Son Bou
Best for. Travellers who want space to spread out on a big open beach, families at the equipped western end, and walkers who like a wild, quiet stretch to themselves.
Best spot. The resort end to the west for sunbeds, bars and shallow swimming, then a walk east along the sand into the protected dunes and the quiet, naturist friendly stretch.
Know this. It faces open sea, so afternoons often bring a breeze and small waves, which makes the calmer morning the better swim and the time to come with young children.
Son Bou is the big one, the longest beach in Menorca at around two and a half kilometres of open golden sand, and its great gift is space. Where the famous calas are small and fill fast, here there is room to walk for twenty minutes and find your own patch, backed not by cliffs but by a protected system of low dunes and a freshwater wetland alive with birds. It is a different kind of Menorca beach, less jewel box and more wide horizon, and for anyone who finds the calas claustrophobic in summer it is a relief.
The honest read is a beach of two halves. The western end, by the resort at Sant Jaume, has the bars, restaurants, sunbed hire, watersports and the families, with shallow water good for paddling and most of the facilities you might want. Walk east and the development falls away into the dunes, the crowds thin, and the long central and eastern stretch runs wild and quiet, popular with naturists and with nothing to buy. So you choose your day by where you put your towel, easy and equipped to the west, free and undeveloped to the east.
The one thing to plan around is the weather, not the crowds. Because Son Bou faces the open sea on an exposed stretch of coast, it catches more wind and small surf than the sheltered calas, and a calm clear morning often gives way to a breezy afternoon with a chop on the water and sand on the move. That makes the morning the better swim, especially with young children, and a windy forecast a reason to switch to a sheltered south coast cove instead. Time it right and Son Bou offers the most space and the easiest big beach day on the island.
Clubs near this beach
Son Bou keeps its bars and hire at the resort end to the west, so unlike the wild calas you can sit down to lunch and rent a lounger before the long beach runs wild.
Photo: Daniel Aguilera Jimenez via GoogleEs Corb Mari, Son Bou
A long running beachfront restaurant and bar toward the resort end of Son Bou, handy for a sit down lunch, a drink and a sunbed within reach of the longest beach on the island. An easy, unfussy family choice rather than a scene, with prices and any minimum to be confirmed.
Sant Jaume resort bars
The western end at Sant Jaume holds the cluster of beach bars, sunbed and watersports hire and the chiringuitos such as Oasis, the practical base for a family day before the sand runs wild to the east. See the full picture in our Menorca club directory.
South coast, easy by road
Son Bou is on the south coast below Alaior, roughly in the middle of the island and about 20 to 25 minutes by road from both Mahon and Ciutadella, with road access and car parks open all year behind the resort at the western end, plus buses in season. It is one of the easier big beaches to reach by car.
At the western resort end you will find bars, restaurants, sunbed hire and toilets, so a family day needs little planning, while a walk east into the dunes means carrying your own water, food and shade. Bring sun cover for the open beach, come in the morning to beat the afternoon wind, and keep to the marked paths through the protected dunes.
Photo: Raffaella Friello via GoogleNot ready to book?
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Common questions about Son Bou
Why is Son Bou worth visiting?
Son Bou is the longest beach in Menorca, around two and a half kilometres of open golden sand, so its great appeal is space and an easy big beach day when the small calas feel crowded. It has a resort end with full facilities, a wild dune backed stretch for quiet, and shallow water for paddling, which makes it one of the most flexible beaches on the island.
Is Son Bou good for families?
Yes, especially at the western resort end, where the water is shallow, the sand is roomy and bars, restaurants, sunbed hire and toilets are close at hand. The main thing to watch is the weather, as the open beach often picks up an afternoon breeze and small waves, so a morning visit gives the calmest water and the easiest day with young children.
Does Son Bou get windy or have waves?
It can, more than the sheltered calas. Because Son Bou faces the open sea on an exposed coast, calm clear mornings often give way to a breezy afternoon with a chop on the water and blowing sand. It is rarely dramatic, but it is enough to make the morning the better swim and a windy forecast a good reason to choose a sheltered south coast cove instead.
Is part of Son Bou a naturist beach?
Yes. The long central and eastern stretch, away from the western resort, is quiet, dune backed and popular with naturists, while the western end by Sant Jaume is the family and facilities end. The beach is big enough that the two coexist easily, so you simply choose where to put your towel to suit your comfort.
Can you park and find facilities at Son Bou?
Yes. Son Bou has road access and car parks open all year behind the resort at the western end, with bars, restaurants, sunbed hire and toilets there, plus buses in season. The car parks fill in peak summer, so come in the morning, and remember that the wild eastern stretch has no facilities, so carry your own supplies if you walk that way.
