Virgin Coves/South Ciudadela

Ciudadela: Son Saura, Cala d'Es Talaier, Cala en Turqueta and Macarella, Macarelleta. * Ferreries: Cala Mitjana and Mitjaneta * Es Migjorn Gran: Cala Trebalúger, Fustam, Cala Escorxada and Binigau

The citizens of Menorca have a very strong and deeply rooted ecological awareness; this fact has surely been increased by having comparative elements in areas near the island of Menorca. This causes virgin sites, especially the Virgin beaches, to be fiercely defended by the vast majority of Menorcans and a large part of society as a whole and its institutions.

Although some very beautiful coves and beaches on the island of Menorca have been urbanized, we can say that one cannot speak of exaggerated overcrowding. Furthermore, for anyone who enjoys natural spaces and the practice of nudism, also called naturism, they will be able to enjoy this practice without problems. Almost always, there is a virgin beach or cove very close to the urbanized cove where our hotel or apartment is located, and from where we can travel every day, even on foot.

The coves and beaches of this group, Son Saura, Cala d'Es Talaier, Cala en Turqueta and Macarella, Macarelleta, are all virgin coves or beaches in the broadest sense. If there is any element, it will be at most an old fisherman's hut or some element built by man; it is certainly of small dimensions and almost camouflaged in the natural landscape.

The virgin beaches in the south of Menorca are:

Ciudadela: Son Saura, Cala d'Es Talaier, Cala en Turqueta and Macarella, Macarelleta.

Ferreries: Cala Mitjana and Mitjaneta

Es Migjorn Gran: Cala Trebalúger, Fustam, Cala Escorxada and Binigaus.

Arenal de Son Saura

The beach of Son Saura or Arenal de Son Saura in Ciutadella, is a beach separated in two by a promontory in the center. Seen from the air, it looks like the profile of a bird where the center is the crop and the two arch-shaped beaches are the wings, named "Ponent and Llevant" (west and east). Like most of the island's coves, it is located at the end of a barranco that eventually gives rise to the coastal geographical feature; in this case, it opens up more and more as it approaches the coast, ending in a wide area of dunes. It is accompanied along its path by a torrent that forms a large wetland behind the "Llevant" beach, separated from the sea by a narrow strip of forest. The other beach, "Ponent", the first one we see upon arriving at the area, has a much denser tree mass that separates the entire length of the beach from the farmland behind it

These beaches are highly appreciated by local visitors, who are familiar with the quality of the place, but especially with the twists and turns of the access road or because they have a boat to arrive by sea.

Cala d'Es Talaier, a short distance from Son Saura, has a beach surface of about 80 meters and a large forest behind the beach which we must cross from the side to reach. It has a very open entrance from the sea of almost 90 degrees; in the vicinity, there are remains of excavations and entrenchments for military defenses.

Cala'n Turqueta

Cala'n Turqueta is another virgin cove in the south and also emblematic for the environmentalist movement. It surely gets its name from the turquoise tones of the water when strolling along its not-too-high cliffs, which vegetation has colonized almost to the edge of the ledge for the most part. The landscape characteristics of this cove are practically identical to those of Cala Macarella; it has very good views from both flanks of the barranco. A beach of fine golden sand.

Cala Macarella and Macarelleta

Macarella and Macarelleta, distant about 500 meters from one another, are found in the same bay. They are virgin beaches, highly protected by regulations but above all by popular pressure. This cove belongs to the group of idyllic places on the island and is therefore defended tooth and nail by the Menorcan society, and there is only one way to understand it: visit it.

The area is densely forested, even to the very edge of the not-very-high cliffs, leaving only the space of the sand visible, and that is precisely what gives the most sensation of being in a truly virgin landscape, although with some small worldly touches: in Macarella there is a "chiringuito" or beach bar, and in Macarelleta, boats arrive more often and nudism proliferates, taking advantage of the fact that it is even more isolated.

As a curiosity, one can see some caves, currently some of them occupied, but which were necropolises in prehistory; there are also several caves inside and outside the bay, at the entrance of the cove at sea level, the most imposing one: "The Macarella Castle".

The beach of Macarella, much larger than Macarelleta, is found by arriving directly head-on at the end of the barranco where the access path runs, which ends next to the wetland area where the barranco forms a kind of large bowl. You can see the clearing in the forest that gives rise to the beach, which has become a parking area for vehicles a few meters from the sand. For Macarelleta, we must take the path that is right at the beginning of the beach on the right side and heading towards the high part of the cliff, passing over the caves.

Access:

Son Saura can be reached from the urbanization of Son Xoriguer, passing the Artrutx lighthouse and the urbanization of Calan Bosch. From here, by walking along a path that runs mainly along the coast. Another option is to take the road from Ciutadella to the hermitage of Sant Joan de Missa and, passing by the house of Torre Saura, you arrive at the arenal of Son Saura. From there, by walking or continuing a little along the same path, you arrive at Cala d'Es Talaier. For Macarella, if you intend to arrive on foot, it is recommended to do so from Cala Galdana.

