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Menorca is the second-largest of the Balearic Islands at 695 square kilometres with a permanent population of 100,000, the calmer sister of Mallorca and Ibiza, and a 216-kilometre coastline that supports day-charter departure from four serious bases. The day-charter calendar runs May to October with the peak from late June to mid-September. A 45-foot sailing catamaran with crew for a 7-hour south-cala rotation in July runs €2,500 to €3,800 plus the 21% Spanish IVA, fuel, and gratuity on top. The day-charter inventory operates from four bases: Port de Mahon at the east (canonical, all bands, airport-adjacent), Port de Ciutadella at the west (budget and midmarket, south-cala priority), Cala en Bosc at the southwest (closest to the Macarella and Turqueta cluster), and Fornells at the north (sheltered north-coast pattern). Menorca Airport (MAH) handles the air access with the canonical 5 to 50 minute road transfer to the four bases.
The point of a Menorca day charter on a 6 to 9 hour rotation is the south-cala anchor cluster (the Cala Macarella and Cala Macarelleta twin cove at the south Menorca centre with the white-sand beaches and the pine-cliff backdrop, the Cala Mitjana and Cala Mitjaneta anchor 2 nautical miles east of Macarella, the Cala en Turqueta anchor with the turquoise-water sand bottom, the Cala Trebaluger anchor at the uninhabited southwest cala, the Cala Galdana anchor with the hotel-village resort coast, and the Son Saura beach anchor at the Macarella west), the Mahon harbour and east-coast cluster (the Mahon natural harbour cruise, the Cala Mesquida, Es Grau, and Punta Prima anchor at the Mahon east-coast cluster, and the Illa de l'Aire south anchor), the Fornells and north-coast anchors (the Cala Tirant, Binimel-la, and Cala Pregonda anchor cluster on the sheltered-day north pattern), and the full-island circumnavigation on the 50-foot-and-up motor-yacht inventory.
The day-charter pattern combines a 9:30am to 10am Ciutadella, Cala en Bosc, or Mahon departure, a south or west cruise to the Cala Macarella or Cala en Turqueta anchor, a 4 to 5 hour south-cala anchor sequence (typically Macarella, Mitjana, Turqueta, and Trebaluger), a return cruise via the Son Saura or Galdana stop, and a 5pm to 6pm departure-base return.
When to day-charter Menorca
May. Shoulder. Water 17 to 19 degrees Celsius, air 19 to 23. Working operators open inventory from 1 May with the canonical Balearic spring opening pattern. The May booking pattern at 45 to 60 percent of August peak rates with the cleanest south-cala anchor pool (1 to 4 anchored boats per cala versus the August 30 to 80-boat Macarella anchor pattern).
June. Shoulder through 15 June, peak thereafter. Water 19 to 23 degrees, air 22 to 27. The post-Easter window at 60 to 75 percent of August peak. From 20 June the Menorca peak calendar opens with rates climbing to 80 to 95 percent of August peak through 30 June.
July and August. Peak. Water 23 to 26 degrees, air 26 to 31. The canonical Menorca peak window with the Festes de Sant Joan in late June at the Ciutadella horse-festival booking peak, the Sant Marti and Sant Bartomeu festival calendar in late July and August, and the Spanish-mainland and UK-family-holiday calendar absorbing the south-cala day-charter market. Rates at 95 to 100 percent of peak through 31 August. Book 10 to 16 weeks out for the premium 50-foot-and-up inventory.
September. Peak through 10 September, shoulder thereafter. Water 23 to 25 degrees, air 24 to 28. The first 10 days at full peak; from 15 September the shoulder pattern begins with rates dropping to 65 to 80 percent of August peak. The cleanest September window is the post-15 September pattern with the warmest sea-temperature calendar and the cleaner south-cala anchor pool.
October. Shoulder. Water 20 to 23 degrees, air 19 to 25. Working off-peak rates at 50 to 65 percent of August peak. The cleanest October pattern runs the first two weeks. Operators wind down inventory 31 October. The Tramuntana north wind pattern runs more frequent in October and may collapse the north-coast day on a forecast basis.
November to April. Working off-peak. The Menorca day-charter inventory does not operate through winter; the Mahon and Ciutadella year-round broker inventory runs at the sheltered-day pattern only.
