Cala Macarella is a white-sand beach in a cove near Ciutadella, on the south coast of Menorca. Cliffs close in on both sides, the water over the sand is shallow and clear, and the woods run almost down to the top of the beach. One restaurant and snack bar stands at the back of the sand, kayaks are hired there, and a boat shuttle links the cove with Cala Galdana around the headland. A smaller cove, Cala Macarelleta, lies further along the coast path, and most people walking in from Cala Galdana take in both.
Cala Macarella
White-sand cove below rocky cliffs, with a beach restaurant and a woodland walk in from Cala Galdana.
- Entrance
- Free — no ticket for the beach.
- Accessibility
- Reached on foot from the car parks, about 510 m and a little over 800 m away, or by the coast path from Cala Galdana; the beach itself is sand. The boat shuttle from Cala Galdana is the one arrival that skips the walk.
- Parking
- Paid car park about 510 m away; a free gravel car park a little over 800 m. Cars are kept out of the cove in the summer months.
- Difficulty
- Easy from the car parks above the cove. From Cala Galdana it is 30 to 40 minutes each way on the coast path, with a climb on the return.
- Transport
- Bus to the Macarella stop, around 800 m from the beach; a second stop, Camí de Macarella pq 12, sits about 1.15 km away. A boat shuttle runs to and from Cala Galdana, €12.
- Advance booking
- Not needed.
- Hours
- Open at any time; there is no gate.
- Address
- Cala Macarella, 07750, Balearic Islands, Spain
What makes it special
The walk in from Cala Galdana does much of the work: 30 to 40 minutes through woods, then the trees open and the cove is below you, white sand held between two walls of rock with the bottom still visible well out from the shore. There is one restaurant and snack bar on the sand, which on a beach this enclosed counts for more than it would anywhere else, and kayaks are hired from the beach itself. Most walkers carry on along the coast path to Cala Macarelleta, the smaller cove next door.
Good to know
- Water: no drinking water point at the cove. The beach restaurant and snack bar are the only supply, so carry your own for the walk.
- Facilities: there are free toilets at the cove, and information boards stand by the beach.
- Crowds: the beach gets crowded in high season, and arriving early is the standard advice.
- Getting back: the boat shuttle between the cove and Cala Galdana saves walkers the return leg.
- Next door: the coast path carries on to Cala Macarelleta, a smaller cove.
Getting there
Two car parks sit above the cove: the paid one about 510 m away, the free gravel one a little over 800 m. In the summer months cars are kept out altogether, and the bus takes over — the Macarella stop is around 800 m from the beach, roughly ten minutes on foot.
The other way in is from Cala Galdana: 30 to 40 minutes on the coast path through woods, which is how most people arrive on foot. A boat shuttle runs between Cala Galdana and the cove, and plenty of walkers use it for the return leg instead of the path.
Best time to visit
Best: early in the day, and outside the high season.
Avoid: high season, if crowds spoil a beach for you.
The cove gets crowded in high season, which is why arriving early is the advice you hear most often about it. Out of season the coast path from Cala Galdana is quiet, the sand has room, and cars can come down to the car parks above the cove.
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Cala Macarella on the map
The cliffs ringing the cove are unfenced and the clifftop paths run close to the edge. Keep back from it, and keep children in hand.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Cala Macarella?
On foot from Cala Galdana in 30 to 40 minutes along the coast path through woods; by bus to the Macarella stop, around 800 m away, and about ten minutes on foot from there; or by car to the car parks above the cove outside the summer months. A boat shuttle also runs from Cala Galdana.Can you drive there?
Outside the summer months, yes: there is a paid car park about 510 m away and a free gravel one a little over 800 m. In the summer months cars are kept out and the bus, the boat or the walk from Cala Galdana are the ways in.Is there anywhere to eat or drink on the beach?
One restaurant and snack bar stands at the back of the sand. There is no drinking water point at the cove, so carry water for the walk in and out.Are there toilets?
Yes, free toilets at the cove, with information boards by the beach.What is Cala Macarelleta?
A smaller cove further along the coast path from Cala Macarella, close enough that most people walking the path take in both.