By car, the same path is also for Cala'n Turqueta; take Sant Joan de Missa and then the detour to sa Marjal Vella i Nova. Recently, the access paths to several beaches on the island have been purchased from the owners of the coastal lands, which is why improvements and changes are being made to the access paths and signs are being replaced, so it is advisable to be attentive and check the map if you want to reach your destination.

Access the online map of this area by clicking HERE

View of the map with the coastal profile of Menorca where the virgin beaches described in this tourist itinerary on the island are located

Description of the points inserted on the map of the beaches of the south of Menorca

Note: The map shown here corresponds to the profile that goes from the Artrutx lighthouse, at the western end of the south coast of Menorca. This area is urbanized and has significant hotel infrastructure destined for sun and beach tourism.

Son Xoriguer and Calan Bosch correspond to the names of the beaches where the urbanizations are located. From Son Xoriguer up to Cala Galdana, all the beaches in between are virgin beaches. If you decide to make the visit on foot, remember that from this point, Son Xoriguer, the last urbanized beach in this area, to the next virgin beach there are several km; plan the excursion before starting it.

Note 2: Given that Menorca does not have a perimeter coastal road, to visit most of the virgin beaches it is necessary to make a specific route for each one of them and, in many cases, if you intend to access by car, pass through tolls or vehicle restriction points that protected natural areas have, so it is recommended to plan and inform yourself before going to the sites.

Note 3: You always have the recourse of the "Cami de Cavalls" (Path of Horses), which is an old perimeter path around the island of Menorca, generally along the coast, that linked surveillance posts, especially the towers or bunkers and their corresponding trenches for the defense of strategic landing points for troops.

This path, today in the process of recovery for public and recreational use, gives access to most of the virgin beaches, but it can only be done on foot, on horseback, or at most by bicycle; of course, you can also access it by boat.

1 - ) Artrutx Lighthouse, the westernmost point of the south coast of Menorca in the municipality of Ciutadella.

2 - ) Calan Bosch and the area of the Calan Bosch Lake

3 - ) Son Xoriguer, the end of the urbanized beaches on this part of the Menorca coast

4 - ) Punta de s`Alzina Dolsa

5 - ) Cala Parejals

6 - ) Son Xoriguer, a wide and soft sandy area in a flat zone.

7 - ) Cala Talaier, of medium dimensions, with a pine forest behind it; the area is very quiet and very beautiful.

8 - ) Calan Turqueta, one of the emblematic beaches of Menorca, beautiful like few others

9 - ) Cala Macarella and Macarelleta, at a very short distance from each other, of extraordinary beauty and appropriate for spending a full day.

10 - ) Cala Santa Galdana is a very beautiful cove and an extraordinary beach; even now that it is urbanized and has three large hotels and a few others not so large, and a good number of tourist apartments, it remains a splendid place that deserves a visit or even staying in this area of Menorca to take excursions to the virgin beaches that are located a few minutes away, even on foot.

11 - ) Cala Mitjana and Mitjaneta, once again we are at the virgin beaches, only interrupted by Cala Galdana; now up to Son Bou, all the coves are virgin beaches

12 - ) Cala Trebalúger is a large beach, wild and virgin, with a stream or torrent that flows into the sea, meandering through the imposing barranco of Trebalúger. The views of the beach from the cliff are impressively beautiful and deserve the excursion.

This beach is wide and the sandy area is also deep, which provides plenty of privacy for those who like nudism, even though the majority practice it with complete ease and naturalness.

13 - ) Cala Fustan and the following Cala Escorxada are two less known and visited coves, as they are further away and located just after virgin beaches that surpass them in beauty and width; Fustan and Escorxada are between Cala Trebaluger and the beach of Binigaus.

14 - ) Cala Escorxada and the previous Cala Fustan are two less known and visited coves, as they are further away and located just after virgin beaches that surpass them in beauty and width; Fustan and Escorxada are between Cala Trebaluger and the beach of Binigaus.

15 - ) Binigaus beach is a beach much visited by those who practice nudism. Its beauty is spectacular and lies in the fact that it is a strip of sand tucked between the clay cliff and the sea, creating meanders and areas with very varied corners. It is also very common to see bathers sunbathing naked and covered in a thick layer of reddish clay extracted from the cliff walls.

16 - ) San Adeodato beach is situated as if it were the same beach as Santo Tomás and is very accessible given that it is right at the arrival point of the access road to the Santo Tomás urbanization, where one of the parking areas is located in front of the roundabout that imitates a nest.

17 - ) Santo Tomás beach and urbanization, we return to urbanized beaches; here there are also large hotels and a significant group of aparthotels and residential complexes intended for tourist accommodation.

Just like the following beach, Son Bou, and just three km away walking along the coast.

This area of the coast is flat and an excursion of little or no difficulty for those who like to take walks by the sea.

Photographs: Omar Mauro Banquero