Es Girasols

About Es Girasols

Es Girasols suits travellers who want a plain, good-value base for the southern half of Menorca rather than a resort with a long list of extras. Couples touring the island, families with young children and anyone landing on an evening flight will find the setup easy to use: a three-star hotel in Son Bou, with Son Bou and its beach 0.6 km away, self parking, a garden and a terrace on site. It rewards people who plan to spend their days out and come back to eat and sleep.

Expect a simple three-star stay rather than a polished resort. The listed facilities are the practical sort: a restaurant, a bar and lounge, a pool bar, breakfast, coffee, internet access and a safe. Outside there is a garden, a terrace and a tennis court, and self parking helps if you bring a car. The building has fewer than ten floors. Es Girasols works best as a calm place to sleep after days along the Migjorn coast or up at Monte Toro, with dinner waiting on site.

Location: Son Bou

Son Bou sits on Menorca's south coast, the Migjorn side, where limestone runs down to white sand and low pine. Its beach is the longest on the island, backed by dunes and a wetland, and it fills up in high summer. Es Girasols is 0.6 km from Son Bou, close enough to walk, and Cala en Porter, a deep cove between high cliffs, is 6.2 km away. The surrounding south coast is a string of coves reached by road.

The hotel's own position makes a car useful. Es Mercadal and Monte Toro are 9.9 km away, Menorca Airport 13.2 km and the port at Maó 16.4 km, so a hire car turns each of those into a short run. Son Bou at 0.6 km is the one thing within walking reach. Buses serve the southern resorts in summer and thin out outside the season, and taxis can be booked locally; check current times with the island bus operator before planning around them.

Rooms and facilities

For couples, the bar and lounge, the terrace and the garden give somewhere to sit once the day winds down, and breakfast with coffee on site removes the need to drive out first thing. Families have a restaurant, a pool bar and a tennis court, with self parking for the hire car. Es Girasols is a three-star hotel, so expect the basics done properly rather than extras. Confirm bed configuration and what a room includes when booking.

Late arrivals do best to tell Es Girasols their expected time before travelling and to confirm reception hours for the day of arrival. Ask about the safe, internet access and whether self parking needs booking in August. The building stays under ten floors, so stairs and lifts are manageable with luggage. Check breakfast times, tennis court and pool bar hours, and whether the restaurant serves every meal during your week, since a three-star hotel can vary by season.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 13.2 km from Es Girasols in a straight line, across the south of the island. A taxi is the simplest way with luggage; a hire car collected at the airport gives the freedom the area rewards, and self parking at the hotel means no hunting for a space on return. Buses connect the airport with Maó and, in summer, with the southern resorts. Times change with the season, so check with the island bus operator.

The port at Maó is 16.4 km away, which matters if you arrive on an overnight crossing from Barcelona rather than a flight. From either gateway, Son Bou is 0.6 km from the hotel, Cala en Porter 6.2 km and Es Mercadal 9.9 km, so the last stretch is short by car. Buses in Menorca are frequent in summer and sparse in winter, and flights thin out from November. Check operators and airlines before fixing dates around Es Girasols.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Son Bou beach, the longest on the island, is 0.6 km away, backed by dunes and wetland. Cala en Porter, a deep cove between high cliffs, is 6.2 km from Es Girasols, and Cala Macarella, one of the white sand coves on the Migjorn coast, is 12.1 km. The southern sands are busy in high summer and some coves have parking limits, so arrive early or take the bus. Es Mercadal, at the foot of Monte Toro, is 9.9 km away.

A talayotic village stands 2.6 km from Es Girasols, an easy add-on for anyone following the prehistoric sites that put Talayotic Menorca on the World Heritage list in 2023. Monte Toro, about 358 m high with a sanctuary on top, is 9.9 km away. On the table, look for caldereta de llagosta, the lobster stew associated with Fornells, and Mahón-Menorca cheese, which holds protected designation of origin status. Menorca's British century left a gin tradition that survives in Maó.

A day from Es Girasols

Start with the 0.6 km to Son Bou for a swim before the sun is high, then take the 2.6 km run to the talayotic village while the morning is still cool. Es Mercadal, at 9.9 km, is the natural next stop, with Monte Toro above it and a sanctuary at the top. Lunch in the town, then decide on the afternoon. Es Girasols gives you a garden, a terrace and a bar for the return.

An afternoon fits Cala en Porter, 6.2 km from Es Girasols, where the cove sits between high cliffs, or Cala Macarella at 12.1 km if you leave early enough to beat the parking limits. Both need a car or a bus rather than a walk. Back at the hotel, the terrace takes the last hour of light and the restaurant and bar cover dinner without another drive. Check seasonal opening of facilities at the coves before a late start.

Practical tips

Es Girasols and much of Menorca's visitor trade run roughly from May to October, and the hotel's own opening dates are worth confirming before flights are booked, since many places close between November and April. July and August bring the fullest beaches, while June and September stay calmer and the sea is warm. Es Girasols collects the Balearic sustainable tourism tax per person per night for the Govern de les Illes Balears; the figure varies with season and length of stay, under-16s are exempt, and the government publishes current rates.

Questions about Es Girasols