Catalonia Mirador des Port

About Catalonia Mirador des Port

Catalonia Mirador des Port suits travellers who want the Menorcan capital on the doorstep rather than a beach resort. The address at Vilanova 1 puts the harbour 0.5 km away and the streets of Maó 0.7 km away, so mornings can start with a walk into town. Couples on a short break, families with children and guests arriving on a late flight from Menorca Airport all fit here.

Catalonia Mirador des Port is a four-star hotel with a guest score of 4.3 out of 5 from 524 reviews. It is a city hotel with an outdoor pool, a spa and a gym rather than a coastal one, and the harbour sits below it. Guests who want to pair town life with the south coast beaches find a practical base here for a few nights or a week.

Location: Maó (Mahón)

Maó sits above a natural harbour about 5 km long, one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean, and Catalonia Mirador des Port stands close to the water at 0.5 km from the port. The capital keeps Georgian windows from the long British period of the 18th century, and the centre is 0.7 km from the hotel on foot. Es Castell, the barracks town at the harbour mouth, is 3.1 km away.

The walk into Maó and down to the port needs no transport at all from Catalonia Mirador des Port. Es Castell at 3.1 km and Sant Lluís at 4.6 km are short hops by bus, taxi or hire car, and the hotel lists a car rental service. In July and August the centre is busy and the quaysides fill in the evening; in May, June and September the harbour walk is calmer and tables are easier to find.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms at Catalonia Mirador des Port are listed with air conditioning, a desk, a safe, a TV, a hairdryer and toiletries, and bathrobe and slippers also appear, so ask which room types include them. Non-smoking rooms, family rooms and cots are listed. The 24-hour front desk, wake-up service and luggage storage help guests catching an early flight from Menorca Airport, 4.7 km away.

Breakfast is listed at Catalonia Mirador des Port, with breakfast in the room and room service for slow starts before a day in Maó. The outdoor pool, kids pool, gym and spa are the leisure facilities to ask about, along with whether massage needs booking ahead. Guests travelling with a dog should confirm the pet policy, and anyone needing a cot or an iron and board should request them before arrival.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 4.7 km south-west of Catalonia Mirador des Port, the closest gateway to the island. A taxi covers the straight-line distance in a short ride, and buses link the airport with Maó, leaving a walk to Vilanova 1. Hiring a car at the airport is the easiest way to reach the south coast coves later in the stay. Check the island bus operator for current times.

Ferries from Barcelona dock at Maó port, 0.5 km from Catalonia Mirador des Port, after an overnight crossing of several hours. From the terminal the walk up to the hotel is short and taxis wait at the quayside. Es Castell is 3.1 km away and Sant Lluís 4.6 km, while Ciutadella on the west coast is reached by road across the island. Winter brings fewer flights and sailings, so check operators before booking.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Catalonia Mirador des Port is not a beach hotel, so plan on a car or bus to the sand. Son Bou, the longest beach on the island, with dunes and wetland behind it, and the white coves of Cala Galdana, Cala Macarella and Cala Turqueta lie along the southern Migjorn coast. Binibeca Vell, the whitewashed hamlet, sits in the Sant Lluís municipality, whose village centre is 4.6 km from the hotel.

La Mola fortress, the 19th-century Isabel II fort that guards the harbour, is 4.8 km from Catalonia Mirador des Port, and S'Albufera des Grau, the lagoon and dune park at the core of the Biosphere Reserve, is 6.6 km. A boat trip round the harbour starts 1.2 km away. On the plate, look for Mahón-Menorca cheese with its protected designation of origin, caldereta de llagosta in the port villages, and the gin that British rule left behind.

A day from Catalonia Mirador des Port

Begin with breakfast at Catalonia Mirador des Port, then walk 0.7 km into Maó for the market streets and the Georgian windows of the centre. Drop downhill 0.5 km to the port and take a boat trip round the harbour, whose departure point is 1.2 km from the hotel. Lunch near the water, then an afternoon by the outdoor pool back at the hotel.

In the late afternoon, take a taxi or bus 4.8 km to La Mola fortress and walk the ramparts above the harbour mouth. Stop at Es Castell, 3.1 km from Catalonia Mirador des Port, for a drink by the water on the way back. For a different morning, drive 6.6 km to S'Albufera des Grau for the lagoon and dunes before the heat builds, then return to Maó for dinner.

Practical tips

Much of Menorca's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so check the opening dates of Catalonia Mirador des Port before booking a winter stay; the centre of Maó stays open all year and the hotel sits 0.7 km from it. July and August are the peak months, while May, June and September give quieter harbour walks. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax is charged per person per night by the accommodation, at rates set by type of stay and season, with children under 16 exempt; check the Govern de les Illes Balears for current rates.

Questions about Catalonia Mirador des Port