Los Arcos

About Los Arcos

Los Arcos is a four-star hotel in the Binibeca Vell area, on the quiet south-east side of Menorca. It suits travellers who want a calm base within easy reach of the white hamlet and the limestone coves of the Migjorn coast, and who are happy to use a car for the capital and the harbour. Couples looking for space and families with young children both fit here, since the listed facilities lean towards longer, self-catering stays rather than a short city break.

The property is a four-star hotel, and the accommodation is set up for practical comfort: the listed facilities include a kitchen with oven, microwave and dishwasher, alongside air conditioning, a washing machine and free Wifi. Outside there is a garden and a terrace, and car parking is free. It is not a beachfront address, so the sea is reached on foot at Binibeca Vell, 1.1 km away, or by car at the coves beyond Sant Lluís. Confirm the unit type with Los Arcos before booking.

Location: Binibeca Vell

Binibeca Vell is 1.1 km from Los Arcos: a whitewashed, fishing-village-style hamlet of lanes and steps beside the sea, best walked early or late in the day when the lanes are quiet. Sant Lluís, a white village of windmills, lies 3.6 km away and covers everyday shopping. The surrounding coast is the Migjorn, the limestone south of the island with white sand coves under pine, and it is the stretch to explore from this side of Menorca.

Walking is realistic for the hamlet, 1.1 km away; everywhere else needs a car, a taxi or the bus. Es Castell is 7.6 km from Los Arcos and Maó port 7.9 km, with buses into Maó and, in summer, to the resorts running from the area; the island bus operator has the current lines. In July and August the lanes at Binibeca Vell fill by mid-morning, while May, June, September and October bring quieter roads, and free parking at Los Arcos makes a hire car straightforward.

Rooms and facilities

Couples can use the listed kitchen equipment, oven, microwave, dishwasher and washing machine, to eat in on some evenings rather than chase a table every night, with a terrace and garden for slow mornings. Air conditioning, a safe, a TV, a DVD player and a CD player are all listed, plus a fireplace for the cooler months outside the peak. Some entries, such as sea and surf, are best clarified with Los Arcos for the unit you book.

Families have cots and high chairs listed, which removes some of the luggage, and the kitchen and washing machine make a week with children far easier to manage. Late arrivals should settle the arrival time and key handover with Los Arcos in advance. Ask which unit type includes the patio, the bath and the smoke detector, and confirm hairdryer, iron and board and toiletries before travelling, since these appear in the listed facilities.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 5 km from Los Arcos in a straight line, which makes a taxi or a pre-booked transfer the simplest arrival and a hire car the most useful, since parking at the hotel is free. The airport sits about 4-5 km south-west of Maó, and buses run from it into Maó, with summer services to the resorts; the island bus operator publishes current lines and times. Flights thin out in winter, so a shoulder-month arrival needs more planning.

From Maó port, 7.9 km from Los Arcos in a straight line, ferries arrive from Palma and Barcelona, the Barcelona crossing running overnight over several hours. Taxis cover the last stretch, or a hire car collected in Maó. Es Castell, at the harbour mouth, is 7.6 km away and Sant Lluís 3.6 km, so a car turns all three into short hops from Los Arcos. Ferry timetables change with the season, and the operators are the ones to check.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest sea is at Binibeca Vell, 1.1 km from Los Arcos, where the lanes lead down to the water. The Migjorn coast beyond Sant Lluís, 3.6 km away, holds the white sand coves under pine that draw most day trips from this side of Menorca. Car parks at the popular southern coves fill early and some have summer limits, so set out first thing. Los Arcos sits in a garden with a terrace rather than on sand.

Menorcan food is part of the reason to stay in this corner: Mahón-Menorca cheese carries a protected designation of origin, and caldereta de llagosta, the lobster stew, is the island's best-known dish. Shops around Sant Lluís, 3.6 km from Los Arcos, cover self-catering, and the kitchen in the unit makes the most of both. Maó, 7.9 km away above its harbour, has the widest choice, and Es Castell, 7.6 km off, is a short run for an evening.

A day from Los Arcos

Start with the walk to Binibeca Vell, 1.1 km from Los Arcos, before the lanes fill, then drive 3.6 km to Sant Lluís for coffee and shopping. Carry on to Maó, 7.9 km away, and take a boat trip round the harbour, which lies 7.6 km from Los Arcos in a straight line, to see the 5 km natural harbour from the water. Eat in the capital at midday, then visit the La Mola fortress, 8.6 km away, in the afternoon.

Late afternoon suits the south coast: drive back towards Sant Lluís, 3.6 km from Los Arcos, and pick a cove for a swim. For a longer half-day, S'Albufera des Grau, 14.6 km away, is the core zone of the Biosphere Reserve, with lagoon, dunes and birds. Return to Los Arcos for the garden and terrace and a meal cooked in the kitchen, or make the short run to Es Castell, 7.6 km away, for the evening.

Practical tips

Most of Menorca's seasonal business, many hotels, beach bars, boat trips and seasonal buses among it, closes roughly from November to April, while Maó and Ciutadella stay open all year. Check the opening dates for Los Arcos before booking a winter or early-spring stay, and expect July and August to be the peak, when the hamlet at Binibeca Vell fills quickly. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax is charged per person per night by the accommodation at rates that vary with season and length of stay; check the Govern de les Illes Balears for current rates.

Questions about Los Arcos