Cala Pilar beach
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 Pilar is set in a spectacular natural environment. Its golden sand, the colour contrasts of the clay soil that surrounds it, the rugged north coast of Menorca, its extensive dune system and the forest you must cross from the parking area are its main attractions.
The beach is about 240 metres long and around 30 metres wide and is very exposed to northerly winds. There is no shade or services on the beach. That is why it is important to bring water, sunscreen, a parasol and good footwear, as you will have to walk for a while to get there. However, at the height of the Camí de Cavalls, inside a pine forest, you will find some picnic tables.
It is important to check the weather at Cala Pilar before going, as with tramontana winds the waves will prevent you from enjoying the beach and its crystal-clear waters. In addition, the wind can favour the presence of jellyfish.
The surroundings of Cala Pilar
Cala Pilar is within the Marine Reserve of the north coast of Menorca, where fishing in any form is prohibited. This makes it an ideal place for snorkelling, as there is a rich diversity of marine life to enjoy with mask and snorkel, especially in the rocky areas at the edges of the cove. If you like snorkelling, don’t miss these spots in Menorca that we recommend.
The beach of Cala Pilar lies within the estate of Alfurí de Dalt, which holds a rich and diverse natural and ethnological heritage. For many years, livestock activities and holm oak forest exploitation for charcoal production have taken place here. These uses have kept the ecosystems in a very good state of conservation. The path that leads to the beach runs along a fossil dune where you can find different endemic plant species of Menorca. The pine and holm oak forests it crosses are home to a diverse fauna of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, and on the coastal cliffs the osprey nests.
All these features justify the classification of the estate as an SCI (Site of Community Importance, designated by the European Commission) and ANEI (Area of Special Natural Interest), making it one of the most interesting natural areas on the island.
It is important to stay on the access path to Cala Pilar without leaving it, especially in the final section, where there is a wooden staircase specifically built to reach the beach without eroding the environment. The dune system of Cala Pilar is very extensive, reaching as far as the parking area. It lies on dune fields altered by agriculture and stabilised by tree vegetation.
Cala Pilar has an admirable geological richness, dominated by clays, just like Cala Pregonda or Cavalleria Beach. Recently, taking mud baths with the surrounding clay has become very fashionable. Taking mud baths on beaches erodes the base of the cliffs, creating instability in their upper parts. This leads to rockfalls, posing a risk to beach users. In addition, this activity causes vegetation to be uprooted and the coastline to retreat, destroying a non-renewable resource, as clays are very ancient rocks. Try to make your visit to Menorca’s natural spaces go unnoticed. Leave no trace!
How to get to Cala Pilar
You will find the turn-off to the Camí del Pilar at km 34 of the main road, between Ferreries and Ciutadella. Be careful not to miss it, as if you are coming from Ferreries the junction is in a section with an overtaking lane, and if you are coming from Ciutadella you must cross the main road through a small tunnel. After 4 km along the Camí del Pilar, you will reach the free car park, which is 2 km from the beach. The path down to Cala Pilar takes about a 45-minute walk, but remember that on the way back you will have to go uphill. The hike crosses one of the best forests in Menorca and the scenery all the way to Cala Pilar is well worth it.
There is no public transport to reach Cala Pilar
Nearby places of interest
• Camí de Cavalls: Cala Pilar is on stage 7 of the Camí de Cavalls route between Els Alocs and Cala Algaiarens. To the east you can reach the garrigue of Els Alocs by walking along the coast for 30 minutes. Walking about 40 minutes to the west you reach the Pla de Mar. You can find more details about this stage of the Camí de Cavalls in our guide: Els Alocs – Algaiarens. Camí de Cavalls. Stage 7.
• Holm oak of Alfurí de Dalt: A 400-year-old holm oak, 9 m high, with a trunk perimeter of 4.6 m and a crown diameter of 23 m. It is one of the trees included in the Catalogue of singular trees of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands. Its singularity lies in its large size despite having grown on sandy soil. It is located in a holm oak forest, all of them centuries old, next to the car park, right at the start of the access path to Cala Pilar.
Map of Cala Pilar
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.