Cala Galdana Beach

Large sandy beach in a horseshoe bay below pine-topped cliffs, with shops, restaurants and sunbeds.

Cala Galdana Beach lies at the head of a deep bay on the south coast of Menorca, in the municipality of Ferreries. Pine-topped cliffs close in on both sides of the sand, and a resort stands behind the beach with restaurants, cafes, shops and a supermarket. The beach is open at any hour and is among the busiest on the island, popular with families for its sheltered water and its size. Coast paths from either end of the bay lead to the smaller coves of Cala Mitjana and Cala Macarelleta, about an hour's walk each way.

Beach

Entrance: Free, no ticket. Sunbeds are hired separately.
Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible parking and a wheelchair-accessible entrance.
Parking: Car parks and street parking in the resort, both free and paid; the nearest car parks are free and about 213 m away. Spaces are hard to find in high season.
Difficulty: No walk in to speak of: five to seven minutes from the car park to the sand.
Transport: Bus stop Cala Galdana - Platja (5230) about 220 m away; Cala Galdana - Rotonda (5220) about 570 m away.
Advance booking: Not needed — an open beach with no ticket.
Hours: Open 24 hours, every day.
Address: Travessia Cala Galdana, 07750 Ferreries, Illes Balears, Spain

What makes it special

The bay curls right round the beach, cliff and pine on both sides, and the water inside it stays sheltered. The sand is large enough to take a crowd, which it does: after 10 am in May it is already busy, and in high season it is packed. Behind the beach sit restaurants, cafes, shops and a supermarket, and sunbeds are set out across the sand.

What lifts it above a resort beach is what leads off it. A coast path climbs into the pines from each end of the bay and reaches Cala Mitjana and Cala Macarelleta, smaller coves about an hour's walk away in either direction.

Good to know

Crowds: The beach is quiet before 10 am and very busy after that, even in May; in high season you need to arrive early to get a sunbed.
Parking: Easy enough outside high season, hard when the resort is packed. The car park is a five to seven minute walk from the sand.
Water quality: Plastic litter collects in the middle stretch of the beach, and algae can turn the water green in high season.
Toilets and water: Free public toilets stand about 640 m away; there is no drinking-water point by the beach, so bring a bottle.
Amenities: Restaurants, cafes, shops and a supermarket stand behind the beach, and cards and contactless payment are accepted.

Getting there

The road down to Cala Galdana ends in the resort, and the car park sits a five to seven minute walk back from the sand. Outside high season there is usually room; when the resort is full, finding a space takes patience. Staying in the bay and getting about on foot or by taxi takes the problem away altogether.

Buses stop twice in the bay, once beside the beach and once further back at the roundabout. A tourist information office stands about 110 m from the beach, with a map board nearby.

On foot, coast paths run from both ends of the bay to Cala Mitjana and Cala Macarelleta, roughly an hour each way.

Best time to visit

Best: Before 10 am, and outside high season.

Avoid: High season, and the hours after 10 am.

The beach is quiet early and fills up after 10 am even in May; in high season the sunbeds go early, parking gets hard and algae can turn the water green.

Sun & daylight

Viewpoint

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Menorca's coves: white sand in the south, red sand in the north

Menorca's coves: white sand and pines at Macarella, Turqueta and Mitjana, the big bay of Galdana, and red rock and golden sand at Pregonda, Cavalleria, Pilar.