If you’re looking for a reason to take a sailing holiday in Menorca, maybe the fact the island enjoys three hundred days of glorious sunshine is enough to tempt you out there. The temperate climate married to light breezes and lots of sheltered harbours, bays and coves just make the experience that much more enjoyable.
With sailing schools and charters to be found in many harbour and ports around the island, it’s easy to find the perfect place to begin a sailing adventure in these lovely waters. For seasoned mariners, there is the option the charter a bare-boats and for a beginner, there’s a great choice of deals to be had with crewed boats of every kind on offer.
How much will a holiday cost?
When it comes to the cost of chartering a yacht or getting some instruction, this can vary quite a lot with one sailing school teaching people to sail a catamaran for a certain price and another one charging rather more for lessons on a larger sail-boat or yacht.
Great sailing in Menorca
There are some great deals to be had for novice sailors – with two-day courses organised for just over 200 euros but again it’s worth checking out the prices with the many sailing clubs and schools found on the island, and then book the most suitable for your sailing holiday in these lovely waters. You can also hire private villas such as mymenorcavilla.co.uk/ which can work out quite economical.
Chartering a boat/yacht
Chartering a boat or yacht is a fantastic experience and if you are an expert sailor it means you have the freedom to go where you want, when you want with total privacy. Menorca is a great island for sailors whether novice or experienced because the winds are light and there are so many places to anchor in, from lovely busy bays to quiet coves. If you don’t want to charter a boat for a whole week or longer, you can charter one on a daily basis – which means if you’re on tighter budget it gives you opportunity to see and enjoy the island from a different angle and perspective.
Lovely view out to a sheltered harbour
Living on board a sail boat has many advantages. Once you’ve arrived on your yacht, that’s it – the boat is your home for as long as your holiday lasts and the best part is, you can drop anchor or heave to wherever you choose. Some visitors to Menorca choose to rent a villa for half of their holidays and then spend the other half enjoying life on the ocean waves. It makes for a great holiday because you get to enjoy the best of both worlds.
Harbours and Ports in Menorca
What else is on the menu that makes Menorca such a great place for a sailing holiday? Mahon Harbour is the main port where you’ll find the usual hustle and bustle of a busy harbour but with this comes a wonderful array of good restaurants and vibrant waterfront bars. The atmosphere is great and quite unique. Then there is the historic fort, La Mola in the harbour which is worth taking a quick tour around when you’re moored up there.
There are some amazing beaches on the southern coast all of which are great to sail to from Mahon. One of them is called Son Bou which is 3 kilometres of fine sand popular with windsurfers and very busy during the height of the season. Sailing further west, you come to Ciutadella which is another great starting point for a sailing holiday. It’s smaller than Mahon but friendly making it a gloriously romantic port to make a stopover in. The town is full of 17th century Italian architecture and marvellous Gothic monuments – the cathedral being one of them.
Conclusion
Menorca is the one of the Balearic Islands in the Med has remained a little quieter than the others, although tourists do still flock there in the hot summer months but not quite as much as they do to Mallorca or Ibiza. To avoid the crowds, chartering a boat or a yacht is a superb option that allows you the freedom to explore the island from a completely different angle.
It’s a good choice too, because the climate and sailing conditions around the island suit both novices and seasoned sailors. When you’re done with your adventure sailing the waters of Menorca, there’s always an island hopping adventure that’s waiting to be done – something to look forward to the next year.
Image credits: cabezadeturco and eGuide Travel
