Introduction
If you are planning a holiday to Menorca in October, read about our experience.
This blog will give you a good idea about what to expect in October: the weather, places to visit and things to do.
I also tell you about costs and how we managed to find cheaper flights.
Contents
- Introduction
- Why we chose Menorca in October
- Cost of going to Menorca in October
- Weather in October
- Where we stayed: Calan Porter
- Places to visit in Menorca in October
- Cala Torret and Binibeca
- Cova de Xoroi
- Walk from Cala Galdana to Cala Macarella
- Waterpark – Splash Sur
- Son Bou
- Walk to Santa Agueda
- Menorca Zoo (Lloc de Menorca)
- Binibeca to Binisafuller
- Calan Porter Beach
- Restaurants
- So – is it worth going to Menorca in October?
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Why we chose Menorca in October
We booked this half term holiday in Menorca in October on a whim after seeing someone advertise their apartment on ‘Love Menorca’ and the owner offered it to us for only £550 for the week. I wouldn’t normally recommend doing this but at that price how could I resist?
Cost of going to Menorca in October
Going to Menorca in October means bargain accommodation. Flights from Bristol to Menorca with EasyJet were very cheap at £32 each but the flights coming back were ridiculously expensive (£300) due to it being the end of season.
✈️How we paid less for flights:
For four of us that would have been £1200 just to come back so we decided to stop off for a night in Barcelona instead.
The flight to Barcelona with Ryanair was only £22 and the flight back to the UK with Ryanair was £42.
🧳We took one large case and a small case, which was £40 per person.
Barcelona is only a short flight from Menorca so it can easily be a short changeover and not necessarily a stop over.
If you search for flights on Skyscanner, it will show you the price of direct and non-direct flights:
👉 SEARCH FLIGHTS ON SKYSCANNER
🏨 The Barcelona hotel was £150 for 2 rooms and the transfer bus was less than £20 each. Going to Barcelona saved us £554!
🔗Blog to read: You can read about this in my '24 Hours in Barcelona blog:
🚗 Car hire
We hired a car with RecordGo, booked through ‘Rentalcars’. for only £74 for the week – an incredibly cheap price and it was the best car we’ve hired there.
Weather in October
We have spent many holidays in Menorca but always in the summer so we didn’t know what to expect coming so late in the season.
The weather in Menorca in October can be unpredictable. The temperature is usually in the low 20s. So, we thought even if the weather was rainy, we could take a rain coat and go on lots of walks.
Luckily, the weather was dry and sunny all week. The temperature ranged from 23-26 degrees Celsius and the sea was ok too but the pool was too cold for my liking. The only thing I didn’t like was that the sea was choppy in most areas.
Where We Stayed: Calan Porter
The apartment was situated in Calan Porter, an area that we had always been curious about but had not spent much time there before.
Calan Porter is a popular area with a beach surrounded by limestone cliffs, a small centre with restaurants and bars and a mixture of hotels, apartments and villas to rent. There are two supermarkets and a famous nightclub in a cave.
On the first day, we did our big shop at Eroski supermarket near St Luis, which is one of the largest supermarkets in Menorca.
Places to Visit in Menorca in October
Over the week, my son and his friend, being 15, just wanted to lie in bed for half the day and hang around the pool so we left them to it most days and went off by ourselves for mini adventures.
Cala Torret and Binibeca
You can easily walk from Cala Torret to Binibeca Nou (15 minutes), which is where we usually hire a villa for the week.
🔗 Blog to read: my blog Villa Holidays in Menorca: Villa holidays in Menorca
We spent the afternoon ambling around Binibeca fishing village, which is a purpose built, picturesque apartment complex with tiny walk ways and restaurants and bars that has been made to look like an old fishing village.
Cova de Xoroi
The highlight of our holiday was an evening at Cova de Xoroi, the cave nightclub in Calan Porter. It was the end of season so the tickets were to watch the sunset and listen to music until 8.30 pm.
In the summer, it opens in the day as a tourist attraction and becomes a nightclub at night until the early hours.
Cova de Xoroi is a series of huge caves that have been renovated and made into a fantastic entertainment venue.
It is an amazing place and unique – I have been to a lot of clubs but never one like this.
🍹 We watched the sunset and drank cocktails on the terrace bar before dancing in the disco until it closed. The views from the terraces and the caves are stunning.
