Maó (Spanish Mahón) is the capital city of Menorca. It has a fine natural harbour, one of the best in the Mediterranean, which was why the British made it the capital following their occupation of 1708. In 2021 it had a population of 30,000, almost a third of the island's total.
This page also briefly describes the smaller towns of Sant Lluís, S'Algar and Punta Prima, which are a separate municipality.
Understand
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Maó or Mahon is probably named for Mago Barca of Carthage (247-202 BC), brother of Hannibal. It has an excellent natural harbour, a sheltered sea inlet 5 km long, which was fortified after 1287 when the Moors were deposed in Menorca. Not fortified nearly enough, as in 1535 the Ottomans raided the port and carried off 600 captives to be slaves. Its strategic importance became greater as ships grew larger in early modern times. If you wanted to control trade and territory in the west Med, then you sought to control Maó and deny it to rival nations.
The British cast especially covetous eyes on the place as they built their imperial stepping stones through Gibraltar to Malta, Cyprus, Egypt, India and beyond. Their first occupation was from 1708 as part of the War of Spanish Succession: the subsequent treaty of 1713 granted them the entire island and they moved the capital here from Ciutadella, and further fortified the harbour. But when the Seven Years War broke out in 1756, the French swiftly occupied Menorca, leaving the British besieged in Fort St Philip / Castell Sant Felip. A Royal Navy squadron under Admiral Byng was unable to break the siege and retreated, for which failure Byng was court-martialled and shot.
Menorca and Maó then ping-ponged between Britain, France and Spain, being definitively ceded to Spain in 1802. Maó continues to be the capital and has industries based on agriculture, especially dairy (eg "Mahon Cheese") as the wetter cooler climate is better for dairy farming than on Mallorca or Ibiza.
Get in
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1 Menorca Airport 
(MAH IATA) is 5 km southwest of town. It has flights from Mallorca and Ibiza, from Barcelona, and by budget airlines from Britain, see Menorca#Get in. It has the usual facilities including car hire. Buses run downtown every 30 min, taking 10 min.
2 Maó ferry terminal is on Moll de Ponent, a short walk to town centre. This is also the landing point for cruise ships. Ferries from Barcelona and Valencia land here: some call at Palma on the way, but usually to get here from Mallorca you take the short ferry crossing from Alcúdia to Ciutadella then go by road.
Maps also show a terminal on the north bank of the harbour but this is for freight.
Ciutadella to Maó is 45 km by Me-1, see below for buses.
Get around
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Exploring the old town is best done on foot. Streets are traffic restricted, camera-enforced.
TMSA buses run across the island, and the spine route is Ciutadella - Ferreries - Alaior - Maó - Sant Lluís.
Bus 1 from Maó to Ciutadella takes an hour, running M-F every 30 min, Sa Su every couple of hours. Bus 14 is an express M-F taking 45 min.
Bus 2 to Es Castell takes 15 min, running M-Sa every 45 min or so, Sa Su every 90 min or so.
Bus 91 to Sant Lluís, Alcalfar and S'Algar runs every 2-3 hours, taking 20 min.
Bus 94 to Sant Lluís and Punta Prima runs hourly taking 30 min.
3 Maó bus station is southeast flank of Plaça Esplanada.
Several taxi firms serve the town, waiting at the Esplanada and on the waterfront.
See
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- 1 Santa Maria de Maó, Plaça de la Constitució. RC church built from 1748. The interior is neo-classical. The stonking great organ was completed in 1810. Adult €2.
- Ajuntament de Maó is the Town Hall, just north of Santa Maria. It's an elegant neo-baroque building of 1789.
- Monestir De La Immaculada Concepció is just north of Town Hall. It's an active Franciscan monastery, no tours, but you can join them for mass daily at 09:00.
- 2 Església del Carme, Sa Plaça. RC church built in the 1750s in neoclassical style, originally part of a Carmelite convent.
- 3 Museu de Menorca, Pla des Monestir 9, ☏ +34 971 350955. TW, F-Su 10:00-14:00, Tu & Th 10:00-19:00. This 15th-century former Franciscan monastery covers the island's prehistory, Roman and Byzantine eras and Muslim Menorca into modern times. Adult €4, child €3.
- 4 Xoriguer Distillery (Destilerías Xoriguer), Moll de Ponent 91, ☏ +34 971 362197. Tour Apr-Oct M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa 10:00-14:00. This gin distillery was established in the 18th century and also makes liqueurs. The guided tour includes a tasting. The shop is open all year. Adult €15, child €5.
Further out
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- 5 Museu Militar, Plaça de s'Esplanada 19, Es Castell, ☏ +34 971 362100. Apr-Dec W-F 10:00-14:00. Weaponry and armed forces of Menorca through conflicts old and new. Donation.
