Flights from Belfast to Menorca
The Balearic that never built the high-rises. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with a coastal footpath around the whole island and coves you have to walk to.
- Flight time
- 2h 55mfrom BFS
- Airport
- MAHMenorca (Mahón)
- Season
- May to October
- Direct from Belfast
- Yes
Why this route matters from Belfast
Menorca is the same flight time as Majorca and a completely different holiday. Where Majorca built at scale, Menorca declared itself a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1993 and largely did not.
The result is an island with a fraction of the hotel stock of its neighbours, no high-rise development to speak of, and a coastline where a meaningful number of the best beaches have no road to them.
Who Menorca suits
Book it if you want beaches rather than a resort, you will walk twenty minutes to reach a better one, or you are travelling with older children who can.
Look elsewhere if you want nightlife, a huge choice of hotels, or a resort where everything is on the doorstep.
The two towns
Menorca has two capitals and has never entirely settled which. Mahón in the east sits above a vast natural harbour and carries the traces of a century of British rule — sash windows, Georgian doorways, and a local gin that exists because the Royal Navy wanted some.
Ciutadella in the west was the capital before the British moved it, and has never fully forgiven the decision. It is the prettier of the two: a sandstone old town of narrow shaded streets opening onto a harbour cut into the rock.
Forty-five minutes apart, and worth seeing both.
The coves worth the walk
The south coast is limestone, which is why the sand is pale and the water goes that particular colour. The most photographed — Macarella, Macarelleta, Mitjana, Turqueta — are reached from car parks that fill by mid-morning in August, followed by a walk through pine woods of between ten and thirty minutes.
That walk is the filter. It is also why they still look the way they do.
Where to stay
- Families who want a cove with facilities
Cala Galdana
A near-perfect horseshoe bay on the south coast with hotels actually on it. The rare combination of a postcard cove and somewhere to stay.
- A long sandy beach
Son Bou
The longest beach on the island, over two kilometres, which is why it never feels crowded even in August.
- Clifftop views and a quiet base
Cala'n Porter
A small resort above a sandy inlet, best known for Cova d'en Xoroi, a bar built into the cliff face.
- Atmosphere and food
Ciutadella
The old capital at the western end, with a sandstone old town and a harbour cut into the rock. The most attractive town on the island.
- Arriving late and staying put
Mahón
The capital, wrapped around one of the largest natural harbours in the world, and ten minutes from the airport.
When to go
Same seasonal shape as Majorca but quieter at both ends, and windier. The tramontana can blow hard on the north coast even in summer.
| Month | Air | Sea | How busy |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14°C | 14°C | Closed |
| February | 14°C | 13°C | Closed |
| March | 16°C | 14°C | Barely open |
| April | 18°C | 15°C | Waking up |
| May | 22°C | 17°C | Sweet spot |
| June | 26°C | 21°C | Building |
| July | 29°C | 24°C | School holidays |
| August | 29°C | 26°C | Peak |
| September | 26°C | 24°C | Sweet spot |
| October | 22°C | 21°C | Winding down |
| November | 18°C | 18°C | Shutting |
| December | 15°C | 15°C | Closed |
Typical averages, not forecasts. Sea temperature lags air temperature by roughly two months, which is why October often swims better than June.
Mistakes people make
Expecting resort infrastructure. Menorca deliberately did not build what Majorca and Ibiza built. Fewer big hotels, fewer big nights out, and that is the entire point of it.
Driving to the best coves. Several of the famous southern calas are reached on foot through pine woods, twenty minutes from the nearest car park. Wear something other than flip-flops.
Booking the north coast without checking the wind. The tramontana hits the north hard. It is why that coast is wild and empty, and why a north-facing beach can be unusable on a perfectly sunny day.
Picking a side in the Mahón–Ciutadella rivalry. They are forty-five minutes apart, they have disliked each other for three hundred years, and you should visit both.
Frequently asked questions
Is Menorca boring?
If your measure is nightlife, yes, and deliberately so. If your measure is beaches, walking and food, it is the best of the three Balearics.
Do I need a hire car?
More than on Majorca. The island is small but the coves are scattered and bus services are built for locals, not beach-hopping.
Which coast is better?
South for sand, shelter and turquoise water. North for drama, red rock and wind. Most visitors stay south and drive north for a day.
What is the Camí de Cavalls?
A 185 km bridleway that circles the entire island, originally built for coastal patrols. It is now a waymarked path and the best way to reach beaches with no road to them.
Before you book
- Guide
What actually fits in hand luggage
Why bags that fit at home fail at the gate, and the measurement everyone gets wrong.
- Explainer
Flight only, or a package?
What the bundle is really worth, and the protection you lose by booking the parts separately.
- 2h 50m
Majorca
Under three hours from Belfast and the shortest transfer list in the Mediterranean. Majorca's problem is not getting there — it is that four completely different holidays are sold under one island's name.