Son Bou Playa Gold

About Son Bou Playa Gold

Son Bou Playa Gold suits families and groups who want a base on Menorca's south coast with the island's longest beach a short walk away. The four-star hotel sits in Son Bou, 0.6 km from the sand in a straight line, so days can be split between the pool, the dunes and the water without long transfers. Couples who prefer a quiet base also fit here, because the wider island is easy to reach by car.

Son Bou Playa Gold is a four-star hotel rather than a serviced apartment block, yet the listed facilities lean towards self-catering: kitchen, kitchenette, oven, microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator and washing machine appear alongside an outdoor pool, a garden and free wifi. That mix works for a week or two of family holiday, with laundry and cooking handled on site, and a safe, air conditioning and a balcony are listed for comfort.

Location: Son Bou

Son Bou runs along the Migjorn coast as the longest beach on Menorca, backed by dunes and a strip of wetland. It is the sort of sand that absorbs a whole morning, and the wetland behind it makes a different walk from the shoreline. The resort itself is spread out and low-rise; Son Bou Playa Gold sits 0.6 km from the area centre in a straight line, so the beach and the streets around it are close while the setting stays calm.

Walking covers the beach and the immediate streets; anything else is easier with wheels. Cala en Porter lies 6.3 km away in a straight line, Es Mercadal and Monte Toro 9.9 km, and Maó port 16.4 km. Hire cars are available through the hotel's listed car rental service, and free car parking is listed too, which matters in high summer when the car parks at the southern coves fill early. In July and August, start early; in May, June, September and October the same drives feel relaxed.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms at Son Bou Playa Gold are listed with air conditioning, a balcony, a safe, a TV and a hairdryer, and the kitchen side is unusually complete for a four-star hotel: oven, microwave, dishwasher, toaster, coffee facilities and refrigerator. Families can eat in when a child is tired, and couples can keep a fridge stocked for late returns. Family rooms, a cot and an iron and board are listed for longer stays.

The hotel lists free wifi and internet access, laundry service, cleaning, luggage storage, smoke detectors, a garden, a terrace and an outdoor pool. Because self-catering equipment varies between units, confirm with Son Bou Playa Gold which kitchen items come with the room you book, whether a cot is already in place for a late arrival, and how cleaning is scheduled across a stay of a week or more.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 13.3 km from Son Bou Playa Gold in a straight line, and the airport sits about 4-5 km south-west of Maó. A taxi, or a hire car collected on arrival, is the simplest way to cover the run, and the hotel lists free car parking so the car can rest once you are settled. Buses link the airport with Maó and, in summer, with the resorts; check the island bus operator for current lines.

From Maó port, 16.4 km from Son Bou Playa Gold in a straight line, the same drive serves anyone arriving on an overnight ferry from Barcelona. Cala en Porter is 6.3 km away, a quick hop along the coast, while Es Mercadal and Monte Toro sit 9.9 km inland. Seasonal buses thin out outside summer and winter flights are fewer, so confirm both before fixing dates at Son Bou Playa Gold.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Son Bou beach begins 0.6 km from Son Bou Playa Gold in a straight line, a long sweep of white sand with dunes and wetland behind it. Cala en Porter, a deep cove between high cliffs, is 6.3 km away, and Cala Macarella, one of the pine-backed southern coves, 12.1 km. The nearest prehistoric sight, a talayotic village, stands 2.7 km from the hotel and fills a morning.

Menorca's cooking follows the coast and the countryside. Mahón-Menorca cheese, which carries a protected designation of origin, appears on most menus, and caldereta de llagosta, the lobster stew linked to Fornells in the north, is the dish for a special evening. Near Son Bou Playa Gold, eating is low-key after a beach day, and the inland villages around Es Mercadal, 9.9 km away, are a good place to buy the cheese and see the island away from the sand.

A day from Son Bou Playa Gold

Start with the beach. From Son Bou Playa Gold, the sand is 0.6 km away in a straight line, so an early swim before the sun gets high is realistic, and the walk back for lunch is short. In the afternoon, drive 2.7 km to the talayotic village and spend an hour among stone monuments that helped put Menorca's prehistoric sites on the World Heritage list in 2023.

Late afternoon, head north to Es Mercadal, 9.9 km from Son Bou Playa Gold, and continue up Monte Toro at about 358 m for views across both coasts. On the way back, Cala en Porter is 6.3 km from the hotel, a deep cove that suits a last swim or a drink above the water. A car makes the loop comfortable; without one, keep to Son Bou and the pool.

Practical tips

Much of Menorca's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so confirm the opening dates of Son Bou Playa Gold before booking a winter stay. July and August are the peak, when the car parks at the southern coves fill early. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is charged per person per night by Son Bou Playa Gold at a rate that depends on the accommodation and the season, with children under 16 exempt; check the Govern de les Illes Balears for the current rules.

Questions about Son Bou Playa Gold