Menorca: the south

Southern Menorca is a real holidaymaker's playground, featuring the island's largest and most popular beaches, and its liveliest resort towns: Cala en Porter, Son Bou and Santo Tomas. There's a good selection of holiday accommodation also...

The popular, busy family resort of Cala en Porter has something for everyone. A large resort by Menorcan standards and one of the oldest on the island, it has a lovely setting on the eastern cliffs above a large sandy beach. It has an abundance of bars, restaurants, supermarkets and shops, catering mostly for the British. A roadtrain carries visitors up and down from the resort to the beach. Cala en Porter is famous for the Cova d'en Xoroi - a complex of natural caves high up on the side of the cliff to the east of the beach. During the summer the caves are open daily
Cala en Porter photo gallery

Popular Cala en Porter

Cala en Porter
A fabulous cove, hemmed in by imposing cliffs and offering safe bathing and all the tourist amenities you'd expect. Of course it's popular and very busy in the season

Son Bou above
Menorca's longest beach with around two miles of golden sands. At the resort end it's busy and well served by beach bars and the resort's many restaurants. Walk the sands for 10 minutes and even in August the crowds thin to provide tranquil sunbathing spots, popular with naturists
Calas Coves
Dramatic cliffs surround two very small beaches, reached by a 10-minute drive from San Clemente. Swimming and diving from the rocks is possible. No facilities
Es Canutells
This small resort is close to Cala en Porter. There is a supermarket, a couple of restaurants plus a small sandy beach
Santo Tomas
Reached either from Santo Tomas resort or on foot from Son Bou, this is a wide, sandy and busy beach ideal for kids and offering beach bars, paddleboats, sunbeds and more besides

Santo Tomas

A long beach (see
right) of golden sand
is the chief attraction of this major resort,
which has large
hotels and an urbanization which
grows every year. Shops, bars,
restaurants - everything required by the typical holidaying family

Menorca has a multitude of restaurants. Many offer standard tourist menus and most offer a menu del dia (menu of the day) costing 7-10 euros - excellent value for money.
Many new restaurants open each season offering much more than standard tourist fare. In July and August advance bookings are advisable in very popular restaurants if you wish to eat after 8pm. Local specialities are calderata de llagosta (lobster stew), paella, fresh fish and shellfish. Do not miss the locally made mayonnaise, an invention of Mahon (Mao).

Recommendations in the south

The Village Pub, Cala en Porter Lively pub/restaurant mainly catering to the British market - beers, cocktails, kids menu and fun nights inc bingo and quizzes
Sa Paissa, Cala en Porter
Varied, expensive menu from English breakfast to international cuisine
Club Menorca, Cala en Porter Excellent food served in a wonderful clifftop location. Booking advisable for the outdoor terrace tables
Las Dunas, Santo Tomas. Popular family restaurant with pool tables, evening entertainment and crazy golf. Mostly pizza and pasta
Costa Sur, Santo Tomas
Formal restaurant for a special night out in an elegant dining room or shady outdoor terrace
La Gondoliere, Son Bou
Small, popular Italian and pizzeria