Ses Ones

About Ses Ones

Ses Ones is a two-star hotel in Ciutadella, the old capital of Menorca, in the west of the island. It suits travellers who want a plain, comfortable base near a working town rather than a purpose-built resort: couples who plan long days on the south coast, walkers following stages of the Camí de Cavalls, and small families who prefer a short walk into town to a drive home at night.

The stay is simple by design. Two stars, a town address and a short list of facilities mean the hotel works as somewhere to sleep and shower between outings, not as a resort with extras to fill the day. A business centre is listed, which helps if a little work travels with you. Confirm check-in and check-out times, and what the room includes, with the property before booking.

Location: Ciutadella

Ciutadella is the old capital of Menorca, and its centre holds a cathedral, several palaces and a narrow port that runs inland, a good place to watch the sun go down. Ses Ones sits about 1.1 km from that old town, a walk of a few minutes for most people, so dinner, an evening stroll and a morning coffee need no car. The town itself stays open through the year.

Everything further out is easier with wheels. The Naveta des Tudons is 5.3 km away, Cala Turqueta 9.9 km and Cala Galdana 12.8 km, and buses serve some of these in summer, so check the island bus operator. In July and August the town and the southern coves fill quickly, and car parks at the popular coves are full early. May, June, September and early October are calmer on the same roads.

Rooms and facilities

Expect the practical sort of room a two-star town hotel provides: somewhere to sleep, change and leave bags within a short walk of Ciutadella. Couples on a walking or beach holiday usually need little more. Families should ask how many people a room takes and what bedding is provided, and anyone arriving late should agree a time with the property in advance, since reception hours are not guaranteed.

The one facility on the list is a business centre, so ask the hotel what that covers; desk space, printing and a quiet corner are not the same thing everywhere. Breakfast, parking, air conditioning and internet access are worth confirming directly rather than assumed. Ask too whether a room away from the street is available if you sleep lightly, and how luggage is stored on a late-departure day.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) lies 36.4 km from Ses Ones in a straight line, south-west of Maó. Most arrivals take a taxi from the terminal or collect a hire car, which also covers the south coast coves during the stay. Bus services link the airport with Maó and, in summer, with the resorts; ask the island bus operator about Ciutadella connections and current times.

From the port at Maó, 39 km away, the road west to Ciutadella crosses the middle of the island. Ferries from Maó and from Ciutadella link Menorca with Barcelona on overnight crossings of several hours, and Ciutadella also has a crossing to Alcúdia on Mallorca. Check the operators for current sailings. Flights and ferries thin out in winter, so build some slack into a cold-season arrival.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Cala Turqueta is 9.9 km from Ses Ones, a white cove under pine on the Migjorn coast, and Cala Galdana 12.8 km, with Cala Macarella in the same stretch. Both are popular, so arrive early or take the bus where one runs. The Naveta des Tudons, a boat-shaped prehistoric tomb, is 5.3 km from the hotel, and the Ciutadella old town at dusk is 1.1 km.

Menorcan cooking is plain and good. Caldereta de llagosta, the lobster stew, belongs to Fornells on the north coast; the island's Mahón-Menorca cheese has a protected designation of origin; and the gin tradition comes from the long period of British rule, which also left Georgian windows in Maó. In Ciutadella the Sant Joan festival around 23-24 June brings horses and riders through the streets. Es Mercadal, at the foot of Monte Toro, is 22.5 km from Ses Ones.

A day from Ses Ones

Start early and drive to Cala Turqueta, 9.9 km from Ses Ones, before the car park fills; the path down through the pines is short and the water is clear over the seagrass. On the way back, stop at the Naveta des Tudons, 5.3 km from the hotel, to see the boat-shaped tomb. Lunch in Ciutadella followed by a siesta is a sensible pattern in high summer.

Late afternoon suits the old town best. Walk the 1.1 km from Ses Ones to the cathedral and the palaces, then follow the narrow port as the light drops; dusk is the hour that makes Ciutadella worth the walk. A second day can go to Es Mercadal and Monte Toro, 22.5 km away, for views across both coasts, or to Cala Galdana, 12.8 km from the hotel, for a longer beach day.

Practical tips

Time a stay at Ses Ones with the season in mind. Tourism on Menorca thins sharply roughly from November to April, when many hotels, beach bars, boat trips and seasonal buses stop, though Ciutadella itself stays open; check the hotel's own opening dates before booking and expect fewer flights and ferries in winter. Accommodation on the island also carries the Balearic sustainable tourism tax, known as the ecotasa, charged per person per night by the hotel. Rates vary with season and accommodation type, under-16s are exempt, and the Govern de les Illes Balears publishes the current rules.

Questions about Ses Ones