What To Do in Menorca as a Couple on a Budget!

Menorca is one of Spain’s stunning Balearic Islands, renowned for its stunning beaches, fantastic fresh and delicious food and beautiful coastline, it’s no wonder that this is a popular spot for people wanting to enjoy the Mediterranean. It’s also quieter than its counterparts, making it a wonderful spot for a couple’s holiday. Plus, there are plenty of ways you can do it on a budget!

So, we’re here with our couples guide on what to do in Menorca on a budget, to help you enjoy this beautiful island without spending a fortune! 

1. Book At Least 4 Months In Advance

Firstly, if you can book your trip quite far in advance, it helps to make most things cheaper, particularly flights! You can get cheap direct flights to Menorca when you look in advance, so you should be looking at least 4 months before you’re looking to fly in order to get the best deal.

If you fly midweek it also makes everything much cheaper so bear this in mind! 

2. Visit In Spring or Autumn

One of the best ways to visit Menorca on a budget without compromising on your experience is to choose the right time to visit.

It’s most expensive to go to Menorca in the summer, when it’s also busiest, so if you choose to visit either March to May or September to October, you’ll get to enjoy the sunshine that Menorca has to offer, but it’ll be much cheaper to fly and also for your accommodation when you arrive. 

3. Avoid Touristy Areas

Another great way to save money when you’re planning what to do in Menorca is to avoid the very touristy areas. Mahon and Ciutadella are two of the most touristy areas and so the value for money is quite poor. Instead, have a look at: 

• Fornells: a stunning fishing village in the north of Menorca, very different to the resorts across the rest of the island, with a population of over 1,000. Perfect for relaxed social evenings. 
• Arenal d’en Castell: another small town with a beautiful long sandy beach, mainly consisting of villas and apartments and fewer large hotels. Renowned for its scenic horizons. 
• Binibeca: this is a wonderful coastal village with narrow streets, whitewashed houses and calm coves. A great location for families. 
• Cala Galdana: a fantastic base to explore the island from, close to great beaches, fun water activities and a few small yet delicious local restaurants. Ideal if you want something more remote. 

4. Choose Self Catering

Once you have planned what activities to do in Menorca, you need to decide on where you will be eating daily. We’d recommend choosing a self-catering apartment. When you choose self catering, you’re immediately saving a significant amount of money compared to what you’d need to spend if you didn’t have cooking facilities on eating out, or how much an all-inclusive hotel would be.

You can get all kinds of self-catering apartments, from ones with shared pools to solo villas and everything in between, and they’re all over the island! Plus, you can head to the local food markets and make food at home when you’re away. 

5. Rent A Car

If you are wondering what to do in Menorca regarding transport, we would recommend renting a car. Rather than booking through the really large providers, we’d recommend booking in advance with a local rental car company, as usually you get fantastic service from them and it’s more affordable. Plus, when you book in advance, the deal can be even better.

Here are some of the reliable local car rental companies: 

• Poppy Cars
• AutosMenorca
• Menorca On Wheels

6. Research Restaurants

Once you know where you’re staying, start having a look at restaurants. You want to avoid paying quite expensive prices for very average food, so instead, do your research and find well reviewed restaurants that have great options on the menu.

We’d absolutely recommend finding restaurants that have local products and dishes, as it’ll be super fresh and really delicious. As well as eating on some nights or taking a picnic to the beach, treat yourself to a few evenings out, get dressed up in your best bodycon dresses or shirts, and eat at well researched restaurants so you know you’re getting value for money.

Going back to our recommendations for affordable areas to stay, here are our favorite affordable restaurants in each: 

• Fornells: La Guapa, Can Tanu, Okapi, Sa Proa
• Arenal d’en Castell: Blue Arenal, Romani, La Paella, Arena Beach Club 
• Binibeca: Na Rosa, Bambu, El Faro, Taberna del Corso
• Cala Galdana: Delit, Cala Mitjana, Restaurante Trevi, Es Barranc

7. Avoid Beach Bars

When you’re enjoying all of the stunning beaches that Menorca has to offer, we’d recommend avoiding the beach bars if you’re on a budget. They’ve got a captive audience and so the prices unfortunately go up with that too!

Even bottles of water can be really quite expensive, so instead, we’d recommend that you bulk buy bottled water from a supermarket to keep at your apartment, then take a cool bag with you to keep your water in.

Same goes for food, if you want to enjoy lunch at a beach bar then go for it, but it’s much cheaper to make your own food to take with you. This is a simple way to save some money that can then go on other things instead! 

8. Look For Free Activities

Last but not least, there are so many fun things for you to enjoy across Menorca for free! The island has so much to offer in terms of free activities, including: 

• Stunning historic churches: Iglesia Del Carmen, Església De Sant Francesc, Església de Sant Francesc d’Assís Maó
• The Cathedral Basilica of Ciutadella de Menorca, Basilica of Illa del Rei, Basilica des Fornas de Torello
• Beautiful caves: Cova Des Coloms, Cales Coves, Cova De S’aigua, Sa Cova dels Pardals
• Stunning beaches: Cala Mesquida, Calo Blanc, Cala del Pilar, Cala Mitjaneta, Cala Trebaluger, Cala Escorxada
• Local markets: in most towns across the island throughout the year! 

You could spend a significant amount of time in Menorca without spending much at all, if anything, on activities. Our personal favourite cheap activity is to get a bottle of wine or a non-alcoholic drink, take a pack of cards and head to the beach to watch the sunset.

Another great cheap activity or sometimes free is to do a walking tour, you get to see areas of the stunning island you might not have otherwise and you have the opportunity to learn something new! There’s nothing quite like it! 

Remember your Euros 

A last and final suggestion would be to bear in mind finances in Menorca. Euros are the accepted currency here, so remember to have some cash to hand. Much of Menorca can be considered ‘old school’ with payments, therefore be cautious if you intend to rely on card payments, as they may not always be accepted.

Be sure to check your bank’s exchange rates too, as card payments for some banks host a hefty interest fee. Banks like Revolut don’t charge fees for foreign transactions, however some Revolut scams have been taking place abroad so be sure to read up on managing finances safely abroad.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Menorca is one of the best hidden gems to visit if you are a couple restrained by budgets. A glistening escape surrounded by clear blue waters, you can behold the very best of Spanish culture, all while keeping your expenses low and enjoying peace on this secluded island.

A quiet relaxing escape when compared to its Balearic neighbors, Ibiza and Mallorca, Menorca is the perfect place to go for couples looking to street clear of chaos, and enjoy each other’s company in stunning landscapes.

The key is to plan your visit for the best time of year (as we all know peak summer will be the most expensive), and of course have an idea of the cheaper activities to do/places to visit.

Menorca is considerably more cost effective when compared to other Spanish islands, but there is always room for saving money when planning what to do in Menorca.