Sol

About Sol

Sol suits travellers who want a quiet base on Menorca's western side rather than a resort strip. The three-star hotel sits in the Cap d'Artrutx area outside Cala en Bosc, close enough to Ciutadella for evenings in the old town and far enough to avoid its summer crowds. Couples touring the island, families who prefer to cook some meals and groups of friends sharing a car all fit here. Parking is free and listed on site, which makes day trips along the south coast straightforward.

Sol is a three-star hotel rather than a full-service resort, and the listed facilities lean towards self-sufficiency: a kitchen, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a microwave and coffee making facilities, plus air conditioning, a safe and smoke detectors. There is an outdoor swimming pool on site, wifi is free and non-smoking rooms are listed. The combination works for longer stays, for families with young children and for guests arriving late who want to settle in without eating out.

Location: Ciutadella de Menorca

Cala en Bosc is the nearest village to Sol, on the western side of Menorca, and the hotel stands outside the main resort area towards Cap d'Artrutx. The south coast lies within a short drive: limestone rock, white sand coves under pine, and water kept clear by the posidonia meadows offshore. Ciutadella, the old capital, is 7.8 km away and supplies the nearest cathedral, palaces and narrow port.

Most trips from Sol need wheels: Ciutadella is 7.8 km, Cala Turqueta 7.3 km and Cala Galdana 11.1 km, so a hire car, a taxi or the bus covers the day's plan. Island buses serve Maó year-round and the resorts in summer, and timetables change, so check the island bus operator. In July and August the south coast car parks fill early and some coves operate summer limits; in May, June, September and October the same roads are quiet and the sea holds about 18-19 °C in May and 23-25 °C in September.

Rooms and facilities

Air conditioning, a safe and smoke detectors are listed for the rooms at Sol, and the kitchen equipment is the practical part: a microwave, a dishwasher, a washing machine and coffee making kit. Couples who eat out in Ciutadella most nights still have a kitchen fallback for breakfast, while families with small children can wash and reheat without leaving the building. Late arrivals should confirm check-in arrangements with the hotel before travelling.

Wifi and internet access are listed as free, and car parking is free on site, which matters in high summer when space near the coves runs out. Non-smoking rooms are listed, and there is an outdoor swimming pool for the middle of the day. Confirm with Sol which room types include the kitchen and laundry equipment, whether the pool stays open for the whole of the stay, and whether extra beds can be arranged.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 34.3 km from Sol in a straight line, and the airport itself sits about 4-5 km south-west of Maó. The transfer is usually made by hire car or taxi, and collecting a car at the airport lets you stop for supplies before Cala en Bosc. Island buses serve Maó year-round and the resorts in summer, but a connection to this stretch of coast often means changing in Maó, so check the operator's current lines.

Maó port is 37.6 km from Sol, the arrival point for overnight ferries from Barcelona. Ciutadella, 7.8 km away, has its own port and is the nearer landing for crossings from Alcúdia on Mallorca; from there the last stretch to Cap d'Artrutx is short. Winter brings fewer flights and fewer sailings, and some seasonal bus lines stop, so confirm crossings with the operators and confirm Sol's own low-season arrangements before booking.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Cala Turqueta is 7.3 km from Sol, one of the white sand coves of the south coast where pine runs down to the water; arrive early or take the bus, because parking is limited in summer. Cala Galdana is 11.1 km away on the same coast, and Son Bou, 21.7 km away, is the longest beach on Menorca, with dunes and a wetland behind it. The Naveta des Tudons is 9.1 km.

Menorca's food follows its dairies and harbours. Mahón-Menorca cheese has a protected designation of origin and turns up on most menus, and Fornells, a fishing village on the north coast, is known for caldereta de llagosta, a lobster stew. Ciutadella old town at dusk, 7.7 km from Sol, is the obvious place to eat in the west, and gin, a legacy of 18th-century British rule, is still poured in Maó.

A day from Sol

Start early and drive the 7.3 km to Cala Turqueta, where parking is the limiting factor in high summer; the path down through pine to white sand takes the rest of the morning. From there, Cala Galdana is 11.1 km from Sol and makes a second swim and a late lunch, while Son Bou, 21.7 km away, suits anyone who wants the island's longest beach and the dunes behind it.

Back at Sol, the outdoor pool and a shower reset the afternoon. In the evening, Ciutadella old town at dusk is 7.7 km away, and the cathedral, palaces and narrow port are the reason to go; the Naveta des Tudons, a boat-shaped prehistoric tomb, is 9.1 km from the hotel and makes a short stop on the way. A taxi or a short drive back to Cala en Bosc ends the day.

Practical tips

Across Menorca, tourism businesses such as beach bars, boat trips and many restaurants close roughly from November to April, so check Sol's own opening dates before booking outside the summer months. July and August bring the fullest car parks at Cala Turqueta and the busiest evenings in Ciutadella. Sol charges the Balearic sustainable tourism tax per person per night, with rates set by the type and category of accommodation and by season, reduced in low season and for longer stays, and children under 16 are exempt; current rates are on the Govern de les Illes Balears site.

Questions about Sol