Cala Tortuga and Cala Presili, the best unspoilt beaches in the S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park
Cala Tortuga and Cala Presili are two neighbouring beaches on the east coast of Menorca, watched over by the Favàritx lighthouse, which you can admire while swimming in the crystal-clear waters of these two unspoilt coves in the S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park.
Cala Presili and Cala Tortuga are two beaches located very close to each other. They feature fine white sand and clean, crystal-clear waters, which make them unique in this area of Menorca. Both coves are shallow, making them ideal beaches to visit with children, although you will need to walk a little to reach them.
Cala Presili, also known as Capifort beach, is slightly smaller and is divided into two beaches. Cala Tortuga is larger and is also known as the Morella sandbank. Behind it lies a temporary lagoon which, except in the driest years, almost always contains water, providing shelter for a large number of water birds, especially in winter.
There is no shade or services on the beach. For this reason, it is important to bring water and a sun umbrella, especially if you visit during the hottest hours of the summer months.
Remember also to wear good footwear, as depending on which cove you want to visit, you will have to walk between 15 and 25 minutes along a stony path.
How to get to Cala Presili
To reach Cala Presili or Cala Tortuga, head towards the Favàritx lighthouse on the east coast of Menorca. Access is via the Fornells–Maó road. About 2 km before the lighthouse there is a parking area, and 1 km further on you will find the start of the Camí de Cavalls path leading to both coves. It is recommended to leave your car in this parking area, as parking is not allowed on the road up to the lighthouse.
During the tourist season, private vehicles are not allowed to access the Favàritx Lighthouse. You must leave your vehicle in this parking area, located 1 km before the turn-off to Cala Presili and Cala Tortuga, and continue on foot or use the shuttle bus departing from the Maó bus station. Check the calendar, timetables and frequencies.
Follow the Camí de Cavalls towards Es Grau for about 10 minutes. On the left-hand side, you will find the signposted path that goes down to Cala Presili. From there, you will reach the beach in about 5 more minutes. The total walk takes 15 minutes and is suitable for children, although care should be taken in hot weather, as the path has no shade. If you start walking from the parking area, add another 15 minutes.
Start of path – Cala Presili: 1 km – 15 minutes on foot.
Car park – Cala Presili: 2 km – 30 minutes on foot.
How to get to Cala Tortuga
Access to Cala Tortuga is via the same path, continuing past the turn-off to Cala Presili and following the Camí de Cavalls for another 15 minutes. In total, from the Favàritx lighthouse road, you will need to walk 25 minutes. Before descending to the beach, take a moment to enjoy the landscape, as you will have a panoramic view of the cove, the Morella lagoon (a temporary freshwater pond) and the dune system that separates them.
Start of path – Cala Tortuga: 1.7 km – 25 minutes on foot
Car park – Cala Tortuga: 2.7 km – 55 minutes on foot
It is important that during the walk you do not leave the marked path and that you respect the signs that delimit it along many sections. When accessing Cala Tortuga, use the steps specifically built to prevent erosion of the cliff. It is also important that during your stay on the beach you do not step on the dune system, which is protected in order to promote its regeneration and thus preserve the beach as a whole.
Nearby points of interest
Camí de Cavalls: Cap de Favàritx marks the start and end of two stages of the Camí de Cavalls. Taking the path southwards leads to Es Grau, passing many of the unspoilt beaches of the S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park, such as Cala Tortuga, Cala Presili and Cala de Sa Torreta. Heading north along the Camí de Cavalls, the trail reaches Arenal d’en Castell, passing through Addaia.
You can find more details about these stages of the Camí de Cavalls in our guide:
Es Grau – Cap de Favàritx. Camí de Cavalls. Stage 2
Cap de Favàritx – Arenal d’en Castell. Stage 3
Favàritx Lighthouse: The first lighthouse in the Balearic Islands to be built with a concrete tower. The 28-metre-high tower, white with a black spiral band, gives it a very distinctive appearance. From Cala Presili and Cala Tortuga you will have a privileged view, but after a day at the beach you can always get closer to see it up close. More information about Favàritx lighthouse.
Map of Cala Tortuga and Cala Presili
See all the unspoilt beaches of Menorca.
