Cales Coves (Menorca): how to get there and what to see

Cales Coves isn't a towel-and-parasol cove, and it's worth knowing that before you go. It's a stretch of the south coast of Menorca, in the municipality of Alaior, made up of two small twin inlets wedged between cliffs, with the peculiarity that those rock walls are riddled with caves. They aren't natural caves: it's a prehistoric necropolis, a cemetery carved out by hand thousands of years ago. That's why the people who come here do so more out of curiosity and for the scenery than for the sand, which is modest.

If you're looking for exactly where it is, you'll find it just east of Cala en Porter and relatively close to Es Canutells, on that south-easterly run of ravines and narrow inlet mouths. What sets it apart from its more touristy neighbours is that there's no direct road access down to the water: you can't drive right up to the sand here, and that keeps it quiet for much of the year.

Where Cales Coves is and what it's like

We're talking about two adjoining little coves opening at the mouth of a ravine, with a bottom of pebbles and some sand, very clear water and an amphitheatre of limestone cliffs all around. It's in that rock that the caves are: funerary hypogea cut during Menorcan prehistory, one of the most important groups on the island. Seeing them from below, outlined in the wall, is the image people remember of this place.

Don't expect a broad sandy beach like Son Bou, nor the turquoise water over white sand of the more famous Migjorn coves. Cales Coves is something else: more tucked away, rockier, more about exploring than lying down. It sits within an area that carries protection orders, both for its archaeological and its natural value, so the basic rule is respect: you don't go into the caves to light fires or camp, you don't touch anything, and the rubbish comes back with you.

How to get to Cales Coves

By car and on foot. There's no road that drops down to the cove. The usual thing is to leave the car up top, in the Cala en Porter area or on the tracks nearby, and walk down a path to the inlets. It isn't a mountain hike, but it is rough ground: closed shoes, water and no flimsy flip-flops. I won't give you an exact time for the walk because where you park changes it quite a bit; reckon on it being an approach walk, not a beach access.

Along the Camí de Cavalls. The historic path that rings Menorca runs along this southern strip, so you can also link up to Cales Coves on foot from the neighbouring coves. It's the option for those coming through on a walking stage who'd rather arrive without a car.

By sea. From the water the view is the best of the lot: you see the two mouths, the caves in the cliffs and the ravine opening up at the far end, a picture you simply don't get the same way from land. The south coast of Menorca is sailed by hugging these cliffs from cove to cove, and this south-easterly stretch is one of the most rewarding for it. If you fancy getting to know this piece of coastline by sea, take a look at our boat excursion routes: we set each day's route according to the state of the sea and the wind, without promising any particular cove, because the south doesn't always cooperate.

What you'll find

First of all, no services. Cales Coves has no bar, no beach kiosk, no showers, no lifeguard and no bins. It's a natural spot, not an equipped beach. What you bring is what you'll have, and whatever comes in has to go out with you.

The swimming is lovely when the sea is calm: clear water, a bottom of rock and sand, quiet corners to swim in. For snorkelling, it's precisely the walls and the rocky bottom that are interesting, where the life is concentrated; the middle of the little coves is sandier. There aren't great stretches of sand to stretch out on, so it suits a profile of exploring, swimming and nosing about the caves from the water more than a classic full day of family beach time.

And then there's the reason a lot of people come: the necropolis. The caves can be seen perfectly from the cove and from the sea, but they're a protected site, not an attraction to clamber over as you please. They're to be looked at, photographed and respected.

Best time and tips

The comfortable swimming season in Menorca runs from late spring to early autumn. In June and September you'll find the water mild and a fair bit fewer people than at the height of summer. In July and August this place is well known and fills up, especially mid-morning; if you want quiet, go early.

There's little shade: the cliffs give some at certain hours, but don't count on pine wood over the sand. Bring plenty of water, a cap and sun cream, because between the approach walk and the lack of services it's easy to run short. Closed shoes for the path and for moving over the rock.

One important note given its protected status: at Cales Coves camping and lighting fires are forbidden, and you must not enter the funerary caves. The area has had trouble with camping and parties in the past, and today it's watched over precisely to preserve it. Visit it as what it is, a place with thousands of years of history, and leave it as you found it.

Keep exploring the area

Cales Coves is part of the south-easterly stretch of Menorca, a string of ravines and tucked-away coves. Its best-known neighbour is Cala en Porter, just to the west, with its spectacular entrance between cliffs; you can check out its boat excursion to Cala en Porter if you'd like to get to know it by sea. Towards the Maó side you have Cala Binidalí, another small cove wedged between rock walls that also gains a lot seen from the water.

To place yourself in the bigger picture, this page is part of our guide to the coves of southern Menorca, within the complete guide to the coves of Menorca, where you'll find the map of the whole coast cove by cove.

Frequently asked questions

Can you get to Cales Coves by car? Not as far as the sand. There's no direct road access to the little coves. The normal thing is to leave the car up top (around Cala en Porter or on nearby tracks) and walk down a path, or arrive on foot by linking up along the Camí de Cavalls. By sea is the best way to appreciate the whole place.

What are the caves of Cales Coves? They're a prehistoric necropolis: a group of funerary caves (hypogea) cut by hand into the cliffs thousands of years ago, one of the most important on Menorca. It's a protected site; you look at it and respect it, you don't go in to light fires or camp.

Does the cove have any facilities? None: no bar, no showers, no toilets, no lifeguard, no bins. It's a natural spot. Bring water, food and sun cream, and take your rubbish back with you.

Is it good for swimming and snorkelling? For swimming, yes, when the sea is calm: clear water and a bottom of rock and sand. For snorkelling, the best spots are the rocky walls, where there's more life. It isn't a broad sandy beach for classic family days, but more of a cove for exploring.

When is the best time to visit Cales Coves? June and September offer good water with fewer people. In July and August it gets crowded, especially mid-morning, so it's worth going early. There's little shade; take sun protection and water.