S'Olivera

About S'Olivera

S'Olivera is a four-star hotel set in the Menorca countryside, away from the resort strips and their evening noise. It suits travellers who want a quiet base with a car, whether couples touring the island's prehistoric sites or families who prefer space and a pool to a room above a busy cove. The setting is rural, the pace is slow, and the coast is a short drive rather than a walk from the door.

This is a four-star stay with a salt water outdoor pool, gardens and a solarium, so a day can pass without leaving the grounds. Rooms are listed with air conditioning, a kitchen and a washing machine, which points to longer stays as much as short ones. Parking is free and pets are allowed. Confirm with S'Olivera which room type you are booking.

Location: Alaior

S'Olivera stands in open countryside on Menorca, outside the main resort areas, with its address on the Camí de Bini Guarda. This is the quiet middle of the island: fields, dry stone walls and narrow lanes, with Es Mercadal and the road up Monte Toro about 5.6 km away in a straight line. Maó, the capital, lies roughly 13.2 km off, so the harbour and the Georgian streets of Es Castell are an outing rather than a stroll.

A car is the practical way to move. The south-coast beaches at Son Bou and Cala en Porter are about 7 km and 8.5 km away in a straight line, and Menorca Airport (MAH) is 12.1 km off. The lanes around the hotel suit a short walk before breakfast, but the coves and villages need wheels. In July and August, leave early for the southern coves, where car parks fill; May, June, September and October are calmer.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms at S'Olivera are listed with air conditioning and a fan, a desk, a safe and a hairdryer, which covers the basics for a working week as well as a beach holiday. Many are set up for self-catering: kitchen, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, toaster and coffee making, plus a washing machine and an iron and board. Family rooms are listed and high chairs are available, so mixed-age groups have room to spread out.

Cooler evenings are covered too, with a fireplace and a DVD player on the list alongside internet access and free wifi. A bath and a patio or terrace appear among the facilities, but which rooms have which is a matter to confirm directly with S'Olivera when booking, together with the bed configuration and whether a cot is needed. Non-smoking rooms are listed; pets are allowed, so mention an animal at the time of booking.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is about 12.1 km from S'Olivera in a straight line, and the terminal lies roughly 4-5 km south-west of Maó, so the transfer is short. A hire car collected at the airport is the simplest option for a rural address like this one, and taxis wait at the terminal. Buses run to Maó and, in summer, to the resorts, but check with the island bus operator and with S'Olivera about the last stretch.

From Maó port, about 13.2 km away in a straight line, ferries arrive from Barcelona and Palma; Ciutadella, in the west, has crossings from Barcelona and from Alcúdia on Mallorca. The drive from either port brings you into the centre of the island by way of Es Mercadal, about 5.6 km from S'Olivera. Flights and ferries are fewer between November and April, so check timetables with the operators and the hotel's opening dates before booking.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Son Bou, the longest beach on Menorca, with dunes and wetland behind it, is about 7 km from S'Olivera in a straight line. Cala en Porter, a deep cove between high cliffs, is about 8.5 km. Both are south-coast beaches of white sand under pine, and both need a car in high season, when their car parks fill early. The north coast, with darker rock and reddish sand, is further off; kayaking there is listed about 11.7 km away.

Monte Toro, the highest point on the island at about 358 m, is about 4.5 km from S'Olivera, with a sanctuary at the top and views of both coasts. A talayotic village is listed about 8 km off, part of the Talayotic Menorca World Heritage listing added in 2023. Es Mercadal, at the foot of the mountain, is the nearest town for supplies. Menorca's table is built on seafood and cheese: Mahón-Menorca cheese has a protected designation of origin, and lobster stew is the classic dish of the north.

A day from S'Olivera

Start early with a walk along the lanes around S'Olivera before the heat builds, then drive the 4.5 km to Monte Toro and go up to the sanctuary for the view across the island. Es Mercadal is a few minutes further for coffee and supplies. Continue to the talayotic village about 8 km from the hotel and spend the middle of the day among the stones, with a long lunch after.

In the afternoon, choose between the two coasts. Son Bou, 7 km off in a straight line, suits a long swim and a walk on the dunes; Cala en Porter, at 8.5 km, is the smaller, deeper cove. Kayaking on the north coast, listed about 11.7 km away, is the alternative. Back at S'Olivera, the salt water pool and the solarium take the last of the day, and dinner can wait for the cooler evening.

Practical tips

Much of Menorca's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so confirm S'Olivera's opening dates before planning a winter stay; July and August are the peak, when the southern car parks fill early and the lanes around the hotel are busiest. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax is charged per person per night by the accommodation, at a rate that depends on the type and category of the hotel and the season, reduced in low season and on longer stays, with children under 16 exempt. Check current rates with the Govern de les Illes Balears.

Questions about S'Olivera