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I had previously been to Menorca for a one day trip on a holiday that I was having in Majorca at Cala Millor, and liked what I saw... a lack of comercialisation and proper scenery, so I decided to go back this year in October - which I duly did.
I booked with http://www.directholidays.co.uk which is the internet low rate arm of the my-travel group. I now understand why its low rate.. deal with all your other customers first and then if your lucky you might get to see a rep. I booked up for the Sol Gavinos Hotel at Cala Gardana right on the front and booked a car for 3 days via them. Departure was from Stanstead which was quite convenient because one of my mates lives in Stanstead village. Nothing much really to report on the flight apart from all the signs and the initial announcement said one gate, and later the tannoys said another gate. That means those of us fast off the mark nearly got forgotten until they did a passenger count onboard the plane and then realised what had happened. A short flight later (just over 2h) and we were there for the bus to the hotels. For the record Mahon airport is quite modern, the arrivals side is a bit basic, but departure side is fully furnished with more shops than Stanstead and is laid out quite well.
Arrival at the hotel was in the evening and a meal had been kept ready for us. But I didn't see the rep' until 4pm on the following day, by which time all of us had already found out virtually everything that we needed to know. She also "warned" us that there were several naturist beaches around the island. Something that immediately annoyed me and, as I later found, annoyed everyone else. By the time we had been there a week everyone had bumped into everyone else on the naturist beaches! I did have a word (well several actually) with her and her colleagues in the departure lounge when I left and they acknowledged she was in error and had a good giggle when I left her with a list of the official naturist beaches on the island "so that she could be more helpful to her customers next time".
Which brings me nicely to the island etc. the island is basically the size of Isle of Wight and I still regard it as IOW in the Mediterranean. There is one main highway along its length (E-W), with several drop off roads that go N-S (mainly South). The new capital Mahon (Mao) is at the East end and has in it the only set of modern commercial shops that you will find (look for a bit like a town shopping area in UK and you wont be far wrong). The old capital Citadela is at the far West end and has the churches, etc. plus loss of speciality shops (e.g. leather etc.). In between are various hills which are all green with fir and oak tress, plus pastures with Friesian cows and horses in them. As I said very much a home from home. This legacy dates from when we held the island. The locals live in the towns (small towns and lots of little 5 house villages) all over the island and I gather the resorts are only open May-Oct and after that they are like ghost towns. Oh! also in the middle of he island is the tallest mountain (hill) all of 1000 feet high on which is a monastery that affords views of the entire island. It's really pretty and very green. In the north of the island is the town of Fornells - the equivalent of Cowes - where there's lots of high price yachts, and lots of high prices fish dishes which the place is famous for... every so often the king of Spain pops over on his boat and drops in for his fish meal. I understand if you're in the place already then he pays for everyone's meal. No throw everyone out like our royalty security would do here! In the south are a number of towns, but in the mid south of the island are, from West to East Cala Gardana, Santo Thomas, and Son Bou, which are the original resort towns, all other places are newer.
Of these where I was staying, Cala Gardana, is the largest buts it's still not exactly big - its just about the width of the bay plus 25% more - so about a mile across. The bay is a cove in the cliffs where the islands only big (well its about 15 foot across) river flows into the sea. The beach is sandy and vary gently sloping. Ideal for eco textile families. Note that on the island grab your towel from the hotel for the beach (most supply F.O.C.) because the lounges and Sun umbrella are dear, €17 for a pair of lounges and umbrella. I gather that during the high season (defined as when the kids are on holiday in Europe) the place is packed, other times is as relaxed as I found it. There's also a walk up the river that takes you past some nice cliff faces and you see eagles, etc., along the river. The river is full of fish, lots and lots of fish, and they are bright (for fish). It was a laugh watching a bird (shearwater type thingy) dive and swim after them and then see all the fish line up astern of it knowing they are safe there. There are two main big hotels - the Ardux and the Sol Gavinos where I was staying, this was certainly up to the standard of most Sol Elite group hotels. No quibbles there apart from their tendency to put mushrooms in dishes. oh and normally they are very good that they don't do the room until you hung the please do the room tag on the door handle. I say normally because on one day she did walk in when I was late up to find me in the shower . Note I say big hotels... these two hotels and two others were the only ones on the whole island to be more than 3 stories high - and by law they have to be rebuilt within the next 5 years to comply. This is because the whole island is basically a S.S.S.I. (Site of Special Scientific Interest)
For naturism near Cala Gardana, you would need to take a stroll over the Western end of the cove hill and over to the next cove. There you will find a nice beach with a Restaurant/Bar at the back of it miles away from anywhere. This beach is supposed to be textile (note the supposed to be, I gather a few souls bare it). Just around small hillock at its western end is another slightly smaller inlet called Macarelleta. This is entirely naturist and I gather is lovely. (I say I gather because I never got there.. but several of the hotel guests recommended it to me). You do need to be fit to get to it mind you - that walk is not entirely easy.
