Apartamentos Sol Isla

About Apartamentos Sol Isla

Apartamentos Sol Isla suits couples and families who want a simple, self-contained base on Menorca's north coast and are happy to drive to beaches and villages. The two-star apartments sit in Arenal d'en Castell, 0.6 km from the resort bay in a straight line, so the sand is a short walk or an even shorter drive. Groups travelling with children get a kids pool, family rooms and a garden, while longer stays are easier with laundry service and a supermarket listed among the facilities.

Apartamentos Sol Isla is a self-catering address rather than a serviced hotel, rated two stars and arranged around an outdoor pool with a separate kids pool, a garden and a supermarket on the list. Cleaning, a concierge point, a safe, free wifi, a balcony and free car parking cover the practical side. Pets are allowed, which helps drivers touring the island with a dog. Book with modest expectations of the building and high expectations of the position.

Location: Arenal d'en Castell

Arenal d'en Castell is a near-circular bay of pale sand on Menorca's north coast, with the darker, older rock of the Tramuntana behind it. Apartamentos Sol Isla is in the resort, 0.6 km from the bay in a straight line and 5.6 km from Fornells, the fishing village known for caldereta de llagosta. Es Mercadal, at the foot of Monte Toro, is 8.1 km away. The bay is the centre of the resort, and the apartments list a supermarket, so basic shopping does not need a drive.

Walking covers the bay and its immediate streets, which is why the 0.6 km figure matters. Anything further needs wheels: Fornells at 5.6 km, Es Mercadal and Monte Toro at 8.1 km, the Favàritx lighthouse at 8 km and the kayak launches on the north coast at 7.4 km. Bus lines increase in summer; check the island bus operator for what reaches Arenal d'en Castell, and treat a hire car as the practical option, since free parking is listed. In high summer the Tramuntana wind brings relief; in May, June and September the bay is quieter and the sea cooler.

Rooms and facilities

Facilities are listed rather than promised, and the list points to families and self-caterers. Apartments come with a balcony, which extends the living space in the evening, and there are non-smoking rooms plus a smoking area outside. A kids pool sits beside the outdoor pool, and family rooms are available. Cleaning and laundry service help on longer stays, and a supermarket among the listed facilities cuts the number of trips out. Free wifi and a safe cover the basics.

Late arrivals should confirm arrival arrangements with Apartamentos Sol Isla before travelling, since a concierge point is not a staffed desk around the clock. Ask about the floor and orientation of the balcony, cot and extra-bed arrangements in the family rooms, and how cleaning runs across a short booking. Guests bringing a dog should check which apartments accept pets and what the garden rules are. Drivers arriving in August should ask about keeping a parking space.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 18 km from Apartamentos Sol Isla in a straight line, south-west of Maó. The drive crosses the centre of the island, passing Es Mercadal at 8.1 km from the apartments, and climbs to the north coast. Collecting a hire car at the terminal keeps the transfer simple and makes the beaches and villages easy all week, and free parking is listed at the property. Taxis wait outside arrivals; check the current fare before setting off.

Maó port is 16.4 km from Apartamentos Sol Isla in a straight line, reached by road to the west and then north to Arenal d'en Castell. Ferries from Barcelona and Palma use Maó, and Ciutadella has crossings from Barcelona and Alcúdia on Mallorca. Bus lines are more frequent in summer than in winter, so check the island bus operator for the current route to the resort. Flights and ferries are fewer from November to April, which shapes any out-of-season arrival.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest sand is the bay at Arenal d'en Castell, 0.6 km from Apartamentos Sol Isla in a straight line: a near-circular cove of pale sand on the Tramuntana coast. Fornells, 5.6 km off, is a fishing village on the same coast, associated with caldereta de llagosta, the lobster stew. The Favàritx lighthouse, 8 km away, stands on dark slate inside S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park, the core zone of the Biosphere Reserve, with lagoon, dunes and birds.

Monte Toro at 6.9 km is the highest point on Menorca, about 358 m, with a sanctuary and views of both coasts; the road up leaves from Es Mercadal, 8.1 km from the apartments. Kayak launches on the north coast are 7.4 km away, a way to see the darker rock of the Tramuntana from the water. Island food is plain and regional: Mahón-Menorca cheese with a protected designation of origin, lobster stew in the north, and a gin tradition in Maó left by British rule.

A day from Apartamentos Sol Isla

Begin at the bay. Arenal d'en Castell is 0.6 km from Apartamentos Sol Isla, so an early swim happens before the day warms up and before the Tramuntana wind arrives. Drive to Fornells, 5.6 km away, to see the fishing village and the caldereta de llagosta it is known for, then carry on to the Favàritx lighthouse at 8 km, where dark slate and the edge of S'Albufera des Grau mark the north-eastern corner. A hire car makes this loop straightforward.

The afternoon belongs to the centre. Monte Toro at 6.9 km has the sanctuary and the view over both coasts, and Es Mercadal at 8.1 km at its foot is a natural stop on the way down. Kayak launches on the north coast at 7.4 km work if the sea is calm. Finish at the bay for an evening swim, then cook in the apartments or drive to Fornells. Bus lines are more frequent in summer, so a hire car keeps the plan together outside those months.

Practical tips

Timing decides the shape of a stay here. Many hotels, beach bars and boat trips on Menorca shut roughly from November to April, so check opening dates with Apartamentos Sol Isla before booking outside the main season; the busiest weeks fall in July and August, while May, June, September and October suit quieter trips. Expect the Balearic sustainable tourism tax (the ecotasa) to be charged per person per night by the accommodation, with rates set by accommodation type and season, reductions in low season and for longer stays, and exemption for children under 16. Confirm the current rate with the Govern de les Illes Balears.

Questions about Apartamentos Sol Isla