A week from Menorca: the south calas, Ciutadella, Pollença
Menorca is the quietest of the Balearics: a UNESCO biosphere reserve with a south coast of limestone calas and turquoise water, and a low, green north coast of enclosed bays. The loop from Mahón runs to about 110 nm: short legs between coves and two crossings of 28–34 nm over the channel to Pollença bay on Mallorca. It suits a crew at ease in open water: a channel day means five or six hours with no shelter.
Day by day
Mahón
- Mahón39.887, 4.277
Boat handover after 17:00, provisioning in town. Mahón sits at the head of one of the longest natural harbours in the Mediterranean: the old town is up the steps from the quay, and the local gin is the first thing to try ashore.
Mahón → Cala en Porter
- Cala en Porter39.868, 4.132
Out past the La Mola fortress at the harbour mouth and west along the south coast, two hours to the first limestone cala. Night at anchor in Cala en Porter; the sunset is watched from the bar in the Cova d'en Xoroi cave, right above the water.
Cala en Porter → Ciutadella
- Cala Macarella39.938, 3.937
- Ciutadella40.000, 3.833
West along the whole south coast with a swim stop at Cala Macarella, the turquoise cove on every Menorca postcard. Ciutadella is the island's old capital; you moor in the narrow canal of a harbour below the cathedral, and in season berths are booked ahead.
Ciutadella → Port de Pollença
- Port de Pollença39.907, 3.083
The crossing to Mallorca: five to six hours of open water on the morning breeze, with the Tramuntana mountains rising ahead. Night at anchor in the bay of Pollença, the roomiest sheltered bay on the island.
Pollença → Formentor
- Formentor39.930, 3.130
A slow day: a short hop under the Formentor peninsula, the dinghy to the beach and a swim below the cliffs of Cala Figuera. The road out to the Formentor lighthouse is one of the most beautiful on Mallorca — take a taxi.
Formentor → Fornells
- Fornells40.058, 4.133
Back across the channel to the north coast of Menorca, four hours on a beam reach with the island low and green ahead. Fornells is a fishing village in an enclosed bay; people come for the caldereta, the lobster stew.
Fornells → Mahón
- Cap de Favàritx39.998, 4.268
- Mahón39.887, 4.277
Round Cap de Favàritx and its lighthouse above dark slate rocks, down the east coast and into Mahón harbour by lunchtime. Refuelling, handover, night on board in the marina.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Wind: the main threat here is the tramuntana, a northerly that builds a steep sea in the channel within half a day. In a tramuntana the Mallorca crossing is off and the week stays around Menorca: Mahón, the south calas, Ciutadella and Fornells, about 80 nm with a day in port wherever it blows hardest. The best months are May, June, September and October.
- Berths: anchoring on Posidonia seagrass is banned and fined across the Balearics — drop the hook on sand; the popular calas and Fornells have summer buoy fields booked online. Ciutadella harbour is occasionally hit by the 'rissaga', a sudden rise and fall of the water level of a metre or more; if one is forecast, spend the night elsewhere.
- Cabrera is a marine national park south of Mallorca: mooring on park buoys only, with a permit taken in advance. It is about 50 nm from Pollença, so it replaces the Formentor day only on a settled forecast.
- Logistics: Menorca airport is five kilometres from Mahón, about ten minutes by taxi to the marina. In summer there are plenty of direct flights; in spring and autumn far fewer, often with a change in Barcelona or Palma.
When to go and what it costs in Spain
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Spain
All boats in Spain
How long is the Menorca — Mallorca route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 110 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Menorca. Overnight stops in order: Mahón, Cala en Porter, Ciutadella, Port de Pollença, Formentor, Fornells. The longest leg is day 4, 34 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Menorca — Mallorca route?
In the Balearics the season runs May to October. July and August are the peak: marinas are expensive and full, so you anchor or pick up a buoy. June and September bring warm water and lower prices; May and October are the shoulder months. In winter people sail in the Canaries, a separate area. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is October: a median of €272 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at €300. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 46%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Spain for a week starts from €1,148 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Spain”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
