Barcelo Nura

About Barcelo Nura

Barcelo Nura suits travellers who want a five-star base in the quiet south-east corner of Menorca, at Punta Prima and away from the busier resort strips. Couples who prefer calm, families needing space and anyone arriving on a late flight will find the position practical: Menorca Airport is a short transfer away and Binibeca Vell sits 2.9 km along the coast. The hotel is a five-star property with a recorded guest score of 4.7/5 from 562 reviews.

This is a full-service hotel rather than a small guesthouse: five stars, with a spa, a swimming pool, a fitness centre, restaurant and bar service and free wifi listed among the facilities, plus air conditioning and a garden. It works as somewhere to return to after a day on the Migjorn coast, and as somewhere to stay put when the wind picks up. Much of the island's tourism closes in winter, so check opening dates first.

Location: Sant Lluís

Barcelo Nura stands at Punta Prima, in the south-east corner of Menorca, outside the main resort areas and close to the island's quieter southern shore. Binibeca Vell is 2.9 km away, the white village of Sant Lluís 4.2 km and Es Castell, the old barracks town at the mouth of Maó harbour, 7.5 km. This is the Migjorn side: limestone rock, pines and small coves rather than long sands.

The hotel is not on the beach, though a beach is listed nearby. Binibeca Vell and Sant Lluís are easier by car or taxi, and buses run more often in summer than in winter. In July and August the southern coves fill early and car parks at popular beaches can be full by mid-morning. In May, June, September and October the roads are calmer, the sea sits at about 18-19 °C in May and 23-25 °C in September, and the hotel makes a quiet base.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms at Barcelo Nura are listed with air conditioning, a balcony or terrace, a safe, minibar, coffee, bathrobe, slippers and toiletries, plus a desk, TV and telephone for anyone mixing work with a break. Families can ask about family rooms, cots and sofa beds. Late arrivals are covered by the 24-hour front desk, room service and 24-hour security, and non-smoking rooms and wheelchair-accessible provision are listed.

Shared facilities listed include a swimming pool, spa, sauna, massage, solarium, fitness centre, garden, patio and terrace, with yoga also on the list. Bars and restaurant service cover the day, and free car parking suits guests travelling by hire car. Confirm with Barcelo Nura before booking: check-in and check-out times, whether spa and yoga sessions need reserving, room service hours, cot and sofa-bed arrangements for a particular room type, and the detail of accessible rooms.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 6.7 km from Barcelo Nura in a straight line, south-west of Maó, which makes this one of the quicker transfers on the island. A taxi or a pre-booked car covers the short run, and a hire car collected at the airport is useful for reaching the southern coves. Buses link the airport with Maó and, in summer, the resorts; routes and timetables change, so check the island bus operator.

Maó port, 8.5 km away, has overnight ferries to Barcelona and crossings to Palma, while Ciutadella in the west links to Alcúdia on Mallorca. There is usually no regular direct ferry between Menorca and Ibiza, so most travellers connect through Mallorca or fly. Flights and ferries are fewer in winter, so leave some slack in arrival plans and confirm times with the operators.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Binibeca Vell, the whitewashed fishing-village-style hamlet, is 2.9 km from Barcelo Nura and best visited early. Sant Lluís, 4.2 km away, is a white village of windmills, and Es Castell, 7.5 km off, keeps Georgian windows from the long British period in the 18th century. The small coves of the Migjorn coast lie along the same southern shore, with the beach listed nearby as the closest option.

Two sights sit 8.1 km from the hotel: the La Mola fortress that guards the harbour entrance, and a boat trip round Maó harbour, which shows the scale of a natural harbour about 5 km long. S'Albufera des Grau, the lagoon and dune park at the core of the Biosphere Reserve, is 15.3 km away. Look for Mahón-Menorca cheese, which has a protected designation of origin, and the lobster stew associated with Fornells.

A day from Barcelo Nura

Start with breakfast at Barcelo Nura, then drive the 2.9 km to Binibeca Vell before the lanes fill, and continue 4.2 km to Sant Lluís for its windmills and white streets. Carry on 7.5 km to Es Castell at the harbour mouth, then 8.1 km to the La Mola fortress. Return in the afternoon for the pool, solarium or spa, and eat in the hotel restaurant in the evening.

A second day can take in S'Albufera des Grau, 15.3 km from Barcelo Nura, where the Favàritx lighthouse stands on dark slate beyond the lagoon, reed beds and dunes. A boat trip round Maó harbour, also 8.1 km away, fills a morning when the wind is up. Keep the car for these runs, or ask the hotel to arrange a taxi; buses are thinner outside summer.

Practical tips

Much of Menorca's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, and seasonal buses, beach bars and boat trips wind down with it, so check Barcelo Nura's opening dates before booking flights. July and August are the peak months. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is charged per person per night by the accommodation, including at Barcelo Nura; the rate depends on the type and category of the property and the season, is reduced in low season and for longer stays, and children under 16 are exempt. Check the Govern de les Illes Balears for current rates.

Questions about Barcelo Nura