Apartamentos Tramuntana

About Apartamentos Tramuntana

Apartamentos Tramuntana is a three-star apartment property on Carrer Tramuntana in Fornells, on Menorca's north coast. It suits families and couples who prefer to cook some meals and keep their own hours rather than take half board. Each apartment is listed with a kitchen, a terrace and a sofa bed, so a group of four or a couple with a young child can spread out. The village centre is 0.4 km away, close enough to walk to the harbour in the evening.

The stay is self-catering in the plainest, most useful sense. There is no restaurant or pool listed, so the apartment itself does the work: a kitchen for breakfast, a terrace for the slow part of the afternoon and a TV for the evenings. Three stars and a north-coast setting set the tone, and the holiday is built around the bay, the village and short drives to the rest of Menorca rather than time spent inside a resort.

Location: Fornells

Fornells is a fishing village on a sheltered bay at the north end of Menorca, and the apartment sits 0.4 km from it. The village is known across the island for caldereta de llagosta, the lobster stew served along the harbour. Outside the summer months it is quiet in a way that suits walkers and cyclists; in July and August the waterfront fills up and the pace changes. The bay makes swimming and small-boat activity easy and sheltered from the worst of the tramuntana wind.

Walking covers the village, the harbour and the bay. Everything else needs wheels: Arenal d'en Castell is 6.4 km away, and Es Mercadal with Monte Toro above it is 8.4 km away. A hire car makes the north coast and the lanes inland much easier in the shoulder months, when services thin out. Taxis work for a single evening out but not for a week of exploring.

Rooms and facilities

The apartments are set up for self-catering. The kitchen is listed with an oven, a microwave, a dishwasher, a refrigerator and coffee equipment, which covers breakfast and most evening meals. A sofa bed adds sleeping space in the living area, and the terrace gives the apartment an outside room of its own. Housekeeping is listed, along with a hairdryer and a TV, so packing is lighter than it would be for a bare rental. Pets are not allowed.

For couples the apartment is generous; for families the question is how many people the sofa bed takes and whether the bedroom is separate. Confirm the bed layout, the number of bathrooms and the housekeeping rhythm with the property before booking. Cribs are listed, so ask early if one is needed. Ask too about arrival arrangements, since check-in and check-out times are set by the property and can shift with the season, and about payment by card, which is listed as accepted.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 23.1 km away in a straight line, south-west of Maó. The simplest way north is a hire car from the airport or a taxi; either deals with luggage and a shopping stop on the way to Fornells. The bus network is focused on Maó, with extra summer services towards the resorts; check the island bus operator for current lines and times. A journey to Fornells by bus usually means a change, so ask Apartamentos Tramuntana about the best plan.

From Maó port, 22 km away in a straight line, the drive north is straightforward for anyone arriving on an overnight ferry from Barcelona or on a crossing from Palma; the operators publish current sailings. Arenal d'en Castell is 6.4 km from the apartment and Es Mercadal 8.4 km, so a car covers the last stretch quickly. Flights and ferries are fewer outside the season, which is worth checking before fixing dates for Apartamentos Tramuntana.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest beach for most guests is the bay at Fornells itself, with Arenal d'en Castell 6.4 km away, a near-circular inlet that is easy for children. The north coast here is the Tramuntana side: older, darker rock, reddish sand and wind, which shapes how a day at the water works. The Favàritx lighthouse, 13.3 km away, sits on dark slate inside S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park, the core zone of the island's Biosphere Reserve.

Food on Menorca is part of the reason to stay in a village rather than a resort. Caldereta de llagosta is the dish Fornells is known for, cooked in the harbour-front lanes. The island's Mahón-Menorca cheese has a protected designation of origin and turns up on most menus, and Maó's gin tradition, left by the long British period in the 18th century, shapes the local drinks. With a kitchen at Apartamentos Tramuntana, eating out and cooking can be mixed.

A day from Apartamentos Tramuntana

Start with the water. Kayaking on the north coast is 3 km away, and an early start catches the bay before the wind builds, which matters on this coast. Back at Apartamentos Tramuntana, breakfast on the terrace, then a short walk of 0.4 km into Fornells for bread and the harbour. The afternoon is the quiet stretch: the apartment has a kitchen and a sofa, and the heat outside makes staying in reasonable.

Late afternoon suits the centre of the island. Es Mercadal is 8.4 km away, at the foot of Monte Toro, the highest point at about 358 m, where a sanctuary and views of both coasts reward the climb. On another day, the Favàritx lighthouse is 13.3 km away on dark slate inside S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park. Both trips need a car. Finish with lobster stew in Fornells, 0.4 km from Apartamentos Tramuntana, and the walk home.

Practical tips

Time a stay with the season. Outside the months roughly from November to April, the island's visitor economy largely shuts down and Fornells becomes a very small place, so ask Apartamentos Tramuntana which weeks it opens. July and August bring the heaviest demand on this coast, and booking early helps. Accommodation in the Balearics carries the sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, charged per person per night; the rate depends on the accommodation type and season, is reduced in low season and for longer stays, under-16s are exempt, and the Govern de les Illes Balears publishes the current rules.

Questions about Apartamentos Tramuntana