The Menorca day-charter zones
South-cala cluster (the canonical Menorca day-charter axis). The 30-kilometre south coast between Cala Galdana and Cap d'Artrutx. The Cala Macarella and Cala Macarelleta anchor (the twin-cove white-sand beach at depths 4 to 10 metres on the sand bottom with the pine-cliff backdrop and the tender shore-landing at the Macarella beach), the Cala Mitjana and Cala Mitjaneta anchor 2 nautical miles east, the Cala en Turqueta anchor (the turquoise-water sand bottom at depths 4 to 8 metres), the Cala Trebaluger anchor (the uninhabited southwest cala with the river-mouth freshwater inlet), and the Cala Galdana anchor at the hotel-village resort coast. The canonical Menorca day-charter south-cala cluster.
Mahon harbour and east-coast cluster. The 5-kilometre Mahon natural harbour cruise (the second-largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean) past the Illa del Rei, Illa Plana, and Illa del Llatzaret, the Cala Mesquida and Es Grau anchor at the Mahon north-east, the Punta Prima and Cala Binisafua anchor at the Mahon south-east, and the Illa de l'Aire south anchor. The east-coast pattern from the Mahon base.
North-coast Fornells and Cap de Cavalleria axis. The Fornells natural harbour, the Cala Tirant white-sand beach anchor 1 nautical mile east of Fornells, the Cala Pregonda red-sand anchor at the Cap de Cavalleria, the Binimel-la beach anchor, and the Cap de Favaritx north-east anchor. The sheltered-day north pattern from the Fornells base on the forecast-low Tramuntana day.
Mallorca crossing (long-day extension). The 25 to 35 nautical mile west crossing from Cala en Bosc or Ciutadella to the Cala Ratjada or Pollensa Bay at the east Mallorca coast. The long-day Menorca-to-Mallorca extension on the 50-foot-and-up motor-yacht inventory at the 22 to 28 knot transit speed; the alternative is the Cabrera National Park crossing at the long-day pattern from Cala en Bosc.
Cap de Cavalleria circumnavigation (long-day full-island). The 75 nautical mile full Menorca circumnavigation on the 50-foot-and-up motor-yacht inventory at the 24 to 28 knot transit speed. The Mahon-to-Ciutadella east-to-west pattern via Cap de Cavalleria north or the Cap d'Artrutx south. The full-day circumnavigation runs 9 to 11 hours marina-to-marina at the high-fuel-burn pattern.
A standard Menorca day charter (7 hours)
| Hour | Position | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | Cala en Bosc or Ciutadella board | Boarding at the slip, provisioning check, departure briefing |
| 10:00 | South cruise to Cala en Turqueta | 30-minute cruise south past Cap d'Artrutx |
| 10:30 | Cala en Turqueta swim anchor | 90-minute swim and tender shore-landing at the sand-bottom Turqueta anchor |
| 12:00 | Cala Macarella anchor | 90-minute lunch and swim at the canonical Macarella twin-cove anchor |
| 13:30 | Cala Mitjana anchor | 90-minute swim and tender at the Mitjana east-of-Macarella anchor |
| 15:00 | Cala Trebaluger anchor | 60-minute final swim at the uninhabited Trebaluger river-mouth anchor |
| 16:00 | Return cruise to Cala en Bosc | 30-minute return cruise west |
| 16:30 | Cala en Bosc return | Return to slip |
This is the canonical Menorca 7-hour south-cala rotation on a 45 to 55 foot sailing catamaran or motor yacht with 8 to 12 guests. The structure adjusts for the east-coast pattern (which substitutes the south-cala cluster with the Mahon harbour cruise and the Cala Mesquida, Es Grau, and Punta Prima cluster on a 6 to 7 hour day from Mahon), for the north-coast Fornells pattern (which substitutes the south-cala cluster with the Cala Tirant, Pregonda, and Binimel-la cluster), and for the full-island circumnavigation (which moves to a 9 to 11 hour day on the 50-foot-and-up motor yacht).
Menorca day-charter boat size guidance
28 to 38 foot motorboats and ribs. €600 to €1.8K per day, 6 to 12 guests, skipper-included. The budget Menorca day-charter band; the cleanest fit for the short-day south-cala pattern from Cala en Bosc or Ciutadella. The Pirelli, Capelli, Quicksilver, and Saver inventory.
38 to 50 foot motor yachts and sailing catamarans. €1.8K to €3.5K per day, 8 to 12 guests, crew of 1 to 2. The midmarket Menorca day-charter band; the cleanest fit for the full south-cala rotation. The Lagoon 42, Bali 4.4, Sunseeker, and Princess inventory.
