Sa Mirada

About Sa Mirada

Sa Mirada suits travellers who want a simple base on Menorca's north coast and are content to walk or drive a short way for sand and supper. The two-star hotel sits in the Arenal d'en Castell area, with a pool, a garden and car parking on site, so families with young children and couples touring the island by car both find what they need.

Sa Mirada is a two-star hotel, so the offer stays straightforward: a reception area, a restaurant, bars, a swimming pool with a kids pool alongside, and a garden and terrace for the hours between beach and dinner. Air conditioning and balconies are listed among the room features. It suits a beach-and-village holiday on the north coast rather than a resort with entertainment laid on, and guests who plan their own days will get the most from it.

Location: Arenal d'en Castell

Sa Mirada stands in the Arenal d'en Castell area on Menorca's north coast, where the shore curves into a near-circular bay of pale sand. The bay lies 0.8 km from the hotel in a straight line. This is Tramuntana country: older, darker rock, reddish sand and a breeze that arrives with the afternoon. Fornells, the fishing village known for its lobster stew, is 5.4 km away, and Es Mercadal, at the foot of Monte Toro, 8 km.

The bay is close enough to walk to, and a short drive covers Fornells and Es Mercadal. Maó port is 16.6 km from Sa Mirada in a straight line and the airport 18.1 km, so a hire car or a taxi makes sense for arrival day and for longer outings; seasonal buses run to the resorts and into Maó, and the island bus operator publishes current lines. In July and August the bay fills early, while May, June and September leave more room on the sand and on the roads.

Rooms and facilities

Sa Mirada keeps things simple, and the listed facilities cover the essentials: air conditioning, balconies, a reception area, a restaurant, bars, a swimming pool, a separate kids pool, a garden and a terrace. Couples can take the pool and terrace at their own pace, families get the shallow water and the garden, and drivers have car parking on site. Ask the hotel about laundry service and about which rooms open onto a balcony.

Late arrivals should check reception hours with Sa Mirada before booking a flight that lands in the evening, and confirm check-in and check-out times when booking, since these vary by season. Pets are allowed, which is worth flagging at the time of booking so a suitable room can be allocated. Ask too about the restaurant's opening pattern in the shoulder months and about cots or extra beds if travelling with children.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 18.1 km from Sa Mirada in a straight line, on the far side of Maó. Taxis and hire cars make the run north in one go; the bus route goes into Maó first and then out on a resort line, which takes longer, and the summer lines are the ones to check with the island bus operator. Allow for a road distance longer than the straight-line figure.

From Maó port the hotel is 16.6 km away in a straight line, useful if arriving on an overnight ferry from Barcelona; Ciutadella, on the west coast, has its own crossings. Fornells is 5.4 km from Sa Mirada and Es Mercadal 8 km, so guests coming from those directions have a short final leg. Flights and ferries both thin out between November and April, and the hotel's own opening dates are worth checking before booking a winter crossing.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The bay at Arenal d'en Castell, 0.8 km from Sa Mirada in a straight line, is the nearest sand, a pale near-circular sweep on the north coast. Fornells, 5.4 km away, is a fishing village with a small harbour and a reputation for caldereta de llagosta. Inland, Es Mercadal sits 8 km off at the foot of Monte Toro, and the Favàritx lighthouse, on dark slate inside S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park, is 8.2 km away.

Menorcan cooking here is built on what the north coast lands: lobster stew in Fornells, fish from the harbour at Maó, and the Mahón-Menorca cheese that carries a protected designation of origin. The British century in Maó left a gin tradition that endures, and the bars of the capital, 16.6 km from Sa Mirada, are where to try it. Cheese and cold cuts from the island's farms make an easy picnic for the bay.

A day from Sa Mirada

Begin with a swim in the near-circular bay 0.8 km from Sa Mirada, then drive to the Favàritx lighthouse, 8.2 km away, for the walk out onto the dark slate at the edge of S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park. The north coast is kayaking country, 7.2 km from the hotel, if the wind is kind. Lunch fits neatly at Fornells, 5.4 km away, where the harbour empties in the early afternoon.

The afternoon suits the island's centre: Monte Toro, the highest point at about 358 m with its sanctuary, is 6.8 km from Sa Mirada, and Es Mercadal below it 8 km, so the two fit into one loop by car. Return by way of Fornells, 5.4 km out, for a walk around the harbour before an evening at the hotel, then a last look at the bay as the light goes.

Practical tips

Much of Menorca's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so confirm Sa Mirada's own opening dates before planning a winter stay. July and August are the busiest weeks on this north coast; May, June and September are gentler. The accommodation also charges the Balearic sustainable tourism tax, known as the ecotasa, per person per night; the rate depends on the hotel's category and the season, falls in low season and for longer stays, and exempts children under 16. Check the Govern de les Illes Balears for the current rate.

Questions about Sa Mirada