Santandria and Cala Blanca

Cala Degollador, Cala Santandria, Sa Caleta, Cala Blanca, Cala'n Bosch and Son Xoriguer beach

Cala Degollador:

It is an urban beach, a few meters from the center of Ciutadella, next to a hotel establishment and a party hall, Disco Pub. The beach, recently conditioned, "Playa Gran", is of medium size and has coarse sand. Its main attribute is being two minutes from the center of Ciutadella.

Cala Santadrià Area

It is a deep inlet less than two km from Ciutadella. There is a defense tower, a bunker of considerable size right at the gates of the entrances to Sa Caleta and the deepest cove, Cala Santadrià. The "Villacarlosa" tower, like the one at the entrance of the port of Ciutadella "Castell de Sant Nicolau", is a museum today, and its function was to prevent landings by pirates and corsairs, invaders, from plundering the towns.

Especially if we take into account that it is at a very short distance from the port of Ciutadella and the town itself.

Sa Caleta:

It is a very small but charming cove, very visited by the locals of Ciutadella. Right in front of the beach is a small house that looks like it was taken from a children's story, given the proximity to the urban center of Ciutadella.

The beach is very visited by those who have a moment of rest during the working day and take advantage of it to cool off in summer. This is why Sa Caleta is a place very pampered by the locals of Ciutadella; it always looks well-kept and with a charming appearance, almost like a fairy tale drawing. Those who decide to arrive walking from Ciutadella use the old path to the cove or go by the slope of Son Oleo for a stroll. The cove, despite its small size, has a beach bar and other beach services.

Cala de Santadrià:

The longest entrance is that of Cala de Santadrià, which also ends in a beach, in this case, quite a bit larger. Right at the foot of the beach there is a hotel; the area has multiple services, tourist apartment accommodation abounds, and the gastronomic offer is wide and very varied. Touring the cove on the side opposite to the access path is a good way to contemplate the entire cove or sunbathe on some of the platforms built by the sea.

In the not-too-distant future, this area could be considerably modified since there is a project to build a breakwater over the sea to create an artificial dock for berthing and anchoring vessels, passengers, and goods, and especially tourist cruise ships, which could provide an exit for the small port of Ciutadella and reduce the damage that the "Risagas" cause to the boats moored inside the port of Ciutadella.

In the Cala Santadrià area, there is an offer of bars with shows and leisure spots right next to the dining area, beach equipment rental, and it has a drinks beach bar right on the cove.

This urbanized cove has a protected area, which is the margin of Cala Santadrià where no buildings are seen, thanks to which it has not been invaded by concrete, preserving its charm. Its proximity to Ciutadella adds value for those who wish to live all year round in a quiet place without going too far away.

Cala Blanca Area

Cala Blanca :

It is the next beach on the way, of the coves located on the western side, to the west of the island, and on the way to the beaches and developments in the south of the island of Menorca.

Cala Blanca is a few minutes from Cala Santadrià. It is a bit larger than Cala Santadrià, especially because it is open at the back; in fact, its natural access is right from the back of the beach. The buildings are a little further away from the beach area, located in the rocky areas of the coast at the entrance to the cove.

Also very well known by those from Ciutadella due to its proximity, it has all the services of an urbanized beach, bars, and restaurants, highlighting large and beautiful terraces right over the cove, which, especially in summer, offer service all day, but highlighting the evenings for dinner and enjoying the show.

It has boat rental services of different sizes for nautical sports and even a scuba diving school, with extensive experience, where they also rent equipment to practice dives and practice scuba diving.

The Cala Blanca area has an urbanized part, mostly of apartments and villas, with recent residents all year round and, above all, summer visitors.

Artrutx Lighthouse

Passing Cala Blanca, to find the next point of our itinerary, we must travel a few minutes by car, since now up to the Artrutx Lighthouse it is a rural area and the road does not run next to the sea, so there is no other point of much interest until reaching the developments.

Cala'n Bosch Lake and Son Xoriguer Area

It is the end of the road. This area, purely touristy, has a large number of hotels of considerable size and of all categories, and all diversities of accommodation; even in recent years, several 4 and 5-star establishments have opened.

