Clarona

About Clarona

Clarona suits travellers who want a low-key base on Menorca's western side rather than a resort strip. The hotel is outside the main resort areas, near Cala en Blanes, which makes it practical for couples touring the island by car and for families who prefer quiet evenings to a busy promenade. Ciutadella, with its cathedral, palaces and narrow port, is 3.5 km away in a straight line, so dinner in the old town is an easy run and the southern coves stay within driving range.

Clarona is a two-star hotel, so expect a straightforward, unpretentious stay rather than polished extras. The listed facilities are free wifi, a garden and wheelchair access, which covers the essentials for a short break or a longer spell of slow days near the coast. Anyone using the hotel as a base between the beaches, the Camí de Cavalls and the prehistoric sites will find the format matches the island's rhythm, particularly outside the peak weeks.

Location: Ciutadella de Menorca

Clarona is outside the main resort areas, near Cala en Blanes on Menorca's south-western coast, a few kilometres from the old capital. This is the Migjorn side of the island, limestone country of white sand coves under pine, with Ciutadella close enough to shape the evening. Cala en Blanes is a small holiday settlement rather than a large resort, so the surroundings stay calm. Ciutadella old town, at 3.4 km, is the nearest place for a proper wander.

A car is the practical way to reach the coves and sites, since Ciutadella is 3.5 km away in a straight line and road distances run longer than that. Cala Turqueta is 12.4 km off and Cala Galdana 15.5 km, both easier by car than on foot. Car parks at the popular southern coves fill early and some have summer limits. High summer brings traffic and full beaches from mid-morning; May, June, September and October bring quieter roads.

Rooms and facilities

Clarona keeps its offer deliberately plain. Free wifi, a garden and wheelchair access are the listed facilities, and between them they cover the common needs of a short Menorca break: somewhere shaded to sit after a morning at the beach, a connection for planning the next day and step-free access for anyone who needs it. Couples touring by car often want exactly this, and families with young children tend to value a garden more than a busy communal scene.

Because Clarona is a two-star hotel, it is worth confirming the practical details before booking: the size and layout of the room offered, whether a cot or an extra bed can be added for a child, and how a late arrival is handled. Wheelchair access is listed, so ask which parts of the property it covers if mobility matters. Check-in and check-out times, parking and breakfast are best settled directly with the hotel when you reserve.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 39 km from Clarona in a straight line, on the far side of the island south-west of Maó, so the transfer is a proper cross-island run. Collecting a hire car at the airport gives the most flexibility for the final stretch to Cala en Blanes and for daily trips afterwards. Taxis cover the route; agree the fare before setting off. Buses link the airport with Maó and, in summer, with the resorts; the island bus operator has current lines.

Maó port is 41.6 km from Clarona in a straight line, which matters for anyone arriving on an overnight ferry from Barcelona. Allow for the drive west before check-in. Ciutadella, at 3.5 km, is the nearest town for supplies, and the Naveta des Tudons is 7.8 km off. Summer brings more buses and more flights into MAH; in winter schedules thin out, so confirm crossings with the ferry operators and the flight times before booking.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Clarona is well placed for the southern coves. Cala Turqueta, a white sand inlet under pine, is 12.4 km away in a straight line, and Cala Galdana, the deep bay at the mouth of a gorge, is 15.5 km. Ciutadella old town is 3.4 km off and best at dusk, when the stone softens and the port fills with strollers. The Naveta des Tudons, the boat-shaped prehistoric tomb, is 7.8 km away.

Menorca eats well and simply. Mahón-Menorca cheese carries a protected designation of origin and turns up on most tables with olive oil and bread. Fornells, on the north coast, is known for caldereta de llagosta, a lobster stew, though that is a long run from Clarona for an evening. Nearer at hand the pattern is fish, rice and vegetables, and the British period still shows in the gin poured in Maó. Village shops around Ciutadella supply picnic fare.

A day from Clarona

Start early from Clarona and drive the 12.4 km to Cala Turqueta, where the car park fills quickly in summer and the sand is quietest before mid-morning. Walk a short section of the Camí de Cavalls, the coast path that circles Menorca for about 185 km in 20 stages. On the way back, stop at the Naveta des Tudons, 7.8 km from the hotel, for the prehistoric tomb in the early afternoon.

Late afternoon suits Ciutadella, 3.4 km from Clarona. The cathedral, the palaces and the narrow port make an easy hour or two before dinner, and dusk is the rewarding moment, when the harbour entrance catches the last light. Drive back afterwards or take a taxi if the evening runs long. Keep the next morning for Cala Galdana at 15.5 km, or a slower start in the garden.

Practical tips

Clarona's season follows the island's: many of Menorca's hotels, beach bars, boat trips and restaurants shut roughly from November to April, so ask the hotel which months it opens before planning a winter stay. The busiest weeks come in July and August, when the southern coves fill early. The ecotasa, the island's sustainable tourism tax, is added to Clarona's bill per person per night; it is set by the hotel's category and season, lower outside summer and on longer stays, and under-16s are exempt. The Govern de les Illes Balears publishes current rates.

Questions about Clarona