Boat Trips from Mahón

The port of Mahón is surely one of the most beautiful in Spain. Sheltered by the very orography of the city and full of colourful little houses, it is worthy of a postcard. If you have come all this way to take a boat trip to the coves of Menorca, don't hesitate to take advantage of your visit to explore the port and its surrounding streets.

But surely during your holiday you will want to jump into the turquoise waters and join one of the boat trips in Minorca.

Depending on the itinerary you want to follow, you can choose between several companies operating in the port of Mahón. Some just take you on a scenic route around the city, while others will take you to the unspoilt coves in the north or the paradisiacal beaches in the south. Take note:

Boat trip around the harbour

Yellow Catamarans, for example, organises tours around the harbour itself to enjoy the best views of the city. These can be booked online and cost just €12 for adults. You won't get the chance to take a dip or visit unspoilt coves on this tour, though. This tour skirts the city and is a good opportunity to take pictures of the coastline.

Something very similar is organised by Rutas Marítimas de la Cruz. On board their boat you can explore the port in depth and their boat also has panoramic underwater windows so that you can also discover the seabed.

Trip to the coves in the south

The same company, Rutas Marítimas de la Cruz, organises daily departures from the port of Mahón to the coves of the south and Ciudadela: the trip lasts a whole day (7 hours) and does make stops for swimming. The price is 44 € per adult and will take you to discover the well-known coves of Macarella, Macarelleta, Turqueta and several more.

It also includes sangria and a delicious paella on board so you don't have to worry about a thing.

Boat rental without a skipper in Mahón

If you have a licence to drive the boat yourself or you even dare to rent a small boat for which you don't need a special permit, you can also rent a boat from the port of Mahón. This option will give you a lot of freedom to move wherever you want, without having to join a set itinerary or a group of tourists. You can check availability and prices at Nautal.

Prices for boat trips from Mahón vary depending on the route and the boat you want to take: you can take a one-hour trip around the harbour in a large boat for around 12 € and if you want to sail to the southern coves for a whole day at sea, the price can be around 50 €. You can always hire a boat without a skipper to sail without having to stick to an organised tour: in that case the price can range from €200 to €1,000.

Keep in mind that the bigger the tour and the more passengers participating in the excursion, the cheaper the activity will be. The good thing is that the larger boats are very well equipped and even serve food and drink on board, so you don't have to worry about anything at all.

The exclusivity of hiring a private boat with or without a skipper tends to make the experience more expensive. For example, to compare price ranges, a full day excursion in the north of Menorca can cost around €110 per person, but there are only 10 passengers on each boat.

It is best to book online and in advance. There are currently several companies operating in the port of Mahón and each one has different routes, boats and timetables. However, I recommend that you book well in advance to ensure you get a place. Demand in the summer months is usually very high. Check: Yellow Catamarans, Rutas Marítimas de la Cruz and Nautal for availability and prices.

Once you are clear about your dates and budget, choose your route and book it from your mobile or computer. Check the inclusions (meals, drinks, snacks, snorkelling equipment, etc) to make sure you choose the option that suits you best.

Depending on the type of route and boat you choose, the timetable will be different. There are hourly departures for the short trips around the port, so if you choose this option, the timetables are very flexible. To get to the southern coves, bear in mind that the route will be longer, so the excursion will normally take a whole day (about 8 hours) and you will have to leave in the morning (around 10:00 a.m.) to be able to take advantage of the central hours of the day.

In Mahón there is plenty of variety to choose from: you can choose from 7 and 8 hour boat trips to spend the day sailing to short one hour trips around the harbour. What you should know is that full day trips usually include lunch to make the logistics of the excursion easier. If you prefer to hire a private boat for you and your companions, you can negotiate the times and duration with the owners (in which case you'll usually pay by the hour, so the duration will depend on your budget).

The most common ones are limited to a stroll around the port of Mahón: they will take you to see the city from different perspectives of its coastline and in just 60 minutes you will be back at the port. If what you want is to enjoy a whole day bathing in the crystal-clear waters of the most natural part of the island, the route usually takes you to the coves in the south: you will visit Macarella, Macarelleta, Turqueta, Cala Mitjana and Trebaluguer, among others. There are excursions that even go as far as Ciudadela.

They all return to the port of Mahón at the end of the day, so the excursion ends at the same starting point of the route.

If you don't quite fancy the option of booking a boat trip departing from Mahón, don't worry. The offer on the island is so wide that you can choose excursions and routes departing from other ports in Menorca. For example, there are daily boat trips to the southern coves from Ciudadela or boat trips departing from Cala Galdana. If you want to discover the northern coves, the most practical way is to book a boat trip from Fornells.

The island has a lot to offer on a cultural level: its villages, landscapes, cliffs, gastronomy and people will make you want to stay and live there for a while. But when we travel, time is money, so I have made a travel guide for you to keep in mind what you can't miss in Menorca.