a strong north wind, can sweep the island, which is why the north coast looks so wild.

July and August are the busiest months, with the warmest sea and crowded coves. June, including Sant Joan, and September are excellent for swimming and are calmer, though June 23 and 24 are very busy in Ciutadella itself. May and October suit walkers on the Camí de Cavalls, with pleasant temperatures and quieter paths. From November to March many tourist businesses close and ferry and flight connections are reduced, but the towns stay lived-in, and a rented house with heating and a kitchen can make for a peaceful winter stay.