Things To Do in Cala Blanca

Cala Blanca has beachfront restaurants where you can tuck into Menorcan specialities like suckling pig and paella, and there’s usually a good choice of freshly-netted fish on the menus, too. And of course a glass of cava or a jug of sangria will go down very well with your meal. You’ll also find a really good selection of eating places at neighbouring Cala Santandria.

This annual festival in Ciutadella draws huge crowds, who come to watch the sleek Menorcan horses and their well-dressed riders perform. You can catch races, jousting displays and the jaleo, when locals try to touch the horse’s heart for luck. The festivities include plenty of pomada – lemonade and Xoriguer gin – and end with a fabulous fireworks display.

The hot ticket at this waterside restaurant is the outdoor terrace, from where you can watch the sun setting over the cliffs. And when you can tear yourself away from the view, the extensive menu deserves a good look, too. It’s got pizza, pasta, garlic prawns and chicken in pepper sauce, but the real stars are the Menorcan specialities paella, suckling pig and caldereta de llagosta, or lobster stew.

Cala Blanca has everything for a day on the beach, but there are other nearby coves to explore, too. Next door’s Cala Santandria – all fine sand and turquoise waters – has watersports and a dive centre under Hotel Bahia. You can snorkel between the rocks that separate the 2 beaches. And there’s also little Sa Caleta, a quiet spot with just a beach bar for company.

The great thing about Cala Blanca is that it’s practically joined at the hip to Cala Santandria – which means the 2 places can share out the nightlife. So as well as the hotel entertainment on offer, you can choose between quiet cocktails with relaxing sea views or more upbeat bars with live music and dancing ’til dawn.

Cala Blanca comes with a shopping centre as well as gift and souvenir shops, so you’ll be able to pick up suncream along with jewellery, pottery and embroidered linens. Of course there’s much more in nearby Ciutadella – look for chain stores on the Contramurada and boutiques in the Ses Voltes arcade. It’s big on markets here, too. There are craft stalls near the cathedral on Mondays, and a farmer’s market on Saturdays in Plaça des Mercat.

Sunset hour is a busy time for The Blarney Stone, when holidaymakers pop by to catch the sky’s changing kaleidoscope of colours from here. Of course the view – some say it’s the best in Cala Blanca – goes down very well with a cold pint of Guinness, though there are plenty of wines and cocktails on offer, too.