10 Places to see in Minorca

Sandwiched between glamorous party-loving Ibiza and Majorca, the biggest of the Balearic Islands, it’s easy for visitors to overlook Minorca (or Menorca, to give the island its Spanish name) as a holiday destination.

As the second smallest in the island group, you’d be forgiven for thinking there aren’t many things to do or places to see in Minorca. But while it’s only around twice the size of the Isle of Wight, just 700 km2, there are a whole string of reasons to tempt you to this enticing corner of Spain.

From charming old towns to locally made gin and wine, prehistoric sites and British naval history, nature reserves and a legendary mountain, we’ve picked out the best places to visit in Miorca, whether you’re travelling independently or taking a guided tour of the island.

The capital city of Minorca, Mahon has been a prize for civilisations ranging from the Phoenicians and Roman Empire to the French and the British, who battled for control of the largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean. Start your visit with a boat tour to appreciate quite how big it is, as well as soaking up some fantastic views onto the island.

Then head off to explore Mahon’s streets. Stop off at the Museu de Menorca, set within a former convent, telling the island’s history from Stone Age settlements to the present day. You’ll find archaeological finds from the prehistoric Talayotic people to Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods, as well as art and other artefacts on display.

Save some time to simply wander, browsing the fish market with its great tapas stalls and bars, before getting lost in twisting alleyways among medieval fortifications, spotting Spain’s oldest opera house, the Teatro Principal, and stopping for a classical music concert at the cathedral. Then relax in the shade of Parc D’es Freginal, whose flowers are kept watered by irrigation channels created a thousand years ago under Moorish rule.

The island’s second city and its former capital, Ciutadella sits at the far western point, about as far as you can get from Mahon in the east and is easily one of the most attractive places to see in Minorca. Known as ‘vella i bella’ (or old and beautiful), stepping inside the fortified walls of the old city is like stepping back in time, giving a real sense of what life must have been like in this Minorca town a few centuries ago.

Ciudadela de Menorca City Hall

Look out for the 17th century Castell de Sant Nicolau, a watchtower looking out to neighbouring Majorca, before strolling around the little harbour past its colourful buildings and waterfront restaurants. Elsewhere, the streets of the pedestrianised old city are lined with Moorish and Italian-influenced buildings, medieval churches and convents, all dominated by the 14th century Catalan-Gothic cathedral.

If you visit in summer, the Sant Joan festival on June 23 is one of the biggest on the island, where traditionally people throw hazelnut shells at each other as a sign of affection. This marks the beginning of Minorca’s summer festivals, with a string of different fiestas and processions to enjoy across the island.

The highest point on the island, rising 357 metres, if you climb to the peak of Monte Toro, you’ll be rewarded with some spectacular views out across Minorca and to the coast. If the ideal of hiking up doesn’t tempt you, it’s easy to drive up or to take a bus to Es Mercadel and then a taxi.

As to the name, the story goes that in the 13th century, a group of monks or friars saw a light shining at the top. Climbing up to investigate, they were stopped by a bull until they defending themselves with their crosses. The bull then led them to the peak where they discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary, later building a church and monastery in her honour which you can still visit.

For those who aren’t convinced by the legend, an alternative explanation is that the Arabic word ‘tor’ means a high place or rocky peak, but whether you come for the panoramas or the history, it’s one of the best places to visit in Menorca.

Like most of the Balearic islands, you’ll be spoiled for choice if you’re looking for a beach on the island, with more than 100 to choose from – many little coves are only accessible by boat or after a hike along forest paths to the sand.

The powder-white sand and turquoise water of the pine-fringed Cala Macarelleta, and its bigger and busier neighbour Cala Macarella, are among the loveliest on the whole island. Just a little way along the coast, Cala Turqueta is equally enticing.

As a change from the pale beaches across the island, the coppery cove of Cala Pregonda contrasts with the azure waves, curving around the bay on the island’s north coast – one of the best beaches in Spain.

For something which feels wild and untouched but doesn’t require a 40-minute hike to get to, Playa de Binigaus is a short walk from a car park and the town of Santo Tomas, with soft sand and even quieter areas at the far end of the beach by the cliffs.

Or discover one of the island’s longest stretches of sand in the south-west of Minorca at Banyul and Bellavista beaches, connected except for a strip of rocks in the middle. There are some facilities but they tend to be less busy than some other popular spots.

