Sa Mesquida
A diver’s paradise
Sa Mesquida is a small fishing village located in the northern part of the island (very close to Mahón) where we find, on the one hand, Cala Mesquida (rocky) and, on the other hand, Arenal Gran de Sa Mesquida (an incredible beach that, despite being located in the north of the island, is characterized by its fine white sand and crystal clear waters reminiscent of the more typical coves of the south).
Still, with its 300 meters long, and its wide space of sand for bathers, Sa Mesquida usually has a high occupancy (especially during the month of August) and, although the influx of tourists is not as high as in the southern beaches, it is convenient to take into account that crowds are frequent on the coast.
The Arenal de Sa Mesquida is flanked by the hill of Es Pa Gros on one side (which protects the beach from the north winds), and by the defense tower of Sa Mesquida (built in the eighteenth century), on the other.
This beautiful place is characterized by its southeast orientation, its sandy slope, the presence of vegetation surrounding its beach and its crystalline waters with a rocky bottom, which make it an ideal setting for divers.
Being considered practically virgin for its good degree of conservation and its proximity to Mahón (just 4.5km away), Cala Mesquida will be your favorite beach for your vacations in Menorca.
Name: Sa Mesquida
Location: North Zone I (39º54.786N 4º17.308’E)
Distance from Mahón: 6’9 MN ; 7’2 km
Time from Mahon: 35 min by boat (average speed: 15 knots) ; 12 min by car
Type of beach: Sand
Anchoring with boat: Sand. Open and protected beach except for the E.
Dangerous access by boat: Medium. At the entrance there are reefs and shallows to the N, once inside you have to be careful with some shallows to the S of the cove.
Posidonia: No
Nearest gas station for boats: 6 MN, Mahón
SERVICES
PARKING
WALK 200 m
FONDEADERO
RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN
RESCUE SERVICE
RESTAURANT
CHIRINGUITO
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.
Sa Mesquida in Menorca, how to get there?
The best ways to get to Sa Mesquida are by boat or by road as there is no public transport available to reach its waters.
To access it by car, motorcycle or bicycle from Mahón, we must go along Ronda de Maó up to the traffic circle where the Me-3 road is signposted, where we will follow the signs towards “Sa Mesquida / Cala Llonga”.
We will continue until we find a detour to our left that leads to Carretera Sa Mesqueda, we will take it and continue along Carrer des Pa Gros. Then, we will have to turn right towards Carrer Arenal Petit and turn right again when we see the sign to Carrer Gran de Sa Mesquida.
If we continue along this road, we can leave the car in a parking lot that is 500 m from the entrance of Sa Mesquida and 200 from the cove itself.
Sa Mesquida is part of the first stage of the Camí des Cavalls, so it is also possible to reach it on foot or by bike, if desired.
Services near Sa Mesquida
In Sa Mesquida we find a multitude of lodging and restaurant options.
If we focus on restaurants, Bar Sa Mesquida or Cap Roig are two of the closest options to the beach and, if we extend the distance radius we find many more restaurants located in Mahón, of excellent quality and the same charm: La Mexiterranea, El Muelle, Punt7, Taps Can Avelino, Passió Mediterrània, Es Molí de Foc…. It is difficult to fail in the choice of restaurant on the island of Menorca, because the gastronomy is pure Mediterranean and international flavors, with the quality of the ingredients of the area, a combination that will leave you wanting to repeat on your next vacation.
If we talk about accommodation, we will see that most of the hotels near Cala Mesquida are located within a radius of 3 km away from the cove itself. To mention a few, we have the Hotel Port Mahón, the ARTIEM Carlos or The Admiral’s Hotel – Collingwood House. All of them have a free cancellation option if you get them through a hotel search engine, where you will find very attractive promotions for your vacations with your family, couple or friends.
| SERVICE | TELEPHONE | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| RESTAURANT. Bar Sa Mesquida (Italian cuisine) | 971 35 97 52 | @restaurantsamesquida |
| RESTAURANT. Cap Roig (specialized in fish and seafood) | 971 18 83 83 | www.restaurantcaproig.com |
| HOTEL. Hotel ARTIEM Carlos | 971 36 31 00 | www.artiemhotels.com |
ARTIEM CARLOS HOTEL
The hotel ARTIEM Carlos, renovated in 2012 and located on the seafront at the mouth of the natural harbor of Mahon, about 3.5 km from Cala Mesquida. This hotel is for adults only and offers a wide range of services, with a beautiful terrace facing the sea.
What to see near Sa Mesquida? A whole underwater landscape to discover
The length of this beach, the impossibility of anchoring near the coast and the wide space reserved for bathers, make it a very pleasant area for those who enjoy swimming in the sea.
In addition, as mentioned above, the characteristics of the waters of Sa Mesquida make it a perfect place for water sports enthusiasts, especially if you like snorkeling as the beach has rocky bottoms of considerable depth (which can range between 20 and 40 meters in many points). It is not strange, therefore, to find divers in its waters (especially in the islets that are distributed to the west of the cove) appreciating the underwater spectacle that Sa Mesquida can offer.
Much more than a beach
Besides the beach, Sa Mesquida has much more to offer.
For those who like history, we find the Tower of Sa Mesquida which was built by the English in 1799 to defend the region, and prevent possible reconquests, after the landing of the Franco-Spanish troops on this beach in 1781. Although it is not possible to visit it (since it is located inside a private property), we will be able to appreciate it from a distance.
If you feel like doing some hiking, this area is part of the route of the first stage of the Camí de Cavalls, which goes from Menorca, along the road, to Sa Mesquida where it continues along dirt roads until reaching Es Grau.
If, on the other hand, we want to enjoy the views, we can climb the hill of Es Pa Gros, whose elevation (about 50 meters) allows an incredible panoramic view of the whole place, making it the ideal place to take some good souvenir photos.
If you like adventure and want to climb the hill, we recommend caution because appearances can be deceiving and, although it may seem accessible at first glance, it is more complicated to reach than it seems. In fact, on numerous occasions it has been necessary to rescue swimmers who have climbed up badly shod and have been left halfway unable to continue or return to the starting point.
And, if in addition to a pleasant day at the beach, you want to finish the day enjoying a good meal with views, Sa Mesquida has several options available.
The closest option is the Bar Sa Mesquida. Located next to the cove, in the urbanization Sa Mesquida, an enclave full of charm, and with beautiful sea views, you will fall in love. Famous for its thin crust pizzas, Maò cheese croquettes and fresh fish, you will enjoy a pleasant meal, with a very good value for money.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a more formal option, the best one is Cap Roig, a restaurant located in the surroundings of this beach since 1983. Specialized in first quality seafood and fish, and with spectacular views (that will allow you to appreciate the wonderful landscapes that Cala Mesquida offers from any point of the restaurant), this place will make you fall in love.
We recommend that you make a reservation for dinner to make sure you can enjoy a beautiful sunset on its large terrace with the best company. It will be an unrepeatable experience.
How to get to Cala Sa Mesquida by boat?
To reach Cala Sa Mesquida in our boat, we will leave the port heading SE along the coast and leaving Mahón to starboard 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).
We will pass La Mola and Punta de S’Espero, to continue in a NW direction (always sailing with the coast to port) until Punta de Sa Creueta where we will turn in a SW direction until we reach Cala Sa Mesquida.
Do you want to go to Sa Mesquida by boat?
