Menorca Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes

Mahón to Cala Turqueta and Cala Mitjana

Board your yacht in Mahón harbour by mid-morning. After a welcome briefing and champagne toast, cruise south along the eastern coast (roughly 2 hours) to Cala Turqueta. Drop anchor in 4–5 metres over sand and swim ashore to the beach – fine white sand, pine-scented air, water that shifts from pale aquamarine at the shore to deep sapphire at the cove’s mouth. Snorkel along the rocky edges where grouper, octopus and colourful wrasse hide in the crevices. After lunch on board (your chef sources Mahón cheese from the morning market – a DOP-protected cow’s-milk cheese aged to a buttery, slightly salty depth of flavour), reposition a short distance south-west to Cala Mitjana – 90 metres of emerald water flanked by high cliffs and backed by forest. Anchor overnight between Cala Mitjana and its smaller neighbour Cala Mitjaneta, with dinner on the aft deck under a sky so dark the Milky Way is clearly visible.

Cala Macarella, Cala Macarelleta and Son Saura

A short morning cruise brings you to Cala Macarella – a wider, horseshoe-shaped cove framed by 30-metre limestone cliffs and some of Menorca’s clearest water. Swim ashore and walk the 15-minute clifftop trail through the pines to Cala Macarelleta, its smaller, more intimate neighbour (accessible only on foot or by tender). Back on the yacht, your chef serves a Menorcan-inspired lunch: grilled prawns with aioli, local cheese, tomato salad, and a chilled rosé. In the afternoon, cruise west to Son Saura, a pair of wide sandy beaches on the south-west coast – one of the few spots where the sand stretches for hundreds of metres. Anchor overnight in Son Saura’s calm bay with sundowners and a barbecue on the aft deck, the pine forest dark and fragrant behind the beach.

Ciutadella and Return to Mahón

Cruise the short distance north to Ciutadella, Menorca’s old capital. Tender ashore into the narrow harbour – one of the most photographed in the Mediterranean, tucked under the old city walls, lined with boats, restaurants and bars – and spend the morning exploring the honey-coloured old town: the Catalan Gothic cathedral (14th century, belltower reusing the original minaret of the mosque it replaced), the neoclassical Palau Salort (open to visitors, with a Room of Mirrors containing 12 Louis XVI mirrors), and a network of artisan shops selling avarcas (Menorca’s famous handmade leather sandals, the island’s most recognisable export). Lunch at Café Balear on the harbour (family-run since the 1970s, seafood sourced from their own fishing boat). In the early afternoon, depart for the return cruise to Mahón (roughly 20 nautical miles along the south coast, about 1.5 hours). Your captain may pause at Cala Galdana (a 400-metre horseshoe bay, the gateway to the southern calas) or Cala en Porter (home to the Cova d’en Xoroi, a natural cave carved into the clifftop and converted into a bar with what are reputed to be the best sunset views on the island) for one final dip before reaching Mahón harbour by late afternoon.

Mahón to the North Coast – Cala Pregonda

Board in Mahón and cruise north-west around the coast to Cala Pregonda (roughly 1.5 hours). Anchor off this extraordinary cove of red-gold sand (coloured by Palaeozoic sedimentary rock that predates most of the Mediterranean’s geology), sculpted rock stacks, and wild northern beauty. Swim, snorkel and explore the rocky shore, then enjoy lunch on board as the yacht repositions to nearby Cala Cavalleria – a 500-metre crescent of reddish-gold sand on the north coast, rugged and windswept, with clear calm waters and the Cavalleria lighthouse (the island’s northernmost point) on the cliffs above. Anchor overnight in the shelter of the headland, with nothing but the sound of waves and the occasional call of a Balearic shearwater.

Fornélls and the Northern Fjords

Cruise east to the natural harbour of Fornélls, a small fishing village famous across Spain for its caldereta de llagosta. Anchor in the wide bay and tender ashore for a mid-morning coffee and a wander through the quiet lanes. If your group is keen, arrange a kayak excursion through the fjord-like inlets west of Fornélls – part of the Northern Menorca natural reserve, the rocky coast is riddled with caves and clear-water channels accessible only from the water. Lunch at Es Cranc (their lobster tank at the harbour ensures the freshest possible stew) or Sa Llagosta (Repsol-recommended, thicker and more intensely flavoured). In the afternoon, cruise east toward Cap de Favàritx, Menorca’s most dramatic headland: dark slate rock, a lonely lighthouse (built 1922, the first concrete lighthouse in the Balearics, 28 metres tall with a distinctive black spiral stripe), and an almost lunar landscape of jagged, barren terrain that feels more Iceland than Mediterranean. Anchor overnight in a sheltered cove nearby.

East Coast to the Southern Calas

Cruise south along Menorca’s eastern shore, passing Cala Mesquida (a wide sandy bay with low dunes) and the resort town of Son Bou (the island’s longest beach at 2,500 metres). Continue to the southern calas: Cala en Porter (home to Cova d’en Xoroi, a natural cave club perched on the clifftop with the best sunset views on the island – entry €12–25 including a drink) and then on to Cala Galdana, a 400-metre horseshoe bay that serves as the gateway to the south-west coast. Cala Galdana has Blue Flag status, sheltered waters, and a pleasant promenade ashore for an evening stroll. Anchor for the night in the bay’s calm waters with a chef-prepared dinner featuring Mahón cheese (the nutty, slightly salty DOP cow’s-milk cheese that is Menorca’s other great gastronomic export) and local wines.

Cala Macarella, Cala Turqueta and Return to Mahón

Your final day saves the best for last. A short hop from Cala Galdana brings you to Cala Macarella and Cala Macarelleta for an early-morning swim in water so clear it feels like snorkelling in a swimming pool – 30-metre cliffs on either side, pine forest above, not a sound beyond the slap of water on the rocks. Continue to Cala Turqueta for the ultimate farewell anchorage: 110 metres of white sand, shifting turquoise light, and pine-scented air so clean it feels medicinal. Your chef serves a farewell brunch on the aft deck – warm ensaimadas, Mahón cheese with local honey, tropical fruit, freshly squeezed juice and a cafetito with hierbas. Depart by early afternoon for the return cruise to Mahón (roughly 2 hours along the south coast), arriving in the grand harbour by late afternoon with time for a final stroll through the market, a pomada at a harbour bar, or a sunset drink on the terrace of the Xoriguer distillery as the La Mola fortress catches the last light.

Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day southern calas route with the 4-day full island circuit for a comprehensive 7-day Menorca charter. The two itineraries are designed to cover different ground, so there is no overlap – and a full week in Menorca still will not exhaust the island’s supply of beautiful calas.