Cala Turqueta beach
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.
Cala Turqueta, together with Cala Macarella and Cala Mitjana, forms the most sought-after group of beaches on Menorca’s south coast. They are truly postcard-perfect beaches, and this beach is no exception to overcrowding during the summer months, often exceeding its carrying capacity.
It is surrounded by low limestone cliffs, and the pine trees reach all the way to the beach. Cala Turqueta consists of two small beaches separated by a small rocky outcrop. The first beach you encounter is the largest and is the natural exit of a stream. This sometimes keeps the sand in the middle of the beach damp. Looking to the horizon on the right, there are some fairly flat rocks where you can settle comfortably if you prefer. In the shade of the pine forest at the back of the beach, you will find picnic tables perfect for lunch.
On the other side of the large beach, crossing a small pine grove, you will find the smaller beach, a bit more secluded with a small dune system behind it.
How to get to Cala Turqueta
Cala Turqueta is 14 km from Ciutadella de Menorca. From the southern ring road, take the Sant Joan de Misa road towards the south coast beaches. Passing the road to the Son Saura del Sur beach and at the height of the hermitage of Sant Joan de Misa, turn right to take the road to Cala Turqueta. After about 4 km, take another right onto an unpaved road to reach the beach parking. After a 10-minute walk through a lush oak grove, you will arrive at the beach.
Public transport: There is a summer bus line to Cala Turqueta from Ciutadella (line 68). Ideal if you don’t have a car or want to avoid parking issues. Check bus schedules and frequencies to Cala Turqueta depending on the season. The bus stops at Cala Turqueta parking.
During the summer months, the unspoilt beaches on the south coast of Ciutadella are very famous but also very small, making them highly crowded. Their access is regulated via parking lots. If the parking is full, you will have no choice but to turn back and go to another beach. To avoid this, on the access road to these beaches, there are signs showing which beaches have available parking. Stay alert.
Nearby points of interest
• Camí de Cavalls: Cala Turqueta marks the start and end of two stages of the Camí de Cavalls. To the east, you can reach Cala Galdana, passing Cala Macarella and Macarelleta within a 45-minute walk (2.8 km). To the west, you reach Cap de Artrutx, passing Cala Es Talaier and the Son Saura del Sur beaches, 5 km from Cala Turqueta, a walk of about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
You can find more details of these Camí de Cavalls stages in our guide:
Cap d’Artrutx – Cala Turqueta. Camí de Cavalls. Stage 12
Cala Turqueta – Cala Galdana. Camí de Cavalls. Stage 13
• Talaia d’Artrutx: An old defensive tower built in 1617, located between Cala Turqueta and Cala es Talaier, which offers fine views over the southern coast of Menorca. Unfortunately, it lies within private property and cannot be visited. These towers were built with the aim of keeping watch and defending against pirate or military raids.
• Talayotic settlement of Son Catlar: The only Talayotic settlement in the Balearic Islands that has preserved its cyclopean wall almost intact. It is located on the same access road to the Son Saura beaches, before reaching the beach. More information about the Talayotic settlement of Son Catlar.
Map of Cala Turqueta
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.