The atmosphere was incredible – everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves and the live saxophone player was awesome. We had so much fun and I will definitely be back next time we come to Menorca.
Walk from Cala Galdana to Cala Macarella
One of my favourite days was when we walked from Cala Galdana to Cala Macarella. This is a pleasant 2 km walk through the pine forest and olive trees.
Cala Macarella has a pretty beach with a restaurant and shower facilities.
We enjoyed lunch there before walking back to Cala Galdana.
There are other beaches you can walk to but we were feeling a bit jaded from the night before so we had a sunbathe on the beach and swam in the sea.
The sea was calm in Cala Galdana and it was pleasant. There were a few families on the beach, playing in the sea and on the pedalos.
Waterpark – Splash Sur
The waterparks were still open the week we were there, so on the hottest day, we dropped the boys off at Splash water park in Punta Prima. This is the best waterpark for older children because there are a good choice of slides for the thrill seekers.
⚠️ Update! Sur Splash has been forced to close.
Son Bou
We drove to Son Bou, where there is a long beach with light sand. In the summer the sea is calm and great for families but while we were there, it was very choppy.
It was warm enough to sunbathe and we did go in the sea which was crystal clear despite the waves.
The beach restaurant was still open and there were lifeguards on duty.
Walk to Santa Agueda
On the only cloudy day when rain was forecast, we decided it would be an ideal opportunity to walk up to Castell de Santa Agueda.
The walk up to the castle ruins is 1 mile up hill. The views on the way up are beautiful and even better at the top.
The castle dates back to Roman times and before. It was a Muslim shelter during the Christian conquest. Some of the ruins are in good condition but you cannot enter the buildings.
🌟 Tip: There is no official parking at the bottom of the trail so we parked in a layby off the road around the corner.
Menorca Zoo (Lloc de Menorca)
Even though my son is 15, he still wanted to visit the zoo. We have been bringing our children to Lloc de Menorca since they were very young.
They love it there and I think it’s because how close you can get to the animals.
There are opportunities to walk through the lemurs, who are delightful, hold snakes and other reptiles and feed the friendly baby goats. It is a pretty zoo and a wonderful place to spend a few hours.
Binibeca to Binisafuller
A flatter walk I would recommend is from Binibeca to Binisafuller (30 minutes). Binisafuller has a pretty cove.
We were hoping the sea might be calm because it is so sheltered, but when we arrived it was choppy and very seaweedy. We didn’t fancy swimming in it so we headed back and drove to Calan Porter beach.
Calan Porter Beach
Although there were waves in Calan Porter, the water was clear and there were lots of people enjoying themselves.
The beach at Calan Porter has lovely light soft sand and limestone cliffs surrounding it. There are 181 steps down to the beach, not good for those with dodgy knees.
There are two café bars, sun beds, and life guards. Behind the beach is a natural grassy area that stretches right back to a camp site.
Restaurants
Pizza 500 Gradios, Calan Porter
There are many restaurants in Calan Porter but quite a few places were closed for the season.
One of the restaurants where we all thought was exceptional was ‘Pizza 500′ gradios’. All of us enjoyed every course and the service was wonderful too.
Cala Mar, Cala Torret
We had a wonderful lunch in Cala Torret, at a restaurant called Cala Mar, who I follow on Instagram.
The restaurant overlooks the sea and specialises in fish dishes and mediterranean food.
Osprey Nest Restaurant
Osprey Nest restaurant is located on the roof terrace of the Osprey hotel in Calan Porter. We found this recommendation on ‘Menorca mum’s’ page on Instagram.
The terrace has a large bar, a swimming pool, loungers and seating area and overlooks the beach. It offers breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.
It is a hidden gem and well worth a visit, although the swimming pool is open to hotel residents only.
So – is it worth going to Menorca in October?
I would say ‘yes’. Menorca is a beautiful island and there is so much to discover. October has cooler weather than the superhot summer months so it is more comfortable for walking and exploring.
Prices are cheaper, the beaches are quieter, flowers are still blooming and the weather is warm enough to sunbathe (if the sun is out).
Lots of places are about to close or are already shut but there are still plenty of places open too, including the water parks and the zoo.
You cannot guarantee the weather but if you enjoy walking, you will find it ideal.
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I do prefer the summer months but I would happily come back in October.