50 to 65 foot motor yachts and sailing catamarans. €3.5K to €6K per day, 10 to 12 guests, crew of 2 to 4, on-board chef on the 55-foot-and-up. The premium midmarket band with the structured south-cala and Mahon-east capacity, plus the Mallorca crossing extension capacity.
65 to 80 foot motor yachts. €6K to €9K per day, 12 guests, full crew of 3 to 6, tender garage. The premium day-charter band with the structured full Menorca circumnavigation capacity.
80 to 95 foot motor yachts. €9K to €12K per day, 12 guests legal-capacity maximum, full crew of 5 to 7, overnight extension capacity. The extension-charter band for clients combining Menorca day product with overnight at Mahon, Ciutadella, or the Mallorca east coast.
Menorca day-charter cost math
| Line item | Range (45-foot catamaran, 7-hour south-cala day, July peak) |
|---|---|
| Boat day rate | €2.5K to €3.8K |
| Spanish IVA (21%) | €0.53K to €0.8K |
| Fuel (typical 7-hour day, 25 nautical miles, at-cost, low under sail) | €0.15K to €0.5K |
| Crew gratuity (5% to 10% standard in Spain) | €0.13K to €0.38K |
| Provisioning (lunch, drinks, operator-provided or external) | €0.5K to €1.4K |
| Cala en Bosc or Ciutadella day-stop slip | €0.05K to €0.18K |
| Working full check (7-hour south-cala day, anchor-only) | €3.9K to €7K |
| Working full check (9-hour Mallorca crossing day, 60-foot motor) | €8K to €13K |
| Peak August premium (1.3x to 1.6x rate) | €5K to €11K |
The Menorca day-charter cost runs at the lower end of the western Mediterranean day-charter market on a per-day basis, the cleanest day-charter value in the western Mediterranean alongside Ibiza and Mallorca. The sailing catamaran inventory at the 45 to 55 foot band runs the lowest fuel-burn line versus the motor-yacht equivalent at the same length. The cost-control move is the Cala en Bosc or Ciutadella departure (which substitutes the Mahon east-base 90-minute transit-to-Macarella with the 30-minute south-cala cruise), the June or post-15 September booking at 60 to 80 percent of August peak, and the sailing catamaran booking pattern at 50 to 70 percent of the motor-yacht day rate at the same length.
Operator ranking (the day-charter inventory)
We rank rather than list. The Menorca day-charter operator inventory we would book runs at the following band:
Menorca Charter and Yacht Charter Menorca (Mahon and Ciutadella). Holds the operator-direct 35 to 75 foot motor-yacht and sailing-catamaran inventory at the Marina Menorca Mahon and the Port de Ciutadella with the Sunseeker, Princess, Lagoon, and Bali inventory. Working operator-direct booking, Spanish charter licensing, on-board chef capability at the 55-foot-and-up, and the full-island circumnavigation capacity. The cleanest single operator-direct booking pattern at the working €2.5K-and-up Menorca day-charter band.
Cala en Bosc Charter and South Coast Yacht Menorca (Cala en Bosc). Holds the operator-direct 28 to 50 foot motorboat, rib, and small motor-yacht inventory at the Cala en Bosc southwest base with the south-cala-priority booking pattern. The cleanest fit for clients on a budget at the closest base to the Macarella and Turqueta cluster, with the shortest cruise time to the south-cala anchor coast.
Catamaran Charter Menorca and Sail Menorca. Holds the operator-direct 40 to 65 foot sailing catamaran inventory at the Mahon and Ciutadella bases with the Lagoon, Bali, Fountaine Pajot, and Leopard inventory. The cleanest fit for the full-day south-cala family-day pattern at the stable-platform swim and lunch calendar.
Click and Boat Menorca and SamBoat Menorca. Holds the aggregator inventory at the Mahon, Ciutadella, Cala en Bosc, and Fornells bases with the 28 to 60 foot inventory across the budget and midmarket bands. Working aggregator interface, insurance, and captain-included pattern at the 30-foot-and-up.
Boatsetter Menorca. Holds the second-tier aggregator inventory at the comparable bases with the comparable inventory pool. The cleaner alternative for clients comparing the Click and Boat and SamBoat budget-band quotes.
We rank Menorca Charter and Catamaran Charter Menorca at the top of the Menorca day-charter operator inventory list because the Menorca day-charter product runs the operator-direct pattern at the specific-boat selection (the Lagoon 50 and Bali 5.4 50-foot-and-up sailing catamaran inventory is the specific-boat-selection product), the full-day south-cala anchor calendar requires the operator-specific anchor-cala knowledge, and the full-island circumnavigation requires the operator-specific transit and Tramuntana-forecast knowledge.
