The Sands

About The Sands

The Sands suits families and couples looking for a practical base on Menorca's north coast, with the bay of Arenal d'en Castell 0.5 km away and the fishing village of Fornells 6.6 km along the coast. It is a three-star hotel with a garden, an outdoor pool and a separate kids pool, plus restaurant and bar options listed on site. Days can be split between the bay and the pool at the hotel.

This is a three-star holiday hotel rather than a boutique conversion, and the listed facilities reflect that: an arcade, archery, table tennis, a playground and bicycle hire sit alongside the pool and garden. The guest score of 3.4/5 from 1457 reviews suggests a busy, well-used property, so arrive expecting a straightforward resort stay. For late flights, the 24 hour front desk and luggage storage matter more than the decor on the walls.

Location: Arenal d'en Castell

Arenal d'en Castell is a near-circular bay of pale sand on Menorca's north coast, on the Tramuntana side of the island where the rock is older and darker and the wind does more work than on the southern coves. The Sands sits among the streets of the resort that has grown behind the bay, at Carrer de Sa Marina. The curve of the bay is the centre of gravity here.

Walking from The Sands covers the bay itself, 0.5 km from the hotel; anywhere else needs a car, a bus or a taxi. Fornells is 6.6 km away, Es Mercadal and Monte Toro 8.7 km, and Maó port 15.6 km. High summer fills the resort and the bay stays busy into the evening, while the shoulder months of May, June, September and October leave the same streets quiet and the coast cooler.

Rooms and facilities

Facilities at The Sands are listed for a practical resort stay: a TV, a safe and free wifi, with a 24 hour front desk for arrivals after dark. Couples tend to make use of the terrace, lounge and garden, while families gravitate to the kids pool, playground and arcade. Restaurant, bar and snack options are listed on site, so a full day can pass without leaving the address.

Worth confirming with The Sands before booking: whether the outdoor pool and kids pool stay open for the whole season, what the shuttle service covers, and when archery and bicycle hire run. Ask about wheelchair accessible routes around the building and the car park, since both are listed. Anyone arriving late should say so when booking, so the front desk expects them at that hour. Multilingual staff are listed, which helps at check-in.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 17.3 km south-west of The Sands on a straight line, so the easiest transfer to Arenal d'en Castell is by taxi, or with a hire car collected at the terminal. Bus travellers generally head into Maó first and change there; routes and summer frequencies change, so check the island bus operator before relying on a connection. Flights are fewer in winter, when the transfer needs more planning.

From the sea, Maó port is 15.6 km from The Sands and handles the overnight crossings from Barcelona and the ferries from Palma, so a hire car collected in Maó covers the run to the north coast directly. Driving from Maó or the airport crosses the middle of the island rather than the coast. Fornells, 6.6 km away, is the nearest village for out-of-season supplies.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest sand is the bay at Arenal d'en Castell, 0.5 km from The Sands: a near-circular curve of pale sand on the north coast, with the darker, older rock of the Tramuntana behind it. For a change of scene, Fornells is 6.6 km away, a fishing village on the north coast known for caldereta de llagosta. The white coves of the Migjorn coast lie to the south and need a drive rather than a walk from the hotel.

Eating on Menorca leans on the island's own produce. Caldereta de llagosta belongs to Fornells, 6.6 km from The Sands, and the island's Mahón-Menorca cheese has protected designation of origin status and appears on menus across Menorca. Es Mercadal, 8.7 km away at the foot of Monte Toro, is a natural stop when crossing the centre, with the sanctuary and the views above it.

A day from The Sands

Begin at the bay: a 0.5 km walk from The Sands reaches the pale sand of Arenal d'en Castell for an early swim. Afterwards, drive to the Favàritx lighthouse, 6.9 km away, on dark slate inside S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park, where the lagoon, dunes and birdlife form the core of the Biosphere Reserve. Es Mercadal, 8.7 km from the hotel, is the obvious lunch stop on the way back.

In the afternoon, Monte Toro is 7.3 km from The Sands and the sanctuary at about 358 m opens views of both coasts. Kayaking on the north coast, 8.5 km away, fills the same hours when the sea is calm; otherwise the outdoor pool, garden and terrace listed at the hotel suit a slower afternoon. Finish with dinner on site or a drive to Fornells, 6.6 km away.

Practical tips

Arenal d'en Castell empties sharply outside the season: from roughly November to April most of the tourist businesses around the bay shut, so confirm The Sands' own opening dates before booking. July and August fill the resort and the bay. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is charged by the accommodation per person per night, with rates set by category and season, reductions in low season and for longer stays, and children under 16 exempt; check the Govern de les Illes Balears for current rules.

Questions about The Sands