What options do I have to enjoy great adventures in Menorca?
Menorca is an island that even though it is small offers you a variety of possibilities for activities and great outdoor adventures. And these adventures can be programmed not only during the summer but also during the low season, that is, autumn, winter and spring, although it is true that they are more limited. Within the range of possibilities, being an island with a special charm and unparalleled beauty on its coast, some say a beauty touched by the hand of God, most visitors and adventurers seek to enjoy the sea and the endless charms of the coast.
Are the coast and beaches of Menorca as incredible as I have been told?
The coast of Menorca is more than 200 km long, which means that there is a great diversity of landscapes and hidden corners, far from the cities in the middle of wild nature, which makes discovering them a great adventure. There are impressive cliffs of more than 100 meters or smaller cliffs where you can jump or climb (psicobloc) in front of a sea of turquoise and crystalline waters. There are also many caves that are difficult to reach by land and are not very well known even to the locals, small islands near the coast and rock bridges as peculiar as Pont d’en Gil. Minorca has a total of almost 200 beaches and coves, to be exact 197 (check out our blog about Minorca’s beaches); large and small beaches, close to housing estates or far away in the middle of nature, remote and little known, with fine or red sand or stone (…), sandy beaches, a great variety of marine ecosystems of which many are protected and visitable reserves, large and small ports, white villages on the seashore and on the cliffs (…). In inland areas there are also very interesting ecosystems, landscapes of pastures, hills, Mediterranean forests of oaks, dry areas, many places of archaeological interest (the great Menorca Talaòtica), winding roads, narrow paths, villages with much charm and much more.
So we invite you to enjoy and discover Minorca by land or by sea. In the case of doing it by sea this can give you a lot of play and become a great adventure, as you will be able to discover corners that few people have the chance to enjoy. There are many places that are not very accessible by land and other means such as kayak, coasteering or by boat are essential to reach them.
So you can have fun and discover Menorca through the sea in many ways, here we expose some of them:
What are the options for boat adventure in Menorca?
Day trips by boat:
There are several options on the island to hire a pre-determined excursion shared with other travelers (boats of around 50-80 passengers) and discover some already determined corners or beaches. Several companies offer this type of service in different parts of the island, but the most common is on beaches in the south of Menorca and from Ciutadella. For example you have the company Menorca Blava that departs from the port of Ciutadella, and they sail to the south making two stops, one in Son Saura and the second in Cala Turqueta, the rest of the trip passes near Talaier, Cala Mitjana, Macarella and Macarelleta without being able to get off at these. It includes a paella dish during the journey which lasts about 7 hours, from 10 am to 5 pm. This is a good option to see the coast from the perspective of the sea, although the tour is less personalized and the beaches are the most visited in summer. If you go with babies it is also a good option to do something all in family.
Private boat rental with skipper
This option is not so common as it implies a much higher cost, but you have more freedom to go to the desired places, visit more virgin beaches or less crowded cliffs and make the stops you want within the stipulated time, which makes it a very good option with which to discover different places on the island.
Rent a boat without a license
You can rent these small boats that give you a great freedom to go wherever you want, following of course some important rules of navigation. This option will also allow you to stop in any sheltered corner and dive in the turquoise sea water. It is a good option for groups of friends or families with a smaller budget and a maximum of 4 people, as the boats are small with a maximum engine of 15 horsepower. These rentals can usually be found in the area of Ciutadella or Mahon, on beaches such as Cala Galdana where there is a port. You can rent it for different hours. The disadvantage, if it is important for you, is not having a local guide to show you small places, interesting seabeds, caves hidden in the shadows of the cliffs, but it is a good experience. Some interesting data is that in 2019 there were about 20 shipwrecks with this kind of boats, due to their misuse, getting too close to the rocks and running aground, so much caution and common sense if you dare to use these boats!
