Villa Alana

About Villa Alana

Villa Alana suits families and small groups who want a self-catering base on Menorca's north coast rather than a hotel corridor. It is a three-star apartment or villa with an outdoor pool, a terrace and free car parking, and it stands about 1.1 km from the bay at Arenal d'en Castell. Couples who would rather cook than eat out every night, and parents who value a cot and a washing machine on site, are the sort of guests the place is arranged for.

The set-up is practical rather than serviced. A kitchen with an oven, microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator covers cooking, air conditioning and free wifi cover the rest, and a television and DVD player fill a slow evening. Rooms are listed as non-smoking and a cot is provided. Because the villa runs on a self-catering footing, it is worth agreeing arrival arrangements with Villa Alana before travelling, particularly if the ferry or a late flight puts you in after dark.

Location: Arenal d'en Castell

Arenal d'en Castell is a near-circular bay of pale sand on Menorca's north coast, in the Tramuntana band of older, darker rock and reddish sand. Villa Alana is 1.1 km from the bay in a straight line, so the water is a walk or a very short drive, and Fornells, the fishing village known for caldereta de llagosta, is 6.1 km away. Es Mercadal, at the foot of Monte Toro, is 9.2 km off, where the island's centre begins.

A car makes most of these places easy: Fornells at 6.1 km, Es Mercadal at 9.2 km, the Favàritx lighthouse at 7.2 km and Monte Toro at 7.9 km. Buses along the north coast run more often in summer and thin out in the shoulder months, so ask Villa Alana about the nearest stop. July and August bring the heaviest crowds to the bay; in May the sea is around 18 to 19 °C, and in September about 23 to 25 °C.

Rooms and facilities

Inside, the listed facilities describe a self-contained house rather than a hotel room. The kitchen has an oven, microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator; a washing machine handles the laundry; air conditioning, free wifi and internet access keep the place workable in heat or rain, and there is a television and DVD player. A bath complements the outdoor pool, and the terrace adds somewhere to eat outside. Couples can rattle around in it, and families get the practical kit.

With three stars and a villa or apartment layout, expect the practical rather than the polished. Confirm with Villa Alana which units share the swimming pool, whether the cot is already set up on arrival, and how the free parking is arranged, since parking is listed for the property. If the journey runs late, settle the key arrangements in advance. Non-smoking rooms are listed and a smoke detector is fitted, which is worth knowing with children along.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 18.3 km from Villa Alana in a straight line, south-west of Maó. A hire car collected at the terminal is the usual choice for this coast, and the drive north runs by way of Es Mercadal; taxis wait at the airport. Summer buses reach the northern resorts, with fewer lines and departures outside the season, so check the island bus operator's current timetable before planning arrival day around one.

Maó port is 16.5 km away in a straight line, with overnight ferries from Barcelona and a link to Palma. From the port or the airport, the last stretch follows the road to Arenal d'en Castell, 1.1 km from Villa Alana. Fornells is 6.1 km off and Es Mercadal 9.2 km, so supplies and an evening meal are short drives. Flights and ferries are thinner in winter, so leave slack on both travel days.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest sand is the bay at Arenal d'en Castell, 1.1 km from Villa Alana, a near-circular cove of pale sand that shelves gently and works well for children. Fornells, 6.1 km off, is a working fishing village with a sheltered harbour and a long association with caldereta de llagosta, the lobster stew eaten across the north. The southern coves of Cala Galdana, Cala Macarella and Cala Turqueta are a longer drive and deserve an early start.

Inland, Monte Toro rises to about 358 m and is 7.9 km from Villa Alana, with a sanctuary at the summit and views that take in both coasts. The Favàritx lighthouse, 7.2 km away, sits on dark slate inside S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park, the core zone of the Biosphere Reserve, where lagoon, dunes and birds fill an afternoon. Mahón-Menorca cheese, which holds a protected designation of origin, is what to bring back for the terrace.

A day from Villa Alana

Begin with the short run to Arenal d'en Castell, 1.1 km from Villa Alana, while the bay is quiet and parking is simple. Then follow the coast to the Favàritx lighthouse, 7.2 km away, for the walk over dark slate inside S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park. Kayaking on the north coast, listed 8.1 km from the villa, suits the morning, before the Tramuntana wind picks up over the water.

Return for lunch at the villa, then drive 9.2 km to Es Mercadal and on up Monte Toro, 7.9 km from Villa Alana and about 358 m high, where the sanctuary and the two coasts open out. End in Fornells, 6.1 km off, for a harbour walk and a lobster stew, or back at the bay for a last swim. A hire car makes the loop simple; buses are a summer option.

Practical tips

Time the trip around the season. Much of Menorca's visitor business winds down roughly from November to April, so confirm Villa Alana's own opening dates before booking flights, and note that July and August bring the heaviest crowds to this bay. Expect the ecotasa on the bill: the sustainable tourism tax is charged per person per night by the accommodation, at a rate that varies with season and length of stay; children under 16 are exempt, and the Govern de les Illes Balears publishes current rates.

Questions about Villa Alana