The next town along is Santo Thomas. I love Santo Thomas and have rebooked for next year for two weeks in September at the Sol Menorca. Basically the resort is newer than the last, and is strung out along the front, it has 3 main hotels - the Victoria (which I gather its a bit of a dump), the Hotel Santo Thomas and the Sol Menorca (another Sol Elite). The last two are, I gather, the best hotels on the island. There are also a couple of bar/cafes along the front, and a small lot of shops along the road including a Doctors/Pharmacia. Virtually everywhere has a docs/pharmacy it, if your not exactly healthy then at least you have a doctor on hand!. The beaches for the town are three fold and are all very sandy, patrolled and safe. The first to the east is textile, has a few fishing boats on it and is quite nice. The second is more a beach no fishing boats. According to the guide it was sometimes naturist but from what I saw it wasn't. However I did see a few thongs - so bearing in mind that it was late season with few people around it may have been. The last beach just past a nice cafe at the western end of the beach was marked as naturist on every book I had. However that belied the point which I twigged later that if you were on a beach away from town, then 75% of the folk on that beach would be naturist and 25% wouldn't be, and both would be happily co-existing and co-operating. It was the norm on this beach and all other out of the way beaches that folk would ask, "...watch my things ...we have swim?" and folk would. I ended up on this beach a number of times during my holiday. There were about 20 on one occasion, 12-15 (twice) and 5 (me plus 4 locals between hotel shifts) on 4 other occasions. I always reckon that if the locals go on a beach then you cant go far wrong - lets face it they know where the best places are. What did the beach look like? Imagine your tropical paradise sandy beach but with pasture and fir/oak trees behind then you've got it.
By the way, if you are fit you can walk from Cala Gardana to Santo Thomas, but it's along a fairly rough track. By car (really a requirement on the island) you go inland to the highway, along a bit, and then drop down off it. And that reminds me, I recommend you book via Avis, they have the better cars and are cheaper. Lunn Poly just quoted me £561 for a Corsa for 2 weeks next year, Avis initially quoted me £302 but a discount by virtue of my employer reduced this to £270. The Avis cars are all 2-years old, and have air conditioning, most other groups cars don't have air conditioning and are older. Incidentally the drink drive law on the island is simple.. don't!
The next town along is Son Bou, which is not quite as old as Cala Gardana
but nearly. Comprising of twin high rise hotels at its eastern end and
apartments elsewhere its very small). However the beach is huge. It starts
outside the hotels and stretches west until it gets to the end headland of
Santo Thomas.
There's two cafes on the beach plus the usual restaurants and knick-knack shops
(and doctors) on the so-called "main" road. The
beach is separated from the rest of the town by a nature reserve and marsh area
As you go west between the two there are an ever increasing area of
dunes.
Basically once you are past the main beach area, you in naturist country,
with increasing numbers of folk peeled off. I also gather - having spoke to
various folk - that in mid season only swingers would be quite happy in the
dunes (but not on the beach which is quite conventional naturist).
If you go there bear in mind 3 things:
1) there is little protection from
the Sun.. so take plenty of water and sun cream;
2) mind the sea holy !!!
Boy is it sharp.. I stood on one bit pull it out of my foot and got bits in
my hand in doing so that I didn't get out until I got home. I also ended
up helping a couple get some out of her foot. Flip flops or similar
recommended for this beach therefore;
3) in high season be
careful of your belongings while in the dunes.
Having said all this it is nice and, although the sea is normally gentle, it can be rough there and when it is there is a strong
undertow so look at the lifeguard station for the flags. Incidentally it was on
this beach that I awoke to find a small lizard sun basking on my bum!
Also I gather its nice and dark at night. Back home in late October I attended an astronomy talk when one of the guys showed slides of where he perched his telescope at night to do some astronomy whilst he was on holiday... right in the middle of the dunes! Having mentioned this I should comment that when your away from the towns, because of the S.S.S.I. nature of the island it is really quite dark. I had some lovely views of the milky way through my binoculars from my hotel bar roof with a pint of lager on table to the side of me (most accommodating that hotel).
I didn't get anywhere else!! No time, too busy enjoying the Sun by day and the stars by night. In spite of getting an ear infection just before I came home (common if you are prone to them and caused by the constant humidity of c90%) I have come to the conclusion that I love the island and that 1 week was nowhere long enough for me.. 2 weeks is more like it. Would I recommend the place ? Well If you like natural scenery then you'll love the place to bits, if you like shops and artificial beaches then you will hate it. Me? I love it, and would happily retire there.
P.S. The proportion of holiday makers in October was about 40% Brits, 40% Germans, 0% Dutch, the rest Spanish and Italian.
Cala Gardana - from the bar balcony (photo by Kev)
Santo Thomas beach (photo by Kev)
See Steve's report for a comprehensive list of beaches on Menorca.
If you have any comments about this report or wish to add further information
please email them to:
neffupdate @ ada-augusta . demon . co . uk
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