Albergue & Gimnasio Relise

About Albergue & Gimnasio Relise

Albergue & Gimnasio Relise suits travellers who want a simple, inexpensive base on Menorca's south-east side and do not need a resort around them. The name says what it is: an albergue, or hostel, with a gym, listed here as a one-star property in Sant Lluís. Couples touring the island by car, walkers on a budget and anyone with an early flight from Menorca Airport fit the bill.

The stay is plain rather than polished: one star, a small village address and a short list of facilities that covers the basics. What you get is a bed 0.3 km from Sant Lluís, a fitness centre on site and parking, which matters if you plan to drive to the south-east coves. It is a practical stop rather than a holiday in itself, and the terrace gives you somewhere to sit at the end of the day.

Location: Sant Lluís

Sant Lluís is a white village of windmills and farmland on the south-east side of Menorca, and Albergue & Gimnasio Relise sits 0.3 km from it, which makes the centre a walk of a few minutes. The village keeps a year-round life rather than closing with the season. Es Castell, the old barracks town at the mouth of Maó harbour, is 4.3 km away, and Maó port itself is 4.6 km.

A car or a taxi makes the most of the position. Binibeca Vell, the whitewashed hamlet on the coast, is 4.3 km away, and the boat trips round Maó harbour leave from about the same distance. Buses serve Maó and, in summer, the resorts; check the island bus operator for lines and times. High summer brings traffic on the lanes to the coves, while May, June and September leave them quieter.

Rooms and facilities

The listed facilities are short: a fitness centre, parking, a terrace, vending machines and a complimentary item to confirm with the property. For couples the gym and the terrace carry the stay; for families the parking and the vending machines matter more after a day at the coves. Solo travellers get a simple base with somewhere to train. Albergue & Gimnasio Relise keeps things functional, and the terrace is the one place to sit outside.

Confirm the practical points before travelling: what the complimentary item covers, whether parking needs reserving, and what the gym's opening hours are. Ask about check-in and check-out times as well, since a one-star village property may keep shorter hours than a large hotel. Mention any late flight from Menorca Airport when you book, and ask how to collect a key. If you arrive by car, ask where the parking is.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 3.7 km away in a straight line, which puts Albergue & Gimnasio Relise among the closest addresses on the island to the runway. A taxi is the quickest option, a hire car collected at the airport the most flexible, and local buses run to Maó and, in summer, to the resorts. Check the island bus operator for current lines. The short transfer suits an evening arrival.

From Maó port the property is 4.6 km away, a short run for a taxi or a car after a ferry from Barcelona or Palma. Ciutadella, at the other end of Menorca, is a longer drive across the island. Winter brings fewer flights and fewer sailings, so build some slack into a connection; in summer the roads around Sant Lluís are busier at the start and end of the day.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Beaches lie on the Migjorn coast to the south: white sand coves under pine. Binibeca Vell is 4.3 km from Albergue & Gimnasio Relise and Es Castell 4.3 km, so both are short drives or a taxi ride. Son Bou, Cala en Porter and the coves further west need a car and an early start, since car parks at the popular southern beaches fill quickly. S'Albufera des Grau, the island's wetland park, is 11.4 km away.

Menorca's food gives the area its shape. Caldereta de llagosta, the lobster stew associated with Fornells on the north coast, is a reason to drive north for lunch, and Mahón-Menorca cheese has a protected designation of origin, so village shops around Sant Lluís stock it. Maó's gin tradition comes from British rule and shows in the bars near the harbour. Fish, cheese and gin cover most of a good day's eating.

A day from Albergue & Gimnasio Relise

Begin with the walk into Sant Lluís, 0.3 km from Albergue & Gimnasio Relise, for coffee among the white houses and windmills. Then head out: Binibeca Vell, the whitewashed hamlet, is 4.3 km away, and Es Castell with its Georgian barracks streets is the same distance. A boat trip round Maó harbour starts from roughly there too. Eat lunch in Maó, 4.6 km from the property, then slow down. Distances are straight lines, so allow for the lanes.

La Mola fortress, 5.5 km away, is the 19th-century Isabel II fort that guards the harbour mouth, and it fills an afternoon. If cloud comes in, S'Albufera des Grau is 11.4 km from Albergue & Gimnasio Relise: a lagoon, dunes, birds, and the Favàritx lighthouse on dark slate beyond. Finish back in Sant Lluís for an evening meal, then the terrace or the gym before bed.

Practical tips

Time the visit with care. Sant Lluís keeps a year-round village life, but many of Menorca's seasonal businesses close roughly from November to April, so ask Albergue & Gimnasio Relise which months it opens and whether the terrace and gym stay available. July and August bring the crowds and the fullest roads. Accommodation in the Balearics carries the sustainable tourism tax, charged per person per night by the property at a rate set by type and season, lower in low season and on longer stays, with under-16s exempt; rates change, so check the Govern de les Illes Balears.

Questions about Albergue & Gimnasio Relise