Es Grau Beach
The family beach par excellence
Es Grau beach is located on the north coast of Menorca, next to a beautiful village of picturesque white houses.
Right next to it we find the Natural Park of S’Albufera des Grau. It is the most important natural park on the island, whose more than five thousand hectares of land are home to hundreds of animal and plant species, which led UNESCO to declare it a Biosphere Reserve in 1993.
Es Grau is a northwest facing bay characterized by its semicircular shape, its large dimensions (almost 600 meters long and about 35 meters wide), its shallow sandy bottom and its beaches of fine sand and grayish tone. Located between the points of Sa Cudia and Fra Bernat and having in front of her the Illa d’en ColomThe beach is very protected and sheltered from winds even on Tramontana days (thanks, in particular, to the Illa d’en Colom whose 44 meters above sea level are a natural barrier against them).
Its calm character, the safety offered by its crystalline waters and the ample space available for bathers make it an ideal place for families with children and for those who wish to spend the night at anchor.
The Natural Park of S’Albufera des Grau
This protected natural area includes a wide variety of different environments: wetlands, agricultural and livestock lands, forests, a coastline with cliffs and beaches, islets and marine areas. It highlights its diversity of plant and animal species, among which birds of prey and waterfowl predominate.
The Natural Park was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1993, after years of social mobilizations demanding its protection. In 2003, the boundaries were expanded to cover a total of more than 5,000 hectares of land, including both marine and terrestrial areas.
The natural dunes of the beach d’es Grau, serve as a defense for the Albufera that is located behind the beach and flows into it through the small stream of the Gola.
A treasure of Menorcan nature that is worth stopping to appreciate.
Name: Es Grau beach (or Platja des Grau)
Location: North Zone I (39º57’144’N 4º16.274’E)
Distance from Mahón: 9’6 MN ; 9’8 km
Time from Mahón: 50 min by boat (average speed: 15 knots) ; 13 min by car
Type of beach: Sand
Anchoring with boat: Sand and seaweed. Shallow depth (1m on average). Very quiet and protected. Beware of a shoal in the center of the entrance to the bay and others to the N and S. The passage to Isla de Colom is made in S to avoid 0.4 m shallows.
Dangerous access by boat: Medium. Once in the bay, before reaching the houses of the village, we find some rocks on the port side (close to the coast where the village of white houses stands).
Posidonia:
No
Nearest gas station for boats: 8’5 MN ; Mahón
SERVICES
PARKING
BUS STOP
FONDEADERO
RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN
RESCUE SERVICE
BATHROOMS
RESTAURANT
CHIRINGUITO
HOTEL
KAYAK/PIRAGUA
PADDLE SURF RENTAL
Discover the secret corners and beaches of Menorca!
RENT SCUBAJET
Explore the seabed with the Scubajet thruster. Expand your possibilities of use by motorizing your paddle surf.
Es Grau beach in Menorca, how to get there?
This popular beach has public transportation service to get there. If we want to go by bus, we can take the line 23* at the bus station in Mahón.
If we want to travel by road, we will have to take the Me-7 from Mahón and, as soon as possible, take the Me-5 road towards Es Grau. Directions are clear and it is difficult to get lost along the way. In just 15 minutes you can be enjoying the calm waters of Es Grau beach.
Before reaching it, we will see two parking lots: one further away from the beach (next to a soccer field) and another right next to Es Grau (in which, however, it is usually difficult to find available spaces).
This beach is also part of the Camí de Cavalls, so it is possible to reach it by bike or on foot. Departing from Mahón, the estimated travel time is about 3 hours, during which we will pass through the village of Sa Mesquida (where we can see its beautiful beach and the eighteenth-century defense tower that presides over it). After Sa Mesquida we will head towards the pebble beach of Binillautí, whose path will offer us unforgettable views of this area of the Menorcan coast. From here, we will continue until we find the Es Grau road that will take us directly to the entrance of the lagoon of the same name.
*This line only offers service during the summer.
Services near Es Grau Beach
In addition to all the activities that can be done in Es Grau (including the possibility of renting kayaks for endless excursions to the surrounding coves), the gastronomic offer is not far behind.
Among the nearest places we find the Café Bar Es Moll, Can Bernadet or the restaurant Tamarindos. Among them, one of the best rated is the Restaurant Els Moll.
There are also different accommodation options available in the area such as the Holiday Home in Es Grau villa and, a little further away, the Casa Alberti Boutique hotel.
| SERVICE | TELEPHONE | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| RENTAL. Menorca by kayak | 669 09 79 77 | www.menorcaenkayak.com |
| RESTAURANT. Els Moll Restaurant | 871 00 86 24 | |
| ACCOMMODATIONS. Holiday Home in Es Grau | (+44) 776 88 38 511 | www.holidayhomeinesgrau.com |
ELS MOLL RESTAURANT
A small restaurant located on the seafront with beautiful views of the lagoon and noted for its dishes made with the best fresh fish in the area.
Es Grau: an infinite range of possibilities
While it is true that Es Grau is a favorite destination for families with children (for its charm, the calmness it offers and the safety of its waters), this beach has much more to offer. It is especially appreciated by those who wish to practice sports such as hiking or kayaking.
Without going any further, Illa d’en Colom (natural wind barrier for Es Grau), is a good destination to go to because it has two beaches on its west side (the Tamarinds and Arenal d’en Moro) which can only be accessed by boat or kayak. But it is also possible to travel to Favàritx using the same means of transport.
Other sports such as snorkeling or sailing are also possible in Es Grau, which, as we can see, offers endless possibilities for water sports lovers. The town has different mooring points that allow the mooring of small boats and is also a common place for recreational fishing (always subject to current regulations).
If you finally decide to practice any of these sports, in the urbanization of Es Grau you will find a rental point for kayaks, boats and pedal boats, with which to begin your adventure.
Es Grau and Camí de Cavalls
As we mentioned before, it is possible to get to Es Grau following the Camí de Cavalls, but we can also leave from Es Grau itself to other places following the different routes that its paths offer us.
On the Camí de Cavalls we can go cycling or hiking, and visit nearby areas such as the small and charming beach of Tamarells des Sud (which we can reach in about 20 or 40 minutes depending on the pace we take), or the Favàritx Lighthouse (a path in which, regardless of whether we finish the route or not, we will enjoy less crowded beaches and its beautiful scenery).
Although, if we decide to do these tours by bike, it is possible that there may be points along the way where we will have to get off the bike due to the difficulties that the terrain may present, all of them are wonderful routes that we will surely enjoy a lot.
How to get to Es Grau beach by boat?
To reach the beach of Es Grau by boat, we must leave the port of Mahón heading SE leaving the dock to starboard. We will continue through the port until we reach the open sea (up to Punta de Sant Carles).
At this point, we will leave the San Carlos lighthouse to starboard, and continue to port along the coast (heading NE) where we will pass La Mola and Punta de S’Espero, to continue in a NW direction (always sailing with the coast to port).
We will pass Cap Negre, Punta de Sa Galera and, finally, Punta de sa Cudia, which will point us to the inlet. Entering it (which is in an E direction), we will come across Es Grau on the port side.
Do you want to go to Playa de Es Grau by boat?