- 6 Illa del Rei or Hospital Island is 200 m off Es Castell. It has a 6th century basilica, but the mosaics have been taken to Maó town museum. A hospital was built by the British in 1711 and remained in use until 1964 when one was built in town. It's been restored and now hosts an art gallery (Galería Hauser) and botanic garden. Get there on the yellow catamaran from the harbour.
- 7 Llatzeret or Lazaretto was the quarantine station on an island further out in the harbour. It's open M-F 09:00-17:00 and boat trips visit.
- Isla de la Cuarentena 300 m north of Illa del Llatzeret is the islet where the first quarantine station was built in the 1490s. It was superseded by Llatzeret around 1810.
- 8 La Mola (Fortalesa Isabel II), ☏ +34 686 659400. Apr-Sep daily 10:00-20:00, Oct 10:00-18:00, Feb Mar Nov Tu-Su 10:00-14:00. The British and French reinforced this position by the harbour outlet, but the present fortress was built by the Spanish in the 1850s. Artillery advanced in that era faster than castle-building, so although it could serve as a military base and gunnery position, the fortress could not have withstood fire. Nobody did fire on it so it's in good condition. Adult €8, child €4.
- 9 Castel Sant Felip (Fort St Philip), ☏ +34 626 054702. This was the original bastion guarding the harbour, built in 1554 over an earlier structure and rebuilt by the British in the 1760s. They were twice overthrown, and it was partly demolished after the assault of 1781. However it remained garrisoned: in 1852 a lighthouse was erected nearby, but right in the line of target practice by the castle artillery. You see it by guided tour arranged through Consorcio Militar de Menorca, no walk up visits. Adult €8, child €5.
- 10 Fort Marlborough, Cala de Sant Esteve, Es Castell, ☏ +34 971 360462. Daily 09:30-14:00. Built by the British in the 1720s to guard the harbour, the Spanish wrecked it in 1782 but it was re-built. Adult €3.
- 11 Ermita de Sant Joan des Vergers is a dinky little chapel 2 km northwest of town.
- 12 Taula de Trepucó is a megalith ("taula" means a table-like structure) and talaiòt or prehistoric village. It's free to visit 24 hours.
- 13 Talaiot de Cornia Nou is a similar structure on Cami Vell de Sant Climent. It's generally free to explore but parking is awkward.
- 14 Basílica de Fornàs de Torrelló is the mosaic floor of a 4th century church, protected by a grille.
- Talaiot de Torrelló is yet another prehistoric tower 200 m south of the basilica.
- 15 Talatí de Dalt, Camí de Talatí. Apr-Oct daily 09:30-19:00. A talaiòt is a stubby stone tower, the characteristic feature of Menorca's prehistoric villages, built early Iron Age around 1000 BC. There are some 300 on the island and Dalt is one of the best. Adult €4, child €3.
- 16 Sant Lluis is a pleasant village 5 km south of Maó, a low-rise grid centred on its 18th century neoclassical church. Es Moli de Dalt is a windmill two blocks north of the church, restored as a museum and tourist information centre. Sant Lluis is a separate municipality from Maó, covering S'Algar and Punta Prima.
- 17 Illa de l'Aire is an islet 1 km south of Punta Prima. It has a lighthouse and is overrun by black lizards. The waters around it are a marine reserve so the fish life is more plentiful than most of the Med.
Do
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- Boat trips: several operators offer glass-bottomed cruises around the harbour.
- Scuba diving: Merak Diving are based at Moll de Llevant 325.
- 1 Maó theater (Teatro Principal de Mahón), Carrer d'en Deià, 40. The oldest opera house in Spain, built in 1829.
- Football: CD Menorca play soccer down in the amateur leagues. Their Estadi Mahonés (capacity 4000) is southwest of town centre.
- Basketball: CB Menorca play at Pavelló Menorca (capacity 5000) in the suburb of Bintaufa, 2 km south of town centre.
- Sa Sinia Art Hub is a cultural centre with a lively bar in a converted windmill. It's at Sant Josep 49 in Es Castell, 200 m south of Museu Militar.
- Hipòdrom de Maó has trotting races. It's 3 km south of town in Sant Lluis.
- Beaches: you have to go some way out. Town has a waterfront but no beach, and further out is mostly sharp rocks.
- Punta Prima Beach is a 100 m strip at the foot of Punta Prima main street 11 km south of Maó. It gets busy. S'Algar has no beach.
- 2 Es Grau Beach 8 km north of town is a good choice for kiddy-bathing. It's a 300 m long sandy strip with clear sheltered water, shallow a long way out, adult swimmers and snorkellers will graze their knees. The sand hills behind are a nature reserve. Park in the free lot at the edge of Es Grau village (which has a few cafes) and take the footbridge across the creek onto the beach.
Buy
[edit]A dozen supermarkets in town, the most convenient might be Eroski Center at Duc de Crillón 22, open daily 09:00-21:30.
