Boat Trips from Mahón

The port of Mahón is surely one of the most beautiful in Spain. Sheltered by the orography of the city and full of colorful houses, it is worthy of a postcard. If you have come here to take a boat trip to the coves of Menorca, do not hesitate to take advantage of the visit to explore the port and its surrounding streets.

But surely during your vacation you will want to jump into its turquoise waters and join one of the boat trips in Menorca.

Depending on the itinerary you want to follow, you can choose between several companies operating in the port of Mahón. Some just take you on a scenic route around the city and others will take you to the unspoilt coves in the north or the paradisiacal beaches in the south. Take note:

Boat trip around the harbor

Yellow Catamarans, for example, organizes tours around the port itself to enjoy the best views of the city. They can be booked online and are priced at only 12 € for adults. Of course, on this excursion you won't have the chance to take a dip or visit virgin coves. This tour skirts the city and is a good opportunity to take pictures of the coastline.

Something very similar is organized by Rutas Marítimas de la Cruz. On board their boat you will be able to tour the port in depth and their boat also has underwater panoramic windows available so you can also discover the seabed.

Trip to the southern coves

This same company, Rutas Marítimas de la Cruz organizes daily departures from the port of Mahón to the coves of the south and Ciudadela: the tour lasts a whole day (7 hours) and does make stops for swimming. The price is 44 € per adult and will take you to discover the well-known coves Macarella, Macarelleta, Turqueta and several more.

It also includes sangria and a delicious paella on board so you don't have to worry about anything.

Boat rental without skipper in Mahon

If you have a license to take the boat yourself or even you dare to rent a small boat for which you do not need a special permit, you can also rent a boat from the port of Mahón. This option will give you a lot of freedom to move wherever you want, without having to join a marked itinerary or a group of tourists. You can check availability and prices at Nautal.

The prices of the boat trips from Mahon vary depending on the route and the boat you want to do the tour: you can take a one hour trip around the harbor in a big boat for about 12 € and if you want to sail to the southern coves to spend a whole day at sea, the price can go up to about 50 €. You can always rent a boat without skipper to sail without having to stick to an organized tour: in that case the price can range from 200 to 1000 €.

Keep in mind that the bigger the tour and the more passengers participating in the excursion, the more economical the activity will be. The good thing is that the big boats are very well equipped and even serve food and drinks on board, so you don't have to worry about anything at all.

The exclusivity of hiring a private boat with or without skipper usually makes the experience more expensive. For example, so that you can compare price ranges, a full day excursion in the north of Menorca can cost around 110 € per person, but only 10 passengers travel on each boat.

It is best to book online and in advance. Currently there are several companies operating in the port of Mahon and each one has different routes, boats and schedules. Of course, I recommend that you do it with time to ensure a place. The demand in the summer months is usually very high. Consult: Yellow Catamarans, Rutas Marítimas de la Cruz and Nautal for availability and price.

Once you are clear about the dates and budget, choose the route and book it from your mobile or computer. Look at the inclusions (meals, drinks, snacks, snorkeling equipment, etc) to make sure you choose the option that suits you best.

Depending on the type of route and boat you choose, the schedule will be different. There are departures every hour for the short trips around the port, so in case you choose this option, the schedules are very flexible. To get to the southern coves, keep in mind that the route will be longer, so the excursion will normally take a full day (about 8 hours) and will have to leave in the morning (around 10:00 a.m.) in order to take advantage of the central hours of the day.

In Mahón there is a lot of variety to choose from: you can choose from 7 and 8 hour boat trips to spend the day sailing to short one hour trips around the harbor. What you should know is that full day excursions usually include lunch to facilitate the logistics of the excursion. If you prefer to rent a private boat for you and your companions, you can negotiate the schedule and duration with the owners (in that case you usually pay by the hour, so the duration will depend on your budget).

The most frequent ones are limited to a stroll along the port of Mahón: they will take you to see the city from different perspectives of its coast and in only 60 minutes you will be back in the port. If what you want is to enjoy a whole day bathing in the crystal clear waters of the most natural part of the island, the route usually takes you to the southern coves: you will visit Macarella, Macarelleta, Turqueta, Cala Mitjana and Trebaluguer among others. There are excursions that even go as far as Ciudadela.

All of them return to the port of Mahón at the end of the day, so the excursion ends at the same starting point of the route.

If you don't quite fit the option of booking a boat trip departing from Mahón, don't worry. The offer on the island is so wide that you can choose excursions and routes departing from other ports in Menorca. For example, there are daily boat trips to the southern coves from Ciudadela or boat trips departing from Cala Galdana. If you want to discover the northern coves, the most practical is to book a boat trip from Fornells.

The island has a lot to offer on a cultural level: its villages, landscapes, cliffs, gastronomy and its people will make you want to stay and live there for a while. But when we travel time is money, so I have made a travel guide for you to keep in mind what you can't miss in Menorca.