Best time to go to Menorca

Visit Menorca in February and you’ll be rewarded with birdsong-filled woodlands and blankets of almond and orange blossom that signal the start of spring.
Menorca has a typical Mediterranean climate, with scorching hot summers and mild yet wet and windy winters. The best time to go to Menorca is May-June or September-October. The weather in July and August can be too hot and the south coast beaches are packed. June and September are considered to be the island’s festival months, with every town and village holding their own celebrations. June’s Fiesta de Sant Joan in Ciutadella is one to watch if you’re into all things equestrian, while the International Jazz Festival and opera season in Mahon always attract lots of local Menorcans as well as visitors from mainland Spain and Europe.
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Mahon Weather Chart

 
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
7
14
61
FEB
7
14
52
MAR
8
15
50
APR
10
17
45
MAY
13
21
32
JUN
16
25
17
JUL
20
28
5
AUG
20
28
23
SEP
18
26
61
OCT
15
22
99
NOV
11
18
84
DEC
9
15
78

Our top Menorca Vacation

Menorca walking vacation, Spain

Menorca walking vacation, Spain

Idyllic golden beaches, hidden coves and deep blue bays

From £1439 to £1819 8 days inc UK flights
Tailor made:
This vacation has departures on Fridays from May to Oct, please inquire for availability on all your tailormade trips.
See all our Menorca Vacations
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Menorca, month by month

Any travelers thinking about a winter vacation on Menorca need to know that most tour operators, and local restaurants and accommodation, tend to batten down the hatches from November to March. There’s a reason why Menorca is so green. Wet weather in winter turns the island into a tourist-free haven with wind-whipped beaches and empty woodland walking trails offering all manner of excuses for islanders to get out and about in January and February. Springtime finds soft green hillsides decorated in daisies, poppies and wild orchids whilst the scent of wild garlic and rosemary combines with the salty sea air and milder temperatures. April and May are the best months of the year to visit Menorca for outdoor activities like horse riding, mountain biking and woodland walking. Also, the sea is almost ready for swimming – if you’re feeling brave. Aside from swimming, sailing and sunbathing, summer is when Menorcans like to celebrate all things ecclesiastical and equestrian with a good old fashioned fiesta. Each town organises pageantry carnivals, live music and horse riding displays, kicking off with the Ciutadella summer fiesta for Sant Joan at the end of June. The Sant Jaume fiesta in Es Castell takes place at the end of July and the Sant Lluis fiesta is held in Sant Lluis over the last weekend of August. The summer fiesta season comes to a close following the Mare de Deu de Gracia in Mahon, held at the start of September. October is still pretty mild and certainly worth a visit if you can find anywhere open. The rain gets a lot heavier during November, however, and many coastal towns and beach resorts will all but close their doors to tourists. Visiting Ciutadella or Mahon during December is a great idea if you want to experience traditional Christian celebrations as well as plenty of warming bowls of soup and grilled meats sold at the local market.

Things to do in Menorca

Things to do in Menorca…

Menorca is patterned in a variety of walking trails. The Cami de Cavalls coastal path, for example, pretty much encircles the entire island. It’s lovely to explore a different section each day. Other trails lead inland via ravines and gullies branching out from the southern coast. You can be quite literally sunning yourself on silk white sand one moment and enjoying the shade, birdsong and wildflowers of a pine forest the next. You simply can’t mention Menorca without a nod to its 80 odd beaches. As a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the majority of the island has remained untouched by coastal tourism. This means you can still discover wild stretches of sand that have been pretty much left as nature intended. Even the busiest beaches on the southern coast boast Blue Flags and more than enough room for everyone to find their own space. The north of the island has high rocky cliffs interspersed by secret coves and tiny red sand beaches. Even in July and August you can find secluded spots of sand, several of which are favoured by naturists. Set either side of Majorca, the cities of Ciutadella and Mahon offer fascinating alternatives to yet another day at the beach or by the pool. Mahon, the capital, has one of the largest natural harbours in the world as well as several examples of 18th-century Georgian architecture, and some of the best ensaimadas (sugared almond cakes) in the Balearics. Ciutadella is equally worthwhile, with fountain-filled squares lined with palms giving way to narrow cobbled alleyways and palatial Spanish properties.

Things not  to do in Menorca…

Although it can be tempting to simply fly and flop in Menorca, there’s so much to discover on the island that it would be a shame to stay in just one place. Hiring a car is the best way to explore at your own pace. You’ll have the freedom to stop where you want, when you want, as well as the opportunity to discover out of the way fishing villages and roadside restaurants that simply aren’t in any guide books. Getting around the island is very easy and even if you’re not hiring a car there’s a good local bus service that runs between the seaside towns and beaches of Mahon and Fornells. Although center based vacations in Menorca are ideal, it doesn’t mean to say that you have to go all-inclusive to have your fill of the food. The island is famed for its very own distinct variety of cheese (and also the reputed birthplace of mayonnaise), you can still see squid and octopus drying on stone harbour walls and you can buy baked sea bream, grilled red mullet and delicious lobster stew – caldereta de llagosta – and still have change for an island-distilled gin. Stay at a locally owned bed and breakfast by all means, but make sure you take off on a foodie adventure for the rest of the day and into the evening.
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Menorca travel advice

Christian Locke is the head of product for our partner Headwater. Here’s what Christian recommends if you’re considering Menorca as a vacation destination:

Where to stay

“We use an independently owned, family-run hotel in Menorca that’s been converted from a former farmhouse. There are lovely views over the countryside and out towards the sea.”

Getting around the island

“Hiring a car is the best way to get around the island and discover lots of different local restaurants. This can make a big boost to the local economy and also means your money isn’t going into just one hotel or resort chain.”

More about Menorca

Menorca travel guide
Menorca travel guide
Make the most of Spain's lesser-known beaches by staying at traditional, locally-owned accommodation on Menorca.
Walking holidays in Menorca
Walking vacations in Menorca
Read our guide to walking vacations in Menorca to find out where and when to hike.
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More relevant guides

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Written by Chris Owen
Photo credits: [Page banner: hugos007] [Topbox: Ben Salter] [Things to do: Alberto Almajano] [Travel advice: puffin11k]
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