Menorca is made of two different stones: the dark, the volcanic, the iron-rich Permian rock of the north coast, the Cap de Cavalleria, the cliffs, and the beaches of the red, the black, and the dramatic, and the white, the limestone, the Miocene rock of the south coast, the calas, the turquoise water, and the beaches of the postcard. The two coasts are the two Menorcas: the wild north (the wind, the waves, and the snorkelling that is the best in the Balearics) and the calm south (the sheltered coves, the clear water, and the swimming that is the best in the Mediterranean). Menorca is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (the 1993 designation, the strict protection, and the coastline that is the least developed in the Balearics, the high-rise hotels are banned, the buildings are the white, the low, and the traditional, and the sense of the island that has chosen the preservation over the profit is the most beautiful thing about Menorca). Here is your guide to the natural beauty of Menorca.

Natural Beauty of Menorca

• The Cala Macarella and the Cala Macarelleta, the most beautiful coves: The Cala Macarella is the most famous beach in Menorca: the horseshoe of the white sand, the turquoise water, the pine trees to the edge of the sand, and the walk from the car park (the 20 minutes, the path through the pines, and the arrival at the beach that is the most beautiful on the island). The Cala Macarelleta is the smaller, the more beautiful, and the more difficult: the walk from the Macarella (the 5 minutes along the cliff path, the nudist beach, the smaller, the quieter, and the most beautiful swimming on the Menorcan south coast). The essential strategy: the early morning (the car park fills by the 9am in the summer, arrive at the 8am, the walk in the cool of the morning, and the beaches almost empty) or the late afternoon (the 5pm, the crowds thinning, and the swim at the 6pm, the best hour in the Macarella). More Spain →
• The north coast, the Camí de Cavalls and the wild beaches: The Camí de Cavalls is the 185 km of the ancient bridle path that circles the entire coast of Menorca: the 20 stages, the 5–7 days of the walking, and the access to the beaches that are unreachable by road. The essential sections: the stage from the Es Grau to the Cala Mesquida (the 10 km, the 3 hours, the lagoon, the flamingos, and the beach of the Mesquida, the best beach on the north coast that is accessible by the road. The walk is the essential introduction to the Camí de Cavalls), the stage from the Cala Morell to the Punta Nati (the 7 km, the 2 hours, the cliffs, the wild, and the most beautiful walk on the Menorcan coast), and the stage from the Son Bou to the Santo Tomás (the 8 km, the 2.5 hours, the beach of the Son Bou, the longest beach in Menorca, the sand dunes, the development, and the essential contrast with the wild of the other stages). The wild beaches of the north: the Cala Pregonda (the beach of the red sand, the volcanic, the islands, the Illa Cavalleria, and the most unusual beach in Menorca. The walk from the Binimel·là, the 2 km, the 30 minutes, is the essential Menorcan hike), the Cavalleria (the lighthouse, the cliffs, and the most dramatic beach in the Balearics. The road from the Es Mercadal, the 15 km, the last section is the dirt track, and the beach is the reward), and the Platja de Son Saura (the two beaches, the shallow water, and the best family beach on the north coast)
• The Monte Toro, the centre of the island: The Monte Toro (the 358 metres, the highest point on Menorca, and the sanctuary of the Virgen del Toro, the patron saint of the island, the legend of the bull that led the monks to the top) is the essential view of Menorca: the 360 degrees, the north coast, the south coast, the Palma de Mallorca on a clear day, and the sense of the island that is a miniature world. The drive from the Es Mercadal (the 5 km, the narrow, the winding, and the essential Menorcan mountain road), and the café at the top (the coffee, the view, and the best €2 coffee on the island). Free, and the best hour of the trip