Excursions around the best beaches in Menorca
Going on holiday to Minorca means dreaming of its white beaches and turquoise waters. Here are the excursions you can do to discover the best coves in Minorca
Mitjana Cove | Joao Branco
You can only say you know Menorca well when you have sailed over its beautiful turquoise waters: its stunning coves invite you to relax and considering that most of them are inaccessible on foot and by car or require long walks, joining a boat trip in Menorca will be a great idea to get the most out of your trip.
But what are the best excursions? How much budget do I need? Can I go with the whole family on a boat? I answer these and more questions in this article. Read on!
Menorca Southern Beaches Boat Tour with Lunch
The best boat trip to discover the coves in the south of Menorca
Perfect if you want to spend a day on board a boat sailing along the south coast of the island, with its fine sandy turquoise coves. Includes lunch
Macarella, Son Saura and Turqueta, among others, should be on your wish list when you travel to Minorca. Their fine sand, crystal-clear waters, the nature that surrounds them and the tranquillity of the sea make them the favourites of all visitors to the island.
You will set sail at around 10am for a relaxing trip to the coves in the south. On board you will have lunch included (you will be served a freshly made traditional paella) and a bar service to refresh yourself whenever you wish. You'll be provided with everything you need so that when you stop for a swim you can snorkel and enjoy the island's underwater life.
There's little more you could ask for from an excursion that includes all this for such a reasonable price, bearing in mind that the south coast is the most popular part of the island. Don't forget your swimming costume, flip-flops and sun cream - enjoy!
Why choose this option: You'll have everything included to visit the most popular beaches on the island. You'll make stops for swimming and snorkelling and you won't leave a single cove undiscovered. Sounds good, doesn't it?
Recommended if... you want to visit the coves of the south with everything included for a very reasonable price.
How much does an excursion to the coves of Menorca cost?
You can find boat trips to the coves of Menorca from 28 € on the south coast (with a duration of 4 hours) to around 110 € if you want the most premium option on the north coast (by sailboat and sailing for a whole day). In general, the south coast of the island is more popular and tends to be better serviced - bigger boats, more frequent sailings, etc. - which makes it a bit cheaper than the north coast.
How long are the excursions to the coves of Menorca?
Due to the wide range and variety of excursions on offer, you can choose between short trips of 3.5 hours and excursions lasting almost the whole day, around eight hours. Normally, the longer excursions include food and drinks on board, but on all excursions, long and short, you can enjoy swimming and snorkelling to get the most out of the coves.
Is it worth taking a trip to discover the best coves?
Yes, absolutely yes. Many of the island's coves are inaccessible on foot and by car. Others require long walks of up to two hours that you will have to do in the intense summer heat. So joining a boat excursion where you can reach the coves comfortably from the water, without being too hot or exerting yourself, is well worth the effort.
If you take a full-day excursion, lunch is included, so you won't have to interrupt your day at the beach to go to a beach bar to eat or buy food. You will be able to eat whatever the crew has prepared for you on board and enjoy the swimming, the sun and the crystal clear waters to the fullest.
Where do the excursions to the coves start from?
Daily excursions depart from the main towns and beaches of the island: from Cala Galdana or from Ciudadela you will embark to go to the coves of the south and if you want to sail to the coves of the north, you will always depart from the port of Fornells, a small town located in the bay of Fornells, in the north of Minorca.
However, depending on where your hotel or flat is located, you can choose other departure points, such as Mahón
Choose between southern coves and northern coves
The best known coves are the southern coves (Macarella, Macarelleta, Turqueta, Mitjana, Trebalúguer...) but they are also the most crowded. You can't leave Minorca without visiting them, and a good way to avoid the congestion of the car parks and the crowds on the sand is to visit them by boat. However, if you prefer to discover a more natural and unspoilt environment with fewer people (and boats), choose the ones in the north.
What do the excursions include? Itinerary, what's included, etc
During the excursions you will be able to discover the coves from the boat, enjoy the colour of the water and the natural landscapes that surround each of the beaches. In addition, all boat trips include stops for swimming and you are usually provided with the necessary equipment for snorkelling. You can swim and discover the marine life of the coves and their rocks and caves.
On day trips, food and drink are included, so you'll have the chance to refuel during the trip without having to worry about anything.
Regarding the itinerary, the excursions to the southern coves have a fixed route: leaving from Ciudadela or Cala Galdana you will be able to discover Mitjana, Mitjaneta, Macarella, Macarelleta, Trebalúguer, etc. The itinerary of the northern coves is less defined because when sailing on a sailboat it will be the wind and the waves that determine the course of the boat. In any case, the skipper will always take you to the best spots for swimming and snorkelling and you will enjoy an authentic experience.
Snorkelling on boat trips
Snorkelling in Menorca is probably the most entertaining part of the day. A refreshing dip in the water with the appropriate goggles and snorkel provided on the boat will allow you to get up close to the hundreds of colourful fish and algae that live on the walls surrounding the island's impressive coves. The clear, turquoise waters will make it easy to see and you'll feel, for a moment, like you're in a National Geographic documentary - and without having to fly to the Caribbean or the Maldives!
As for fitness, there's no need to worry, because snorkelling doesn't require you to hold your breath or go deep underwater, so it's a relatively relaxing and not very tiring activity.
Tips for organising your boat trip
The great advantage of joining a boat trip is precisely that you don't have to worry about anything other than arriving on time for boarding and letting yourself go on what is sure to be the best day of your holiday. Even so, keep the following in mind to get the most out of your excursion:
- Take a good look at what each option includes before booking: you have already seen that there are all kinds of options: longer or shorter, with or without food included... Read all the details carefully to make sure you choose the option that best suits you.
- Morning excursions vs. afternoon excursions: if you want to do a half-day excursion and you can't decide whether to do it in the morning or in the afternoon, here's a tip. The colour of the water is much more striking in the morning, when the sun is at its highest and brings out the maximum splendour of the turquoise colours. For an enjoyable swim, choose the morning option. For a more relaxed walk where you can enjoy the more subdued colours, do the tour in the afternoon or even at dusk.
- What to bring: don't forget the essentials, such as a swimming costume (it's a good idea to bring one to change into if you don't want to spend the whole day with a wet swimming costume), sun cream, water and flip-flops. Everything else is included.
- What to expect from the boat: if you would like to explore more about the boats that ply the waters of Menorca and what the differences are between them, you can check out my articles on sailing boat trips and catamaran excursions in Menorca