Villa Maricel

About Villa Maricel

Villa Maricel suits travellers who want a quiet base on Menorca's south-east corner rather than a large resort. The property is an apartment or villa with two stars, set in Binibeca Vell, the whitewashed fishing-village-style hamlet of lanes and steps by the sea. Couples, small families and groups travelling together can use it as a place to sleep, eat outside and drive out from, with the airport only 5 km away in a straight line.

Expect a simple, self-contained stay rather than hotel service: Villa Maricel is classed as an apartment or villa with a two-star rating, so the emphasis is on space and independence. There is a swimming pool, a garden and parking, which matters on an island where a car makes the coast much easier to reach. The layout suits guests who prefer to set their own timetable, cook some meals and come and go by car.

Location: Binibeca Vell

Binibeca Vell is 0.8 km from Villa Maricel in a straight line. The hamlet is a whitewashed fishing-village-style cluster of lanes and steps beside the sea, built low and painted bright white, and walking it takes very little time. Sant Lluís, the white village of windmills, is 3.8 km away and covers the everyday shops and services. Es Castell, the Georgian barracks town at the mouth of Maó harbour, sits 7.8 km from the property.

Walking from Villa Maricel reaches Binibeca Vell, but Sant Lluís and Es Castell are better by car, bus or taxi. The airport at 5 km and Maó port at 8.1 km are both short drives, which helps with a late landing or an early ferry. In July and August the hamlet's lanes fill through the middle of the day, so mornings and evenings are calmer. In May, June, September and October the same lanes are quiet and parking is easier.

Rooms and facilities

Facilities at Villa Maricel are listed as free wifi, a swimming pool, a garden and parking, with a garage as well. For couples the pool and garden give a private place to unwind after a day on the south coast. Families get room to spread out and a car park that takes the stress out of returning late. The property is listed as wheelchair accessible, so ask the hotel which parts of the grounds and which accommodation this covers.

Because Villa Maricel is an apartment or villa rather than a staffed hotel, confirm the practical details before booking: how the kitchen is equipped, whether linen and towels are included, and how arrival works after an evening flight. Check-in and check-out times are worth asking about directly. If a garage matters for a hire car, mention it when booking, and ask which unit the accessible features apply to.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 5 km from Villa Maricel in a straight line, the closest of the island's transport points. A taxi covers the short run quickly, and picking up a hire car at the airport puts the south-east coast within a short drive of landing. There is no train. Summer bus lines link Maó with the resorts, so check the island bus operator for a service near Binibeca Vell before relying on public transport.

Ferries leave Maó, 8.1 km away in a straight line, for Barcelona and Palma, and Ciutadella in the west has its own crossings to Alcúdia on Mallorca. From Sant Lluís at 3.8 km or Es Castell at 7.8 km the final approach to Villa Maricel is short. Sailings and flights thin outside the season, so confirm times with the operators and the hotel before fixing a late arrival.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest whitewashed lanes are Binibeca Vell at 0.8 km, easily reached on foot. Sant Lluís at 3.8 km is the practical village for supplies, and Es Castell at 7.8 km puts you at the harbour mouth. A boat trip round Maó harbour is 7.8 km away in a straight line, La Mola fortress at Maó is 8.9 km, and a talayotic village is 14.5 km from the property, the furthest of the listed outings.

Menorca's food is part of the reason to stay here. Mahón-Menorca cheese carries a protected designation of origin and appears on menus across the island, and in the north the fishing village of Fornells is known for caldereta de llagosta, its lobster stew. Villages such as Sant Lluís, 3.8 km from Villa Maricel, cover picnic supplies. Eating out in Binibeca Vell is seasonal, so plan around the months when the hamlet's kitchens are open.

A day from Villa Maricel

Start early with the short walk to Binibeca Vell, 0.8 km from Villa Maricel, before the lanes fill. Drive to Sant Lluís at 3.8 km for breakfast supplies and a look at the white village and its windmills. Then head to Maó for the harbour, 8.1 km from the property, and join a boat trip round the natural harbour, which is 7.8 km from the door in a straight line. Return for the quietest hours of the day.

In the afternoon take the car to La Mola fortress at Maó, 8.9 km away, for the 19th-century Isabel II fortifications above the harbour mouth. Es Castell is 7.8 km from Villa Maricel and works well as a late stop on the way back. A talayotic village at 14.5 km needs a longer half-day and makes a good alternative if the weather turns. Swim at the pool in the evening, then eat in the hamlet or drive to Sant Lluís.

Practical tips

Villa Maricel is best used between roughly May and October. Tourism on Menorca closes down across much of the island from about November to April, so ask the hotel which months it opens and whether the pool and garden are in use for the dates in question. Late July and August bring the highest demand and the fullest lanes at Binibeca Vell. Accommodation in the Balearics carries the sustainable tourism tax, charged per person per night by Villa Maricel; the rate varies with the category of the property and the season, and children under 16 are exempt, so check the Govern de les Illes Balears for current rules.

Questions about Villa Maricel