Somewhat younger than the Calan Blanes and Los Defines developments, it offers a very wide range of services for tourists, with the two beaches Calan Bosch and Son Xoriguer beach standing out in the area.

From here, the coast of Ciudadela de Menorca becomes unspoiled territory, and there are trails to visit the beaches of Son Saura just a few minutes away on foot, or if you prefer, there are boat excursions.

As for the culinary scene, cocktail bars, and all kinds of shows, El Lago de Calan Bosch is the center of leisure activity, although hotels also have their own shows and special services at night.

Son Xoriguer:

The beach, with rocks on one side, can be a bit confusing if you aren't familiar with it, as to reach the sand you have to enter—or better yet, pass through—a shopping center, and the beach is behind it. Alternatively, it can be accessed from a parking area that is somewhat further away and covered by vegetation, which hides the view of the beach.

Excursions:

If you are coming from visiting Ciudadela, you can continue along the southern beaches road and take a walk by the Faro de Artrutx and, of course, the area of the Lago de Cala'n Bosch, and the beaches of Cala'n Bosch and Son Xoriguer. If you are not coming from Ciudadela, you can travel the path in that direction and visit the coastal area of Son Oleo up to Cala Degollador, right next to the town center of Ciudadela.

Access: From Ciudadela, take the southern beaches road (Me24 regional road), which starts next to Cala Degollador. Two km away you will find Cala Santandria, at three km you will find Cala Blanca, at 7 km the Faro de Artrutx, and at 8 km the Lake and the beach of Cala'n Bosch, ending 2 km further on at the development and beach of Son Xoriguer.

Map of the southern developed beaches circuit of Ciudadela

This map corresponds to the itinerary of the developed beaches south of Ciudadela, covering the following places:

Ciudadela de Menorca, Cala des Degollador, Sa Caleta d'en Gorries, Cala Santandria, Cala Blanca, Cabo de Artrutx (lighthouse), Calan Bosch (The lake of Calan Bosch), and Son Xoriguer.

Description of the points indicated on the map of the coast, east and south of Ciudadela.

1 - ) Ciudadela de Menorca city center, Plaza d'es Born, location of the Ciudadela Town Hall, next to the Port.

2 - ) Cala des Degollador, an urban beach a few meters from the center of Ciudadela.

3 - ) Sa Caleta d'en Gorries, known simply as Sa Caleta, a small but very pretty beach, and very pleasant for swimming.

4 - ) Cala Santandria, a beach a short distance from the urban center of Ciudadela, which has a residential area, a hotel on the beach itself, and a varied culinary offering.

5 - ) Cala Blanca, a tourist development with a medium-sized beach, wide but deep, nestled in an area of chalets and villas. It features a large hotel and a multitude of services for tourists, including one of the oldest diving centers in Menorca.

6 - ) Cabo de Artrutx, or Faro de Artrutx, is one of the corners of the island territory. From here, the south coast of Ciudadela de Menorca begins, as well as the youngest developments in this area of the Menorcan territory.

7 - ) Calan Bosch, a fully developed urban area next to a medium-sized beach.

8 - ) El Lago de Calan Bosch, an inland lake 10 meters from the coast, connected by a narrow canal that allows boats to enter and exit. The lake is surrounded by tourist establishments, especially apartments, and in the lower area closest to the lake shore, there are restaurant terraces and cocktail bars.

9 - ) Son Xoriguer, beach and development, the end of the tourist areas in this sector. From here on, the following beaches are unspoiled until you reach Cala Galdana, a developed beach on the border of the municipalities of Ciudadela and Ferreries. Among them are the beaches of: Arenal de Son Saura, Es Talaier, Macarella, and Macarelleta.

10 - ) Calan Blanes, this point is included in the itinerary of Calan Blanes, Los Delfines, Torre del Ram.

11 - ) Calan Busquet, mooring area for recreational boats in the middle area of the Port of Ciudadela de Menorca.

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Photographs: Omar Mauro Banquero