The half of Menorca that has no road to it
The north coast is the island’s wild side: dark and red rock, sand that runs from copper to grey, and coves that stay empty because reaching them by land is a project. Menorca has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1993, and the water these boats sail through is the northern marine reserve.
Trips leave from Fornells, where two catamaran and sailing businesses share the same seafront address at the gateway to the reserve. The bay itself is sheltered enough to be misleading — the real coast starts once you clear the mouth.
The trip
The standard half day is about 3.5 hours under sail, covering anything between Cala Pregonda and Cala Mongofre depending on the wind, and the sunset departure runs roughly 19:00 to 21:15 in season. The wind is not a footnote here: the Tramuntana is the island’s operating constraint, and boats adapt their routes daily to wind and sea rather than promising a named cove. Boats stay small — the small-group catamaran caps its trips at 10 guests, which is how it reaches the tighter anchorages.
What it costs
Shared north-coast catamaran trips sit around €45 to €65 per person for the half day, with a full-day sailing trip at about €115 per person. Private hire of the same boats is quoted from about €570 for a half day, about €1,100 for a full day, and from about €660 for another private catamaran. Children are priced by age band, with a child rate for under-12s on one of the catamarans.
Booking it honestly
This trip is easier to find under Fornells and marine-reserve phrasing than under any north-coast head term — there is essentially no search demand for the literal phrase, and the marketplaces sell it the same way. It is a real product with a quiet name.
Peak season is May to October, with the true high band between late June and early September. The Fornells small-group boat cancels free up to 48 hours ahead and not after, while other island boats run sliding scales starting a month out — we send yours in writing before anything is paid. Every trip is run by a licensed local business; we arrange and confirm, they sail. Registration is verified directly with each business because Balearic operators publish no registry numbers online.
More on the Menorca overview, private versions on the boat charter from Fornells, and the sheltered alternative on the south-coast boat tour. Request availability with your dates and numbers.