Menorca

In the peak summer months of June, July and August the sun shines for about 10 hours a day and the average top temperature is in the high 20 degrees Centigrade. It sometimes soars well above 30 degrees, but heatwaves are tempered by welcome sea breezes. It rarely rains in these months. The wettest months are in autumn and winter.

There’s plenty of sun in the shoulder months of April, May and September when it will still be warm enough to enjoy the beach and countryside, although another layer of clothing may be needed in the evenings. The sea temperature is 20 degrees or higher in from June to October.

If you visit Menorca between 23 June and 8 September you are likely to experience a “jaleo” festival. They are colourful and exciting events that are much enjoyed by tourists, but they date back more than 500 years. Each town and village holds a fiesta to celebrate its patron saint’s day - and the stars of the shows are pure-bred Menorcan horses and their riders.

The beautifully decorated black horses are paraded through the streets and the horsemanship skills are demonstrated by tricks performed to traditional music from flutes and drums. Sometimes they will race along the streets too. The jaleo is when the horses rear up and balance on their back legs. Then the parties begin. Restaurants set up street stalls, there is often live music, dancing, a funfair and sometimes fireworks.  Special jaleo buses are laid on day and night so people can get to – and from – the festivals.

Menorca has an international jazz festival in April and there are several jazz clubs and bars open across the island throughout the summer.

In May, hundreds of athletes take part in a series of six races on the coastal path that goes all around the island. The toughest event is the full 115-mile marathon.  Also in May, Mahon holds a four-day floral, art and cultural festival.

To seek out some of the wonders of Menorca it’s best to rent transport. There are buses but having a car, scooter, cycle or boat will enable you to get to places that public transport doesn’t reach. 

Car hire. There aren’t any motorways on Menorca. The major road, the ME1, runs the length of the island and connects Mahon with Ciutadella.  There are numerous car hire businesses. Road signs are in Catalan and Spanish. 

Buses.  Bus terminals in Mahon and Ciutadella act as hubs for the island’s bus services that reach most of the towns, resorts and villages. There are three regional bus services and each one has a website, with English translation, which provides routes and schedules. Mahon and the east coast are covered by TMSA; Ciutadella and the west coast by Torres; the north east by Autos Fornells.

Taxis: The main resorts have cab ranks. Available taxis will stop if hailed in the street. They can be booked online or by phone and hotels and restaurants will usually be happy to make the call for customers.  There are water taxis in some resorts.

Boats:  All kinds of boats can be hired from small motorboats to speedboats so visitors can explore the coast. Luxurious yachts with a captain in charge can also be rented by the day. 

Cycling and walking: Tracks made when horses rather than motor vehicles were travelling around Menorca have been renovated as walking and cycling trails. The well-signed Cami de Cavalls track follows the entire 115-mile length of the coastline. Tourist offices have guidebooks and maps for walkers and cyclists. There are numerous cycle hire businesses that rent mountain bikes, road bikes and E-bikes (the electric ones) by the day or week.

Land train: The Mahon Express road train takes passengers on a 50-minute trip around the city, or longer if they choose to hop on and off at set points. There are no conventional railways on Menorca.

Menorca has the largest number of Bronze Age ruins anywhere in Europe. We explore three in our guide to the Mystery of Amazing Ancient Ruins on Menorca.