Menorca

Menorca by bike

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You have read correctly. Clement and I decided to visit this unique spanish island by bike. Our initial plan was to visit 3 Balearic islands, but while planning we read about Cami de Cavalls, a trail around the entire island of Minorca that you can complete by bike or hiking. What a nice and original way to explore a new place.

While organizing the rest stops and whatsoever, we soon realised that we could pass through the association Cami de Cavalls 360, to have a smoother and easy trip. We picked the 5-night option (3* hotels), and we decided to rent also the bike through them. Not only we found the communication really easy, we loved not having to worry about luggages (they would pick them up in the morning and leave them at the following hotel), but also they provided us with maps, GPS tracks, a booklet with all the informations, and we were in constant Whatsapp contact. We simply loved it! As if it was not enough, let me tell you about the bitkes. The MTBs were insane, it would have been impossible for me (bare in mind, it was my first long MTB trip) to complete it with a different bike. Very performant!

The biking option of Cami de Cavalls is made by 3 difficulty levels. Apart from segment 3, we were able to complete the Hard tracks in all cases, but keep in mind that in many points we had to carry bikes on our backs, or just step down and carry them. Still, we loved it!

The first day we arrived in Mao, and we went directly to the offices to have the explanation of the trip, then we went to dinner and to bed, because the next moring we picked our bikes up at 8 am. The first biking day was from Mao to Arenal d’en Castel (35 km), and we passed throguh the incredible Natural Parc de s’Albufera d’ES Grau. We stopped at Es Grau (the last place where you can buy water and food), a really cute village, and then we procedeed towards the end of the Parc. We took a little detour to: go visit the Far de Favatrix, and then we biked towards Addaia. Even though the surroundings were marvellous, the lack of water (yes, we did not plan enough), made us want to reach the village ASAP. After the quick rest stop, we finished our day in Arenal d’En Castel, where we also discovered a little creek behind the White Sands Hotel.

The following day, let me tell you, the pain sitting down was memorable. Be ready for it, even if you are well equipped. We biked towards Son Parc, where we stopped to have breakfast, and then we passed through an amazing pine forest to reach Cala Tirant. The following stop was Binimel-la, where we had lunch and a quick nap at the beach. The last part to reach Ferreries was tough, with a long ascending part (luckily on cement). We reached the village in the center of the island, our second stop (32 km).

The third biking day, I made a mistake. Our “guides” told us about a new path that had opened, and I forgot about that, so we followed the old one. It was nice, but the beginning was on the side of a road. Regardless, we followed the intermediate path to reach El Pilar, and then the part to reach Cala Morell was mesmerizing, passing from pebble beaches to oak groves, for finally arriving at this cute white village, where we had lunch before going towards Ciutadella. At this point, we tried to start the hard path, but after few km we decided to take the road out and finish it in the intermediate one (36 km).

We arrived in Ciutadella in time to visit it, and I loved it! The city is so welcoming and you feel like you have arrived in another Universe.

The fourth day towards Sant Tomas was perhaps my least favourite; in the first part we followed the hard path, but at the very beginning we had to pass through maby villages following the road, and in general it was the most touristic part of the Island, and we had to often stop due to hikers. The final part, from Cala Mitjana to San Tomas was back in the forest, and the best part of the day (43 km). In Sant Tomas we chilled at the beach and we witnessed an amazing sunset.

The following day was our last part by bike, and we left Sant Tomas to reach Ciutadella. We stopped in Son Bou for breakfast, and the part to reach this village was really pretty, passing through Prat de Son Bou. Let me tell you, this part is not only the longest one (48 km), but also pretty hard. We loved arriving in Binibequer, an old fisherman village, and passing through the rich Punta Prima. Regardless of the effort, we were really sad our biking trip ended.

In Mao, we left the bikes and we took our scooter to reach our hotel in Cala en Porter, where we stayed for the following 2 days. The first “sightseeing” day, as I likew to call them, we went hiking to see Cova des Colombs, that is as big as a Cathedral. It is one of the most majestic caves I ever visited, and the trek to reach it is not challenging. After that, we went back to Binibequer to walk through the cute streets, and after lunch we decided to go back to Cala en Porter and visit the beach. To be honest, I was not impressed, but we were still a little recovering from the biking days, therefore we did not want to travel far.

The last day in Menorca was spent sightseeing the other inland village, es Mercadel, and kayaking and visiting Baiac de Fornells. I have to admit we were not really lucky with the weather, so I did not enjoy this part as the biking trip.

We loved the Cami de Cavalls. It is in my opinion the best way to visit this stunning island, whether you decide to bike it or walk it. The best parts of Menorca cannot be reached by car or scooter, so it is the perfect island if you love being active!