Excursions around the best beaches in Menorca
Going to Menorca on vacation is to dream of its white beaches and turquoise waters. I tell you which are the excursions that you can do to discover the best coves of Menorca.
Mitjana Cove | Joao Branco
You can only say you know Menorca well when you have sailed over its beautiful turquoise waters: its impressive 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 by 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 of the south of Menorca
Perfect if you want to spend a day aboard a boat sailing the south coast of the island, with its turquoise coves of fine sand. Includes lunch
Macarella, Son Saura and Turqueta, among others, should be on your wish list when you travel to Menorca. Their fine sand, crystal clear waters, the nature that surrounds them and the tranquility of the sea make them the favorite of all visitors to the island.
You will set sail around 10 a.m. for a relaxing trip to the southern coves. On board you will have lunch included (you will be served a freshly made traditional paella) and bar service to refresh yourself whenever you wish. You will be provided with everything you need so that when you stop for a swim you can snorkel and enjoy the underwater life of the island.
Little more can be asked for an excursion that includes all this for such a reasonable price, considering that the south coast is the most demanded of the island. Don't forget your swimsuit, flip-flops and sunscreen. Enjoy!
Why choose this option: you will have everything included to visit the most popular beaches of the island. You will make stops for swimming and snorkeling and you will not leave a single cove to discover. 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 € for the south coast (with a duration of 4 hours) to about 110 € if you want the most premium option on the north coast (sailing boat and sailing for a whole day). In general, the south coast of the island is more popular and there is usually more service: bigger boats, more frequent departures, etc, which makes it a bit cheaper than the north coast.
How long are the excursions to the coves of Menorca?
Due to the great offer and variety of excursions, you can choose between short trips of 3 hours and a half and excursions of practically the whole day, about eight hours. Normally, the longer excursions include food and drinks on board, but in all of them, long and short, you can enjoy swimming and snorkeling to get the most out of the coves.
Is it worth taking an excursion 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 under the intense summer heat. Therefore, joining a boat excursion where you can reach the coves comfortably from the water, without being too hot or having to make great efforts, is well worth it.
If you take a full day excursion, you will have lunch included, which will save you from having to interrupt your day at the beach to go to a beach bar to eat or buy food. You will be able to eat quietly on board whatever the crew has prepared and you will enjoy the swimming, the sun and the crystalline waters to the maximum.
From where do the excursions to the coves depart?
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 southern coves and if you want to sail to the northern coves, you will always depart from the port of Fornells, a small town located in the bay of Fornells, in the north of Menorca.
However, depending on where your hotel or apartment 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 cannot leave Menorca without visiting them and a good way to avoid the congestion of the parking lots and the agglomeration of the sand will be to visit them by boat. Of course, if you prefer to discover a more natural and unspoiled environment with less crowds of people (and boats), choose the northern ones.
What do the excursions include? Itinerary, what is included, etc
During the excursions you will be able to discover the coves from the boat, enjoy the color 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 snorkeling. You will be able to swim and discover the marine life of the coves and their rocks and caves.
On day trips, food and drink are included, so you will have the opportunity 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 look for the best spots for swimming and snorkeling and you will enjoy an authentic experience.
Snorkeling in the boat excursions
The moment to snorkel in Menorca is probably the most entertaining of the day. A refreshing dip with the appropriate goggles and snorkel provided on the boat will allow you to get close to the hundreds of colorful fish and algae that live on the walls surrounding the impressive coves of the island. The clear, turquoise waters will make it easy to see and you will feel, for a moment, in the middle of a National Geographic documentary, without having to fly to the Caribbean or the Maldives!
Regarding fitness, you don't have to worry, because snorkeling does not require you to hold your breath or go down to the depths of the water, so it will be a relatively relaxing and not very tiring activity.
Tips to organize your boat excursion
The great advantage of joining a boat excursion is, precisely, that you do not have to worry about anything but arriving on time at boarding time and let yourself go during what will surely be the best day of your vacation. Even so, keep in mind the following to make the most of the 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 to make sure you choose the option that best suits you.
- Excursions during the morning vs. excursions during the afternoon: 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 color of the waters is much more striking during the morning, when the sun is at its highest and brings out the maximum splendor of the turquoise colors. To enjoy swimming, choose the morning option. For a more relaxed tour where you can enjoy the more subdued colors, make the excursion in the afternoon or even at dusk.
- What to bring: don't forget the essentials, such as a swimsuit (bringing one to change into is a good idea if you don't want to spend the whole day with a wet swimsuit), sunscreen, water and flip-flops. Everything else is included.
- What to expect from the boat: if you would like to explore more about how are the boats that ply the waters of Menorca and what is the difference between them, you can check my articles about sailing boat trips and catamaran excursions in Menorca