Three things we would change
The Cala Macarella and Macarelleta peak July and August Saturday and Sunday calendar runs the anchor at 60 to 100 anchored boats with the tender congestion at the Macarella beach and the swim-buoy field across the cala mouth. The cleanest single fix is the weekday booking (Monday through Thursday) at the 25 to 50-boat Macarella calendar, the morning anchor before 11am (which clears the noon to 3pm peak congestion), or the alternative-cala substitution to the Cala Trebaluger or Cala en Turqueta west-of-Macarella pattern (which holds 8 to 25 anchored boats versus the Macarella 60 to 100).
The Cala en Bosc and Ciutadella berth pool at peak July and August runs the capacity-limited 130-berth Ciutadella and 200-berth Cala en Bosc transient slip pool with the full-week absorption pattern. The cleanest single fix is the Mahon-base substitution (which runs the 1,200-berth combined Mahon slip pool at the cleaner transient slip availability and accepts the 90-minute additional cruise to the south-cala cluster), or the day-charter pickup pattern (which substitutes the berth at Cala en Bosc with the road transfer to the operator pickup at the Cala en Bosc pier).
The Festes de Sant Joan window (the 23 to 24 June Ciutadella horse-festival pattern) runs material on the Ciutadella harbour and town calendar with the full-week absorption of the Ciutadella berth pool, the Castell de San Felipe and Plaza des Born horse-festival closure pattern, and the day-charter inventory at the full-week sell-out. The cleanest single fix is the pre-Sant-Joan booking window (15 to 22 June) or the post-Sant-Joan window (28 June onwards) with the clean Ciutadella berth availability and the cleaner south-cala anchor pool.
The rest of the trip
VillasForKings covers the Menorca private villa inventory across the Binibeca, Cala Galdana, Cala en Bosc, Sant Lluis, and Es Migjorn Gran clusters with the pool, sea-view, and private-tennis inventory. HotelsForKings covers the Cugo Gran at Sant Lluis, the Torralbenc at Alaior, the Menorca Experimental at Sant Lluis, the Hotel Can Faustino at Ciutadella, the Tres Sants at Ciutadella, and the Casa Albertí at Mahon. RestaurantsForKings covers the Es Tast de na Silvia at Ciutadella, the Smoix at Ciutadella, the Mon Restaurant at Mahon, the Cap Roig at Sa Mesquida, and the Es Cranc at Fornells. BarsForKings covers the Cova d'en Xoroi sunset bar at Cala en Porter, the Akelarre Jazz Bar at Mahon, and the Es Pla harbour-front bar cluster at Fornells.
FAQ
Do I need to book a Menorca day charter in advance? For July and August peak, yes. Book 10 to 16 weeks out for the premium 50-foot-and-up sailing catamaran inventory at Menorca Charter and Catamaran Charter Menorca, with 14 to 22 weeks for the Festes de Sant Joan window. May, June, and post-15 September open inventory on 1 to 2 week notice at the shoulder rates.
Should I depart Mahon, Ciutadella, or Cala en Bosc for the south calas? Cala en Bosc for the south-cala-priority booking on the full-day Macarella, Mitjana, Turqueta, and Trebaluger rotation. Ciutadella for clients combining the historic Ciutadella town day with the south-cala anchor cluster. Mahon for clients staying at the Mahon east-coast hotel cluster and combining the Mahon harbour cruise with the east-coast Mesquida, Es Grau, and Punta Prima anchor pattern. Cala en Bosc cuts 60 to 90 minutes off each leg of the south-cala round-trip versus the Mahon east-base 90-to-120-minute transit.
Can I day-charter from Menorca to Mallorca? Yes on the 50-foot-and-up motor-yacht inventory with 22 to 28 knot transit capacity. The Menorca-to-Mallorca crossing runs 25 to 35 nautical miles between Cala en Bosc and Cala Ratjada or Pollensa Bay at the east Mallorca coast. The full Menorca-to-Mallorca day rotation runs 9 to 11 hours marina-to-marina at the high-fuel-burn pattern.
What size group fits a Menorca day charter? 6 to 12 guests on the 28 to 38 foot motorboat and rib band, 8 to 12 on the 40 to 55 foot motor-yacht and sailing-catamaran band, 10 to 12 on the 55 to 95 foot inventory (capped at 12 on the Spanish commercial day-charter limit), 12+ on the two-yacht booking pattern via Menorca Charter or Catamaran Charter Menorca.