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If you're getting ready to head off on a Menorca holiday you probably already know that a major appeal of the island are the beautiful beaches. What you may not know, however, is just how many and varied they are. Here are some questions answered. How good are the island’s beaches? Describing a beach is always subjective, but most people would agree that the island’s beaches are fabulous - and actually more in number than those on Majorca and Ibiza combined. Many are fine sand, though some on the northern coast are slightly wilder and rockier. Where is the best beach? Once again it’s rather a matter of opinion, but most would say that the beach at Son Bou takes the prize, as the island’s longest stretch of beautiful sand. Other beaches might be smaller but more than compensate by offering beautiful cove surroundings. An example of that might be found at Cala Galdana or Cala Mijana. What about crowds? Even at the height of the season, a Menorca holiday might be less stressful than on some other islands because it hasn’t allowed mass developments; as a result, crowding is less of a problem. Of course, there may be a relationship between the size of a beach and how busy it gets. It might not take too many people at the height of summer to make a small and beautiful beach feel busy. Out of the peak school holiday period, though, crowds are unlikely to be a problem. Even during the high season, if you make the effort to get around, you might easily be able to find some quieter beaches – particularly on the north coast. Are there any restrictions on beach use? Not in the sense of some being closed but for environmental reasons, access to some might be controlled. For example, access to the beach at Son Bou is restricted to certain pathways through dunes in order to protect the unique flora and fauna. At other beaches, parking might be limited locally to a specified number of cars in order to protect the visual appearance. For example, at the time of writing, the beautiful but small north coast beach of Cala Algaiarens has a privately-owned car park where parking numbers are controlled at 200 cars per day (fee payable) in order to avoid the beach becoming overcrowded and spoiled. Do all the beaches have facilities for refreshments etc? No. Large numbers of the smaller and more isolated beaches, for which the island is famous, have little or nothing by way of facilities. That isn’t laziness or lack of awareness but an island policy to avoid development and over-commercialisation – something that’s a running theme you'll notice on your Menorca holiday. So, in some cases you’ll need to take your own refreshments. As you might guess, not all beaches have supervision either. So, take local advice, in advance, about weather conditions and local safe bathing opportunities. What about family bathing safety? Many of the island’s beaches are typically regarded as being safe for moderate swimmers and plain family splashing fun, however, this is not something that you can really rely on an article to confirm one way or another. You need to research the specific beach you’re planning to visit and take into account the given weather conditions on the day. Once again, stay safe on your Menorca holiday by always checking local expert advice on bathing safety – plus keep a close and constant eye on younger children even in the safest of waters. Brenda Jaaback is the Managing Director of Bartle Holidays. They can provide you with a wide selection of superb villas for your Menorca holiday. Bartle Holidays makes no warranty as to the accuracy of information contained in this article and excludes any liability of any kind for the information.
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