Eat
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- Mayonnaise sauce is named for Mahon. In legend it's associated with the French victory of 1756 but it's probably older.
- Clandestino is at Moll de Ponent 9 by the harbour, open Tu-Sa 13:00-16:30, 19:30-00:00, Su 13:00-17:00.
- Xuaxa is next door at Moll de Ponent 14, open Tu-Th 19:30-23:30. F-Su 12:30-16:00, 19:30-23:30.
- Chef Montes is nearby at Moll de Ponent 30, open W-M.
- Can Xavi is a tapas bar at S'Arraval 1, open M-Sa 11:30-16:00, 19:00-23:00.
- Perla is at Alaior 12, open M 19:30-22:30 Tu-Sa 12:30-15:30, 19:30-22:30.
- Bar Augustin or Candela is at Plaça de España 29, open daily 16:30-23:00.
- Sa Botiga is a tapas bar at Plaça del Carme 6, open M-Sa 12:00-23:00.
- El Mezquite serves Mexican food at Claustre del Carme 25, open Tu-Sa.
- Cala Vegana has vegan food at Sant Crist 10, open M & W 12:30-15:30, Tu & F-Su 19:30-22:30.
- Amano is at Arravaleta 19, open F-W 11:00-22:30.
- Ses Forquilles is at San Fernando 12, open daily 13:00-15:15, 19:30-22:45.
- American Bar, Plaça Reial 8, ☏ +34 971 361822. M-Sa 09:30-16:30. A coffee shop rather than a bar, a relaxing place for breakfast.
Drink
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- Wine: Menorca produces both red and white. The closest winery is in Sant Lluís.
- Moll de Ponent and Llevant waterfront has Contrabandu cocktail bar, Akellare (below), Texas, Sa Falua, Asorbos, Sa Taverna d’es Port and Vida Una.
- Akelarre, Moll de Ponent 41 (by cruise ship pier), ☏ +34 971 368520. Daily 12:30-17:00, 19:30-14:00. Restaurant, jazz club and cocktail bar.
- Casino Marítim is at Moll de Llevant 287, open daily 16:00-04:00.
- El Mirador is a cocktail bar at Plaza Espanya 2, just north of Del Carme church. It's open Su-Th 12:00-23:00, F Sa 12:00-00:00. Not to be confused with Mirador des Port, the hotel and restaurant 100 west of the museum.
Sleep
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- 1 Hotel Catalonia Mirador des Port, Dalt Vilanova 1, ☏ +34 971 360016. Mostly good reviews, some found facilities tired. The "mirador" is a view of grubby industrial dockland, go for a pool view. B&B double €150.
- 2 Artiem Capri, Sant Esteve 8, ☏ +34 971 361400. Spacious modern hotel 1 km west of centre. B&B double €100.
- 3 Casa Ládico Hotel, Anuncivay 26, ☏ +32 971 573700. Charming central upmarket hotel in a 19th century townhouse. B&B double €180.
- 4 Hostal la Isla, Santa Catalina 4, ☏ +34 971 64 92. Basic but clean and central. B&B double €100.
- 5 Seth Port Mahón, Av del Port de Maó, ☏ +32 971 362600. Smart efficient hotel overlooking the harbour. B&B double €200.
Further out
[edit]- 6 Hotel Son Vilar, Plaça Horitzó 7, Son Vilar, ☏ +34 648 247446. Simple place east edge of city. B&B double €120.
- 7 Barceló Hamilton, Santa Àgueda 6, Es Castell, ☏ +34 971 362050. Smart adults-only hotel on the coast 8 km east of city. B&B double €120.
- Seth Agamenon is at Agamenon 16 in Es Castell.
- 8 Son Granot, Carretera de Sant Felip, ☏ +34 691 758934. Charming country hotel with good dining. B&B double €150.
- 9 S'Algar is a village 11 km southeast of Maó. Accommodation includes:
- PortBlue San Luis on Av Décima.
- Alua Illa de Menorca also on Av Décima.
- 10 Punta Prima is a village 12 km south of Maó. Accommodation includes:
- Isla del Aire on Ponent.
- Insotel Suites on Mitjanera.
- Insotel on Migiera.
- Occidental Menorca on Mestral.
- Barceló Nura in Biniancolla.
- Minura Sur Menorca in Biniancolla.
Connect
[edit]As of July 2025, Maó and its approach roads have 4G from MasMovil, Orange and Vodafone, and 5G from Movistar.
Go next
[edit]- Ciutadella on the west coast is Menorca's former capital, with attractive 17th century Italian architecure.
- Alcúdia is the easiest part of Mallorca to reach, by ferry from Ciutadella. It has an old walled city.
- Palma de Mallorca capital of the Balearic Islands needs a couple of days to explore. Change there for the ferry to Ibiza.