Ca Minorica

About Ca Minorica

Ca Minorica suits travellers who want a simple base on Menorca's north coast and the freedom of a kitchen. The building holds apartments rather than conventional rooms, so a family with young children or a couple who prefer breakfast at their own table has room to spread out. The setting above Arenal d'en Castell keeps the day quiet, with the pool on hand and the bay a short drive away. It is a practical choice for a first visit to the island or a repeat week in the same corner of Menorca.

Ca Minorica is listed as a two-star hotel in Arenal d'en Castell, with apartments that include a kitchen, an oven, a microwave, a refrigerator and a toaster among the facilities. There is an outdoor pool and free wifi, and parking is free. Guests arrive expecting a straightforward, well-equipped stay rather than hotel service around the clock. The layout works for anyone who wants to cook some evenings and eat out on others, and for longer stays where a washing machine and an iron make a difference.

Location: Arenal d'en Castell

Arenal d'en Castell sits on Menorca's north coast, where the rock is older and darker than in the south and the bay curves almost into a circle of pale sand. The bay is 2.5 km from Ca Minorica in a straight line, close enough for a morning swim and far enough that the stay stays quiet. Fornells, the fishing village on this coast, is 3.8 km away. This is the Tramuntana side of the island, open to the wind and the long views north.

Nothing essential is on the doorstep of Ca Minorica, so a car or a taxi covers most trips. The bay at Arenal d'en Castell is 2.5 km away, Fornells is 3.8 km and Es Mercadal, at the foot of Monte Toro, is 7.9 km. Buses serve this coast in summer and thin out in the shoulder months, so confirm the current timetable with the island bus operator. In high summer expect company on the sand; in May, June, September and October the same 2.5 km feels shorter.

Rooms and facilities

Facilities at Ca Minorica are listed as apartments with a kitchen: oven, microwave, refrigerator, toaster and coffee, plus a washing machine, an iron and board, and a safe. Non-smoking rooms are listed too. Couples can settle into one unit and eat in when they choose. Families have cots and high chairs available and a pool outside. Late arrivals should arrange their arrival time with Ca Minorica before travelling, so that the key handover is settled.

Confirm with Ca Minorica what the apartment includes before booking: whether cleaning and towels are part of the stay, how the laundry service works, and whether a cot or high chair needs reserving. Guests arriving by car should ask about the free parking and how spaces are allocated. A fan is listed among the equipment, so check that one is in the apartment. Ask as well about internet access inside the unit, not only in shared areas.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 19.6 km from Ca Minorica as the crow flies, south-west of Maó. The road crosses the middle of the island and climbs towards the north coast. Picking up a hire car at the terminal gives the most freedom for reaching the bay at Arenal d'en Castell and Fornells, and Ca Minorica provides free parking. Taxis wait outside arrivals. There are buses to Maó, plus summer services towards the resorts; check the island bus operator for the line that serves this address.

From Maó port, 18.2 km from Ca Minorica in a straight line, the drive follows the harbour and then turns north. Ferries from Barcelona arrive at Maó and at Ciutadella, and Maó also links to Palma; crossings and timetables change with the season, so check the operators. Flights are fewer in winter, when several of the island's seasonal businesses close. Anyone arriving late should tell Ca Minorica the expected time, since the run from the airport is not short after dark.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest sand is the bay at Arenal d'en Castell, 2.5 km from Ca Minorica. Fornells, 3.8 km away, is a fishing village on the same coast and a natural stop for a slow lunch. Inland, Es Mercadal sits 7.9 km off at the foot of Monte Toro; the summit is about 358 m and gives views of both coasts. The Favàritx lighthouse, 9.6 km away, marks the dark slate edge of S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park.

Menorca's food is tied to the sea and to the dairy farms in the middle of the island. Caldereta de llagosta, the lobster stew associated with Fornells, is the dish to try on this coast, and the island's Mahón-Menorca cheese has its own protected designation of origin. Village shops in Es Mercadal and Fornells cover self-catering at Ca Minorica, and the kitchen in each apartment makes a picnic easy to assemble before a day at the bay or the lighthouse.

A day from Ca Minorica

Start with a swim at Arenal d'en Castell, 2.5 km from Ca Minorica, while the bay is still quiet. Drive the 3.8 km to Fornells for coffee and a look at the harbour, then continue 9.6 km to the Favàritx lighthouse, where the path runs between dark rock and the wetland of S'Albufera des Grau. Take water and wear shoes with grip; the limestone and slate underfoot are uneven.

Return inland in the afternoon. Es Mercadal is 7.9 km from Ca Minorica, and Monte Toro rises above the town to about 358 m, with a sanctuary at the summit and long views. Back at the apartment, the pool and the kitchen take over, and the terrace holds the last of the light. Kayaking on the north coast is 5.8 km away for anyone who wants a different afternoon.

Practical tips

Menorca's season is long but not year-round: many hotels, beach bars, boat trips and seasonal buses shut roughly from November to April, while Maó and Ciutadella keep going. Check Ca Minorica's opening dates before booking a winter flight, and expect July and August to be the busiest weeks. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax, or ecotasa, is collected by Ca Minorica for each person per night; the scale depends on the property type and the time of year, eases in low season and for longer bookings, and exempts under-16s. The Govern de les Illes Balears publishes current rates.

Questions about Ca Minorica