We went to Menorca for five days at the end of September with a five-year-old and a two-year-old, and by the third day I had stopped planning. That is the thing about this island: it does not reward an itinerary. It rewards picking a beach in the morning and staying there.
This is everything we learned — which beaches actually work with small children, which side of the island to base yourself on, what the whole trip cost us, and the one famous beach we thought was overrated.
Menorca with kids, in short
- Best all-round beach for families: Cala Galdana — a wide horseshoe bay, shallow and sheltered, with a resort behind it so there is food and shade within walking distance.
- Which side: south. The southern calas are sandy, shallow and sheltered from the Tramuntana. The north is wilder, redder, deeper and windier.
- Do you need a car? Yes. The best calas are not on a bus route.
- How long: five days was comfortable. A week if you want to slow down.
- When: late September was 33°C with warm water and no crowds. June is the other good window.
- What it cost us: €200 flights for four, €190 car hire for five days.
Flying in late or out early? Punta Prima is 15 minutes from the airport and holds a Blue Flag. These are affiliate links: we earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.
What our Menorca trip cost
We flew Barcelona to Menorca with Vueling. Booking a few months ahead on an offer, all four of us cost €200 return.
The car was the other fixed cost. I spent nearly three hours comparing companies before the trip and ended up with a small firm that has no desk at the airport — they run a shuttle every fifteen minutes to their office and back. €190 for five days. The shuttle sounds like a hassle and was not; we had the keys faster than the queue at the big counters.
Those two numbers are from our trip and are not current prices. What has not changed is the shape of it: the flight from Barcelona is short and cheap if you book early, and the car is non-negotiable.
Where we stayed, and where you should
We rented an apartment five minutes’ walk from Cala Blanca, just south of Ciutadella. With a two-year-old, an apartment beat a hotel every time — snacks at any hour, a fridge, and somewhere to put a sleeping child down at seven o’clock.
Below is how the main family bases compare. I have marked clearly which ones we used and which ones we did not, because that distinction matters more than a list of hotel names.
| Area | Best for | The beach | Did we stay there? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cala Blanca | Toddlers, quiet, near Ciutadella | Small cove, shallow, never crowded | Yes — this was our base |
| Cala Galdana | First family trip, most facilities | Wide horseshoe bay, sheltered | No — we visited twice |
| Punta Prima | Short transfers, last night before a flight | Long white sand, views to Illa de l’Aire | No — we visited on our last day |
| Son Bou | Longest beach on the island, big family resorts | Long open sand | No — we did not go |
| Cala’n Bosch | Marina, restaurants, evening entertainment | Calm, family-friendly | No — we did not go |
If I were booking again with children the ages ours were: Cala Galdana, for the simple reason that the bay is sheltered enough that you can sit back slightly and the walk to lunch is short. Cala Blanca if you want somewhere quieter and do not mind driving to everything.
Son Bou and Cala’n Bosch come up constantly in family recommendations for Menorca and I have left them in the table because you will see them everywhere — but we did not stay in or visit either, so take that from someone who did.
The best beaches in Menorca for kids
We saw at least three beaches a day for five days. These are the ones that worked.
Cala Blanca — the one we came back to every evening
Small, white sand, and so clear it looks like a swimming pool. It never felt busy even in the middle of the day. The water stays shallow for roughly ten metres, which meant both boys could be in it without either of us holding on to them — we watched from the sand instead of standing in the sea, and after two days of that you notice how much less tiring the holiday is.
Full facilities, and five minutes from where we were staying.
Cala Galdana — our favourite, and we went twice
A large white-sand bay backed by pines, with rugged cliffs closing it in on the south side. It is the beach most likely to be busy in August, and it is still the one I would pick.
Lifeguards on duty. Kayaks and pedalos to rent. The water is shallow and clear a long way out, and my husband and Damian snorkelled straight off the beach and found proper fish without swimming anywhere.
It is also the trailhead for the walk to the famous coves — Cala Mitjana to the east, Macarella and Macarelleta to the west — along the Camí de Cavalls.
One correction worth knowing: Cala Galdana no longer holds a Blue Flag. It lost the certification in 2025 over occasional river discharges and did not reapply in 2026. Menorca’s four Blue Flag beaches in 2026 are Cala en Porter, Son Bou, Binibèquer Nou and Punta Prima. That does not make Cala Galdana a worse beach — it is still the best family bay on the island — but if a Blue Flag is what you are looking for, it is not there.
