Buying in Menorca: the back story

About Buying in Menorca: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Menorca Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Menorca is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and much of its coast and countryside is protected, so the supply of homes is small and the character of each area is strong. Buyers look at three kinds of home: old-town houses and palacetes in Ciutadella and Maó, the countryside llocs (farm estates) and fincas inland, and houses by the water, from Maó harbour to Fornells and the east-coast coves.

The towns

In Ciutadella, the palaces and town houses of the old town sit around the cathedral and the Born. In Maó, the older streets climb above the harbour.

The countryside

The llocs are the island’s traditional farm estates, with their whitewashed houses and dry-stone walls; several have become the country hotels in our guide.

Take independent legal advice before you sign anything.

By the water

The harbour side of Maó and Es Castell, the north coast around Fornells and Addaia, and the coves of Sant Lluís are the classic places to live by the sea.

How buying works

Foreign buyers need an NIE; the sale is signed before a notary and recorded in the Land Registry, and the taxes are set by the Balearic tax agency (atib.es). See our page on buying property.

Our advice: spend a winter week here before you buy. The island in January is a different place from the island in August.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Buying in Menorca: the back story before you go.