If you prefer somewhere with more facilities, Cala Galdana’s crescent of sand is backed by hotels, villas and restaurants, with sunbeds and umbrellas for hire, toilets on the beach, watersports and lifeguards, plus some clear shallow water to paddle in. It does get busy in peak season though.

With the British Army and Navy stationed on the island in the 18th century, the island has been distilling gin for centuries, and the locally made Xoriguer Gin brand was created around a century ago. Today, a ‘pomada’ is the unofficial drink of the island, mixing gin with lemonade, lemon squash or bitter lemon (sometimes arriving decorated with a cinnamon stick).

You’ll find plenty of chance to enjoy a pomada all around the island, you can also take a tour of the Xoriguer Gin distillery in Mahon, including a tasting and a chance to see the stills.

Minorca might be a small island but its wine-growing tradition goes back centuries, until the phylloxera virus all but wiped out the vineyards in the 19th century. Today, the tradition has revived with nine main producers, many offering tours and tastings.

Near Es Castell, Bodegas Binifadet is one of the best-known, and for good reason. Started as a hobby, its vintages have been stocked at Michelin-starred restaurants, with grapes still picked by hand and only around 100,000 bottles produced each year so you won’t find them stocked on supermarket shelves. Enjoy a tour before trying several different bottles in the tasting room – the limited edition sparkling wines always sell out.

Or try Binitord winery near Ciutadella, set in an old quarry, the organic vineyard at Torralbenc, Finca Sa Marjaleta Winery and Vinya Sa Cudia in the s’Albufera des Grau Natural Park.

For those who love history, you’ll be spoiled for choice with places to see in Minorca, including more than 1,500 prehistoric sites spread across the island. The Talayotic civilisation, which flourished over 3,000 years ago, has left a string of megaliths, old dwellings and stone towers known as talayots, helping the island be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

At Torrellafuda, you can see burial chambers and prehistoric homes from an ancient settlement, surrounded by a wild olive grove. Or Torralba d’en Salort was inhabited from around 1000BCE until the late 1600s, with medieval creations among the much older caves and towers.

The Cala Morell necropolis

One of the biggest sites is Torre d’en Galmes, where you can explore the circular houses and underground cistern, plus there’s a visitor centre to give you more background about the people who once lived here.

Other prehistoric sites include a Bronze Age necropolis carved into cliffs above Cala Morelle, with well-preserved caves thought to have been used for ritual burials, or the Naveta d’es Tudons stone burial chamber, the largest and best preserved on the island. Dating back over 3,000 years, archaeologists have found the remains of over 100 men, women and children buried here.

For six centuries, the Romans ruled Minorca, drawn here by the island’s harbour at Mahon and its strategic position to help control the empire. But it was only a few decades ago that archaeologists discovered one of the island’s great Roman cities, Sanisera.

Mentioned in ancient manuscripts and maps, the excavations have revealed factories, camps and even a necropolis with rows and rows of tombs.

While work is ongoing, with a limited amount for visitors to see, this atmospheric site in the north of the island is one of the most unusual Minorca tourist attractions to visit, and fascinating for anyone who loves history.

Built by the British in the early 18th century to protect the harbour at Mahon, a visit to Fort Marlborough isn’t just for military history enthusiasts. Exploring the maze of tunnels and peeking inside rooms and bunkers lets visitors imagine what life must have been like for those stationed here.

Named after the Duke of Marlborough, it was partly destroyed by the Spanish in 1782 and rebuilt over the next two decades, during the final period of British rule.

Visitors can also get to see siege re-enactments taking place, with uniformed soldiers and special effects recreating battles from the past.

Part of Minorca’s protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, this wetland conservation area and lagoon are a haven for birds, including fish eagles. There are a string of trails winding through the Albufera des Grau natural park as well, including some easy walks from the reception centre.

The area also includes dune systems, olive groves and unspoiled coastline, home to lizards and tortoises, as well as giving visitors a chance to enjoy some of the island’s endemic plant life, such as flowering salt cedars – if you’re happy to take on a longer walk, you can follow one route to the Cap de Favàritx peninsula, for some great views from the black and white striped lighthouse.

We offer escorted tours to Minorca as well as hotel stays, so it’s never been easier to discover the island’s highlights for yourself. Grab your sunhat and book Saga Balearics holidays here.