Before you go · Menorca
Menorca essentials
The practical things worth knowing before you arrive, checked against official EU, Spanish, Balearic and Menorcan sources on 22 October 2026. Rules change: always check the official sources before you travel.
Updated October 2026
Entry: EES and ETIAS (checked 22 October 2026)
The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 and was rolled out over six months at the Schengen area’s external borders (European Commission). If you are not an EU citizen, your passport details, fingerprints and a photo are recorded the first time you enter.
ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not yet in operation: the official site says no applications are being collected and that the start date will be announced several months ahead. When it starts it will cost EUR 20 (travel-europe.europa.eu). Never pay an unofficial website.
The Balearic tourist tax
The Impuesto sobre Estancias Turísticas is charged per person per night by hotels, holiday apartments and other tourist accommodation in the Balearic Islands; under-16s are exempt, and the rate depends on the type of accommodation and the season (Llei 2/2016 and Decret 35/2016, atib.es). Your hotel collects it.
Reaching the coves: the Macarella bus
In season, the Consell Insular de Menorca runs a bus from Ciutadella (via the perimetral road) to the Macarella car park at Santa Anna. In the last part of the 2026 season it ran from 11 to 30 September, 8.25am–7.45pm, every day; book online and check the 2027 dates on mout.cime.es. The Consell explains that the last stretch of road is too narrow for buses and private traffic together, and that the area is protected under a Special Plan.
In summer, TIB line 43 also runs from Maó to the car park near the Favàritx lighthouse (mou-tmenorca.com).
Flights, buses and ferries
Menorca Airport (MAH), just outside Maó, is run by Aena. Air Serbia has announced flights from Belgrade from 2027; bookings are not yet open. The Consell’s island buses link the towns, the airport and the beaches.
Menorca Lines runs a fast ferry between Ciutadella and Port d’Alcúdia in Mallorca. Trasmed sails from Maó to Barcelona, Valencia, Palma, Alcúdia and Ibiza, and from Ciutadella to Alcúdia. Baleària gives Barcelona–Ciutadella as 5h 15min, or about three and a half hours on its fast ferry (balearia.com, read 22 October 2026). Some routes are seasonal: check each operator’s site.
Anchoring and the Posidonia
Anchoring on the Posidonia seagrass meadows is generally prohibited in Balearic waters; use sand or authorised buoys (Decree 25/2018, caib.es).
Churches and monuments
Cover shoulders and knees in churches and at the sanctuary of Monte Toro. At the Talayotic sites, keep to the paths and don’t climb on the stones.
Health and emergencies
Call 112 for police, fire or an ambulance. The public hospital is Hospital Mateu Orfila in Maó; Juaneda runs private hospitals in Maó and Ciutadella, open 24 hours. EU visitors should carry their European Health Insurance Card; everyone should have travel insurance.
Questions and answers
Do I need ETIAS for Menorca?
Not yet. ETIAS is not in operation, and the EU will announce its start date several months ahead (travel-europe.europa.eu, checked 22 October 2026).
Is there a tourist tax in Menorca?
Yes. The Balearic tourist tax is charged per person per night by your accommodation; under-16s are exempt.
How do I get to Cala Macarella?
In season, take the Consell Insular’s bus from Ciutadella to the Macarella car park; book online at mout.cime.es.
Can I take the ferry from Barcelona?
Yes. Baleària sails Barcelona–Ciutadella (about 3½ hours on its fast ferry) and Trasmed sails Barcelona–Maó.
What is the emergency number?
112.
Entry rules, beach access and timetables change. Check travel-europe.europa.eu, mout.cime.es and the operators’ sites before you travel.