Cala en Turqueta is a beach of white sand and clear turquoise water on the south coast of Menorca, in the municipality of Ciutadella. Rock closes in on either side of the cove and conifers grow almost to the edge of the sand. No road reaches the beach: cars stop at a gravel car park inland, about 830 m away in a straight line, and the rest is on foot. The cove is open at any hour, swimming and snorkelling are what people come for, and the Camí de Cavalls coast path runs close by, with an information board and a map near the sand.
Cala en Turqueta
White-sand cove on Menorca's south coast, ringed by pines and rock, with a walk in from the car park.
- Entrance
- Free — there is no ticket for the beach.
- Accessibility
- Reached on foot only — five to twenty minutes each way from the car park, and no vehicle access to the sand.
- Parking
- Free gravel car park at Cala en Turqueta, about 830 m from the beach in a straight line; it fills early in summer. A paid car park at Macarella lies about 2.2 km away.
- Difficulty
- A walk in from the car park: about 830 m in a straight line, five to twenty minutes each way.
- Transport
- Bus to Cala en Turqueta; the stop is about 790 m from the beach.
- Advance booking
- No booking needed.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, every day.
- Address
- Cala en Turqueta, Ciutadella, Balearic Islands, Spain
What makes it special
The water is the reason people put up with the parking. It comes in clear and warm, calm enough for small children to spend the whole day in it, and at the edge of the cove there is a rock people jump from into deep water.
The cove itself is bare in the good sense: white sand, pines and low rock, and nothing built on it — no restaurants, no buildings on the beach at all. The only trade is a vendor walking the sand with fresh fruit and cold beer around midday and again in the afternoon. Boats anchor off the mouth of the cove, and the same water that makes it good for swimming makes it good for a mask and snorkel over the rock on either side.
Good to know
- Parking is the whole problem. A sign on the main road shows when the car park is full. If it says full, believe it and pick another cove.
- No drinking water at the beach or anywhere close by — bring what you need for the day.
- Public toilets and a kiosk stand by the car park, and the kiosk sells coffee.
- Nothing to eat on the sand. Fruit and cold beer are sold along the beach around midday and mid-afternoon, and the vendors take cash only.
- The walk in is part of the trip, so pack for carrying everything you want on the beach there and back.
Getting there
The last stretch is on foot. Cars stop at the gravel car park inland, about 830 m from the beach in a straight line, and from there the walk in takes anywhere from five to twenty minutes each way. Everything you want on the sand goes in with you, water included.
Watch the main road on the way: a sign there shows when the car park is full, and when it does there is no point carrying on. A bus serves the cove as well, and its stop sits about 790 m from the beach. Near the sand an information board for the Camí de Cavalls stands beside a map of the coast path, which passes through the cove in both directions.
Best time to visit
Best: early morning. In August the car park is gone by about 7:30, and at the end of May by 10:00.
Avoid: turning up mid-morning in the summer. By 9:00 in season the car park is already packed and space on the sand is limited, so the day is decided in the car park long before you reach the water. The beach itself is open around the clock, every day of the week, which means nothing closes — it is only the parking that runs out.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
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Cala en Turqueta on the map
The rock at the edge of the cove goes straight into open water with no marked depth — look before anyone jumps. Wet rock at the waterline is slippery, and there is no barrier along it.
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Frequently asked questions
How long is the walk from the car park?
Between five and twenty minutes each way. The car park sits about 830 m from the beach in a straight line, and no vehicle goes any closer.Does the car park cost anything?
The gravel car park at Cala en Turqueta is free. There is a paid car park at Macarella about 2.2 km away. The Turqueta one fills early in summer, and a sign on the main road shows when it is full.Can you get there by bus?
Yes. A bus runs to Cala en Turqueta and the stop is about 790 m from the beach, close to the car park.Are there toilets, food or drinking water?
Public toilets and a kiosk selling coffee are by the car park. There are no restaurants at the beach, and no drinking water at the cove or nearby — bring your own. A vendor sells fruit and cold beer on the sand around midday and mid-afternoon, cash only.Is it a good beach for children?
The water is clear, warm and calm, and children swim here happily. Factor in the walk from the car park each way, and that everything they need has to be carried in.