Santo Tomás — the easiest one with a car
We found this on our last morning and stayed the whole time. A long narrow strip of soft white sand, rocky in places, backed by hills.
The reason it goes on this list is the parking: the car park is right at the beach, about twenty metres from the sand. With two small children, a cool bag and a parasol, twenty metres versus a ten-minute walk is the difference between a good morning and a bad one.
Cala Binidalí — beautiful, and we only stopped for photos
A small cove near Maó with fine sand, clear blue water and spectacular views. Both boys were asleep in the car when we got there, so we looked, took pictures, and drove on.
I am including it anyway because it is genuinely lovely and because I would rather tell you we did not swim there than pretend we did.
Punta Prima — the last-day beach
Fifteen minutes from the airport, which makes it the obvious choice for your final morning. Wide white sand with plenty of room, well-stocked supermarkets in the village behind it, and a clear view across to Illa de l’Aire and its lighthouse.
It is busy, and it holds a Blue Flag for 2026. We did our last swim and bought our gifts here before flying home.
The famous ones: Macarella, Macarelleta and Turqueta
Cala Macarella is the beach on every Menorca postcard. We walked the 2 km to it from Cala Galdana on the Camí de Cavalls — which with a five-year-old was a real walk, and worth it for the views down to Macarelleta from above.
Honestly? We thought it was overrated. We went the day after a windy one, the water had brought in a lot of weed, and standing on it after seeing Cala Galdana twice, it did not do anything the others had not already done better. Plenty of people will disagree. But it is the single most hyped beach on the island and I would not build a day around it.
We skipped Cala Turqueta entirely. After the walk to Macarella nobody had another hike in them, and that was the right call.
⚠️ How to reach Macarella now — this has changed since we went
When we visited you could still drive most of the way. That is no longer true in summer.
- The Macarella car park is physically closed from 1 June through the summer season. Cars and motorbikes cannot get in — it is not a case of arriving early to find a space.
- A bus runs from Ciutadella, continuously from about 08:25 to 20:20, with extra services in July and August.
- Walking and cycling are still allowed — which is what we did, from Cala Galdana.
- Cala Turqueta and Cala Mitjana can still be reached by car, but both use controlled car parks with a full/free sign at the turn-off, and they fill by mid-morning in July and August.
Check the current season’s dates and the bus fare before you go — these rules are set annually and have moved earlier each year.
North or south Menorca — which is better for families?
South, for a first trip with small children. It is not close.
The southern coast is sheltered from the Tramuntana wind. The calas there are fine white sand, the water is shallow a long way out, and most of the island’s family resorts are on that side, so you are never far from a supermarket.
The north is more beautiful in a wilder way — reddish sand, dunes, dramatic rock — and noticeably deeper and windier. At Cala Cavalleria, the largest bay on the north coast, both boys needed us in the water with them, which was not true anywhere in the south. There are no facilities at all there: you bring your own water and food and you take your rubbish home.
Go north for a day. Sleep in the south.
What to do in Menorca with kids when they have had enough of the beach
Monte Toro
At 358 metres it is the highest point on Menorca, topped by the Sanctuary of the Verge del Toro. You can drive right up. We had our morning coffee at the top and could see white villages, lighthouses and sea in almost every direction — on a clear day you can make out the mountains of Mallorca.
Ten minutes of a child’s patience, one of the best views in the Balearics.
A short stretch of the Camí de Cavalls
The coastal path that circles the whole island runs to 185 kilometres and is waymarked as the long-distance route GR 223. People walk the whole thing in about a week.
You do not need to. We did 2 km of it, from Cala Galdana towards Macarella, and with a five-year-old that was plenty. Short sections between two calas are the best walk on the island with children, because there is a swim at the end of them.
Ciutadella and Maó
Ciutadella has the narrow streets, the squares and the colourful harbour, and is the better of the two for an evening with children — you walk down to the water, look at the boats, and eat. Maó has one of the largest natural harbours in Europe.
We passed through both rather than doing them properly, which I would change if we went again.
The lighthouses
There are seven lighthouses on Menorca and we saw six of them. They are scattered around the coast in genuinely spectacular spots, and driving between two or three of them is one of the better ways to spend a day when the children have had enough sand. We’ve written them all up in our guide to the lighthouses of Menorca.
