Son Saura

A very flowery beach

The sandy area of Son Saura is located in the south of Ciutadella, it is a sandy area divided in two halves, where there are two beautiful unspoiled beaches: Bellavista and Banyul.

Both are wedged between small limestone cliffs of low height, with fine white sand, little slope and little waves (as long as the winds do not blow from the S-SW). These are the two beaches on the south coast with the greatest floral diversity. Bellavista because of the presence of a wetland and the dunes that separate it from the shore, and Banyul because of the great nutritional contribution of all the posidonia remains that the sea drags.

In Bellavista, the trench-like cut carved in the ground that served to drain the swampy area is striking. In the island’s vocabulary it is a mine and was designed to try to cultivate rice.

Banyul beach is a beautiful beach of fine white sand, unspoiled and very well preserved, owes its condition in part to the conservation policy to which it is being subjected.

Posidonia, the aquatic plant that bothers tourists so much, receives special treatment here. Those long, brownish, ribbed leaves that you see in the sand and sometimes also on the shore and in the water, come from the Posidonia oceanica, an underwater plant of vital importance to the ecosystem and ultimately to the health of the beaches. Once its life cycle is completed and due to the force of the waves, it sheds its leaves, which accumulate on the shore as a natural barrier against erosion.

Until now, when the summer season began, they were removed from the sand to satisfy the tourists. When they were shoveled up, some of the sediment was carried away with them, the beach was no longer protected and as a result, it was shrinking year after year. Now things have changed: they are collected and piled up behind the beach to be placed back on the shore before the storms start. In this way, the beach is recovering year after year.

With a rural hotel 20 minutes away, a kayak rental service in Bellavista, lifeguard, picnic area and free parking, Son Saura is one of the best known beaches in southern Menorca.

Name: Son Saura Beach

Location: South Zone III (39°55’31.8 “N 3°53’39.1 “E)

Distance from Mahón: 26’1 MN ; 50 km

Time from Mahón: 2h by boat (average speed: 15 knots); 1h by car

Type of beach: Sand

Anchoring with boat: Sand and seaweed. Exposed to S-SW. It is important to respect the posidonia of the site

Danger access by boat: Low

Posidonia: Yes

Nearest gas station for boats: 3 MN; Cala’n Bosch

 

SERVICES

PARKING

WALK 900 m

FONDEADERO

RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN

RESCUE SERVICE

BATHROOMS

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.

Son Saura beach in Menorca, how to get there?

In Menorca you will always be able to move by different means of transport, but the most popular to get to Son Saura is by car or walking along the Camí de Cavalls.

If you leave from Ciudadela, it is about 15 km away and it will take you about 25 minutes, depending on traffic, to get there. Take the southern ring road (RC-2) from Ciutadella towards Camí de Sant Joan de Missa and follow the signs towards Son Saura.

If you leave from Mahón, getting to Son Saura will take a little longer. It will take you a little less than an hour to cover the 53 km that separate them. Leave Mahón on Me -1 towards Ciutadella and then take the RC-2 towards Camí de Sant Joan de Missa, following the signs to Son Saura.

The road is well signposted, although there are areas in poor condition and in summer there are unbearable traffic jams. At the end you arrive at a free parking lot. Depending on the time you arrive, you may have to improvise a parking lot or look for an alternative to the parking lot.

Don’t forget that there is also the option of renting a boat (one of the most requested activities on the island in summer) and the freedom of sailing through Menorca discovering each of its coves, enjoying its turquoise waters and the fine white sand of many of its beaches, have a magic that makes anyone fall in love.

Services near Son Saura beach

NO NEARBY SERVICES* except for the toilet located in the parking lot closest to the beach.

*We consider them “close” if they are within a radius of 250-300 m approx.

What to see near Son Saura

Visiting the beaches near Son Saura, can be a very good activity if we have come to spend the day in the area.

Of the two already mentioned, Bellavista Beach is the farthest from the parking area (about 500 m), so it usually welcomes couples and also those who wish to practice nudism.
The other beach (the closest to the parking lot and the first one you see when you arrive) is Banyul, located only 140 m away, with a pine forest to shelter the little ones and a picnic area where you can eat without getting sunburned.

Even so, if we can, it is always advisable to go armed with an umbrella, as well as plenty of water and food, especially if you plan to spend the whole day at the beach. The sun is very hot and there are no services nearby, so it is important to be prepared.

Usually people carry the cooler loaded with food and especially drink, to cool off in the hot summer days, and eat under the shade of the pines enjoying the breeze of the Mediterranean Sea. If your idea is to spend the morning or afternoon and then have lunch or dinner in a nearby restaurant, on the way to Ciudadela you will find several options, especially in the surrounding urbanizations.

For example, if you are looking for a place to dine on a terrace enjoying the sunset, there are many, but in the Cap d’Artrutx you will find the Faro de Artrutx, where this time of day is a real natural spectacle. It is not a restaurant famous for its dishes, its cuisine is pretty standard, but the views are not so it will be worth it.

On the other hand, if we want to do some kind of route, we can always rent a kayak in Bellavista and get lost along the south coast of Menorca. We recommend plenty of sun protection, hat or cap, water and relays. Kayaking is a lot of fun, but…. it can be very tiring!

Snorkeling is another of the aquatic activities that can be practiced in Son Saura.

Except in high season, which is more complicated due to the number of boats anchoring in the area, it is common to find stingrays in the area and the spectacle can be really impressive.

How to get to Son Saura by boat?

To reach Son Saura by boat, we must leave the port of Mahón heading SE. We will sail along the coast, leaving Illa del Rei to port.

We will continue out to the open sea, leaving the Punta de Sant Carles lighthouse to starboard.

Following the coastline in a southerly direction we will pass the outcrops of Na Girada and Punta Rafalet. We will continue skirting the island, which will take us in a SW direction and leave Punta Prima and Punta dels Marbres to starboard. At this point we will have the Illa de l’Aire on our port side.

Following the coastline, we will head in a NW direction and ascend passing the Binibeca Cape, Illot d’en Marçal, Cap d’en Font, Cap de ses Penyes, Illot de Binicodrell, Punta de Macarella, Punta des Tambors…

Once we have passed the latter, we will find two entrances, next to each other. The first of them has a triangular shape and is where Cala des Talaier is located. It is in the next one, with a more square entrance, where Cala Son Saura is located.

Do you want to go to Son Saura by boat?