Other options to discover the coast of Menorca
Coasteering
All the possibilities of Coasteering have not yet been discovered. The great advantage that makes it one of the most attractive activities is its great diversity and its close relationship with the coast and the seabed during the trip. The Coasteering can combine in one route the sea kayak with hiking along the cliffs, with visits to marine caves, with the snorkelling or scuba diving, with jumps from the cliffs to different heights (from 2 meters to 9 meters and they are always optional) or with a little bit of climbing in the style of psicobloc. If you want to do a complete activity at sea level and get to know the charismatic cliffs, this is undoubtedly the best option for groups of friends and families with children from 3-4 years old (always adapting the activity and duration to their needs). The guides are experts in various sports so they will teach you the techniques of paddling (with paddles that have two leaves and not rowing that only has one), they will introduce you to the world of psychobloc if you feel like doing some climbing, or notions of how to submerge yourself under water with the minimum effort.
Paddle Surf
There is a growing interest in this style of sailing, which is much more leisurely than other modalities.
It is known as Stand Up Paddle, or by its initials SUP, even directly paddlesurf. It is also called paddle surfing or as it would be called in Hawaiian Hoe’he Nalu or even Ku Hoe’he Nalu. But they all refer to the same thing: the sport of rowing with a paddle (a single blade) standing or kneeling on a board.
In Menorca, Paddle Surf or SUP, allows you to reach some of the corners beyond where you started your departure, stand up, jump and swimming, discover, dive or snorkeling (…), the limitation is that you can not go far in this mode, as it does not allow a great voyage, but it is ideal to relax a little and sail in a Zen attitude around the beach where you have rented.
Kayak only
The kayak is an interesting modality to sail longer distances in a calm way to observe the coast, to reach inaccessible places for boats or on foot, to make stops at your leisure from cove to cove or to visit caves among others.
One option is renting a kayak. There are several companies in different beaches of Menorca that can rent you double or single kayaks that will allow you to sail for a certain time (15€/h) wherever your adventurous spirit tells you.
There is also the option of hiring excursions and tours to discover the island in a very complete, exclusive and with many advantages. If you plan to rent the kayak for more than 2 hours (1h is usually quite short time and between the outward and return you will not go very far or you can not stop much in coves or to rest), you should hire a guided tour that includes equipment rental for the same price and you will get the advantages of a route guided by locals experts, who in addition to teach you the techniques of kayaking will show you the most exclusive places, give more content to the activity and make your experience more profitable.
The Coasteering option is even more complete. In Coasteering Menorca you have options from 49€/p and the routes last between 3-6 hours so it can be much more profitable in price, learning and experiences.
Wind Surf
Nowadays it is a sport with less and less followers, but it is still an option to enjoy the sea, although in this case it is a more sportive activity and not so much to discover the island. But if you like and want this experience the best place to find this service is in Fornells.
Snorkel
Normally it is an additional activity to others (boat trip or Coasteering or Paddle surfing) or you can do it on your own by going directly from the beach where you are. The advantage of having a local is that they will show you the most charming places and the richest ecosystems, they will make you discover small underwater caves, they will tell you about marine fauna and flora and you will optimize your excursion and be able to transfer your new knowledge in another trip.
Diving
Diving is a well-known sport and there are no explanations for it. If you like to be underwater enjoying the advantages of the bottle, you have plenty of options on the island that offer diving trips in wrecks or underwater caves or simply to discover the Mediterranean seabed. There are usually some in almost all the urbanizations, but we recommend the area of Ciutadella in the same port you can find the company Dive Inn Menorca and in the north, Fornells, is an ideal place because you can dive in the area of the northern marine reserve that is protected. There are several companies located on the same promenade in Fornells such as Diving Center Fornells or Merak Diving Fornells that offer this type of experience.
Jet Ski
A very fun and dynamic activity that allows you to raise your adrenaline. It is rather thought for a great intensity, but of short duration, therefore, it is not usually a good option if you want to discover corners of the coast. If, on the contrary, you like speed and strong emotions, of course this is your thing! In the urbanization of cala’n Bosch you can hire this type of activity.
TUUR Coasteering Menorca
Contact phone and Whatsapp: 34 699 199 158