One thing that has changed: Cap de Favàritx, the most dramatic of them, is now closed to private cars through the summer — in 2026 from 15 May. A bus runs from Maó on line L43, €3.65 single, roughly 25 minutes, with twelve departures a day through the season. You can buy the ticket on the bus.
Snorkelling
The water is clear enough that beginners see fish in waist-deep water. Cala Galdana and Cala Binidalí are the easiest places to start.
Watching the sunset
We watched the sunset almost every evening, and by the third day Damian was asking about it before dinner. It is free, it takes twenty minutes, and it fits around anything else you had planned. Our three favourite spots are in where to watch the sunset in Menorca.
Menorcan food worth trying
Mahón cheese, ensaïmadas, caldereta de langosta if you are eating without children for an evening, and the local ice cream, which is what actually got eaten in our family.
Our honest advice after five days
Menorca is not a destination you tick off. There is no single unmissable thing, and the island is better for it.
The three decisions that made our trip work were: rent a car, base yourself on the south coast, and accept that you will see three beaches a day and not all ninety-nine. UNESCO declared the whole island a Biosphere Reserve on 8 October 1993, and the reason it still looks the way it does — no high-rises, 216 km of coastline with a great deal of nothing on it — is that designation.
The thing I would do differently is spend a proper evening in Ciutadella instead of driving through it twice.
More Menorca and the Balearics
- 5 days in Menorca with kids: our day-by-day itinerary
- Where to watch the sunset in Menorca
- The seven lighthouses of Menorca
- Mallorca with kids: our family adventure
- Alua Calas de Mallorca — all-inclusive hotel review
- Ibiza travel guide for families
Menorca with kids: your questions answered
Is Menorca good for families with kids?
Yes, and it is the easiest of the Balearics for young children. The south coast is a run of sheltered calas with shallow, calm water and fine white sand. UNESCO declared the whole island a Biosphere Reserve on 8 October 1993, which is why there are no high-rise resorts and why much of the 216 km of coastline is still undeveloped.
Which is the best beach in Menorca for families?
Cala Galdana. It is a wide horseshoe bay on the south coast with shallow sheltered water, fine sand, lifeguards, and a resort behind it so food and shade are within walking distance. Cala Blanca is the quieter alternative near Ciutadella, and Santo Tomás is the easiest with a car because the car park sits about twenty metres from the sand.
Should you stay in the north or the south of Menorca with kids?
South, for a first family trip. The southern calas are sheltered from the Tramuntana wind, with fine white sand and water that stays shallow a long way out. The north is wilder and more dramatic, with reddish sand and dunes, but it is deeper and windier and several of its beaches have no facilities at all. Visit the north for a day and sleep in the south.
Do you need a car in Menorca with kids?
Yes. The best calas are not on a bus route, and several are reached down a single narrow road with a car park at the end. We paid €190 for five days with a small company that has no airport desk and runs a shuttle every fifteen minutes.
Can you still drive to Cala Macarella?
Not in summer. The Macarella car park is physically closed from 1 June through the summer season, and cars and motorbikes cannot get in. A bus runs from Ciutadella, roughly 08:25 to 20:20, with extra services in July and August. Walking and cycling are still allowed, and the walk from Cala Galdana along the Camí de Cavalls is about 2 km. Cala Turqueta and Cala Mitjana can still be reached by car, but their car parks fill by mid-morning in high season.
How many days do you need in Menorca?
Five days is comfortable with children. That was enough to settle into one base, see three beaches a day, drive up Monte Toro and visit several lighthouses without rushing. A week lets you slow down and add the north coast properly.
How long is the Camí de Cavalls?
185 kilometres, waymarked as the GR 223 long-distance route, and it circles the entire island. Walking the whole thing takes about a week. Short sections between two calas are the best option with children — we walked 2 km of it from Cala Galdana towards Macarella and that was plenty with a five-year-old.
Which Menorca beaches have a Blue Flag?
Four beaches hold Blue Flag status in 2026: Cala en Porter, Son Bou, Binibèquer Nou and Punta Prima. Cala Galdana lost its Blue Flag in 2025 over occasional river discharges and did not reapply, although it remains the best family bay on the island.
When is the best time to visit Menorca with kids?
Late September or June. We went at the end of September and had 33°C, warm water and beaches that were never full. August is the hottest and busiest month, and the car parks at the popular calas fill early in the morning.
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