We all know that Menorca’s main tourist attraction is its beaches, which is why no Menorca travel guide would be complete without a beach guide. Here you’ll find a complete guide to the best beaches in Menorca, with practical travel information
A selection of the 10 best unspoiled beaches in Menorca: Cala Mitjana, Cala Turqueta, Macarella, Pregonda, Cavalleria, Tortuga and four more. Discover them!
The beach at Son Bou with its fine white sands is the longest in Menorca (3 km). The sea here is shallow, its waters clear and clean
Binigaus is the largest unspoilt beach on the south coast of Menorca, with no services and within walking distance of the nearest car park. For this reason, it is also the most popular beach in the municipality of Es Migjorn Gran.
Cala Trebalúger is one of Menorca’s most beautiful unspoiled beaches. It is framed by limestone cliffs and shaded by pine trees that reach down to the shoreline. The beach is marked by the mouth of the Son Fideu ravine stream.
Cala Galdana, a place of outstanding natural beauty, is today one of the most important urbanised beaches in Menorca. It is a very popular tourist beach surrounded by a large resort area offering all kinds of services.
The Cala Mitjana and Cala Mitjaneta area is one of those places that leaves no one indifferent — an unspoiled beach surrounded by pine trees and turquoise waters that are simply irresistible for swimming.
Is Cala Macarella the most photographed and most visited beach in Menorca during the summer months? Probably yes — and for good reason. Cala Macarella is a postcard-perfect beach that everyone wants to see at least once.
Cala Turqueta is one of the most famous unspoilt beaches on the south coast of Menorca. It has everything many of us are looking for: fine white sand, surrounded by pine trees, and crystal-clear water that, as its name suggests… is turquoise.
The Son Saura del Sud beaches, in the municipality of Ciutadella de Menorca, are among the largest unspoilt beaches on the south coast, with the shade of a splendid pine forest behind them and easy access by car.
Cala Algaiarens, also known as the La Vall beaches, is a group of two unspoilt beaches on the north coast of Menorca, easily accessible, with no services and located within an area declared a Natural Area of Special Interest.
Cala Pilar is an unspoilt beach on the north coast of Menorca with no car access, located in an incomparable natural setting. The walk to reach this corner of the world is well worth it.
Cala Pregonda is one of Menorca’s iconic beaches, with a unique landscape dominated by varied geological colours and the islets that protect it from northern winds.
Binimel·là Beach is a coarse-sand beach with different colour tones, virtually unspoilt yet easily accessible by car, located in the heart of the North Menorca Marine Reserve.
Cavalleria beach is one of the largest beaches on the north coast of Menorca. Unspoilt, surrounded by rugged nature, with no services, easy car access and watched over by the Cavalleria Lighthouse. A must-see.
The Son Saura del Nord sandy beach is a large beach with fine white sand, urbanised, and home to one of the largest and most spectacular dune systems in Menorca.
Arenal d’en Castell is one of the largest and most spectacular beaches in Menorca, but also one of the most urbanised, very touristy and with all kinds of services right on the beach.
Cala Tortuga and Cala Presili are two neighbouring beaches on the east coast of Menorca, watched over by the Favàritx lighthouse, which you can admire while swimming in the crystal-clear waters of these two unspoilt coves in the S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park.
If you are visiting Menorca with young children, you should know that Es Grau beach is the family beach par excellence in Menorca. It is the largest beach in the S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park, is protected by Colom Island, and is located next to the summer resort village of Es Grau.
The beach is associated with the summer residential area of Sa Mesquida, where many families from Maó spend their summers. As it is very well preserved and relatively separated from the urbanised area, it is a practically unspoilt beach.
The beach of Punta Prima is the tourist beach par excellence of the municipality of Sant Lluís. It offers a significant range of hotels and is equipped with all the beach services you may need.
Thanks to the good conservation of the immediate surroundings of the Binibèquer beach, and despite being surrounded by the Binibèquer Nou residential area, it feels as if you were on an unspoilt beach, surrounded by pine trees, with crystal-clear waters and fine white sand.
The cala en Porter beach is located very close to one of the largest residential areas on the south coast of Menorca. Nestled between high cliffs that block the incoming swell, it is a natural pool ideal for families spending their holidays in Menorca with children.