|
Rating
=
Click here for accommodation in Cala en Porter
Cala en Porter is
not a large resort, you could probably walk from one end to the other in
20 min ( unless you happen to have a 3 yr old on your shoulders ! ). We
were staying a few minutes walk from the centre which has a reasonable
selection of restaurants, shops and bars without seeming overcrowded and
is where you will find the road down to the beach or further along the
view point overlooking the bay next to the 191 steps which also lead to
the beach.
Getting there
We collected our hire
cars from Mahon airport, which is a modern well equipped airport . Finding
our way to Cala en Porter could not have been easier, turn left out of the
airport , turn left at the roundabout and follow the road for about 10 -15
min's, when you get to the end you are in the resort. The main roads in
Menorca are generally good and the sign posting is clear making navigation
straightforward, however the roads seemed very slippery when wet so take
care.
The Beach
The bay of Cala en
Porter, like the resort itself, seemed to be of just the right size. The
beach is protected by the cliffs which form the bay and its beach slopes
very gently out to sea.
There are sun beds
and parasols available for hire but they are not cheap you can buy
Parasols in the shops for less, pedalo's are also available at hourly
rates. There are a few bars on one side which offer drinks ice creams and
meals and Loos's ! ), a small souvenir shop and a small general shop.
There is a
reasonable amount of free parking at the back of the beach with some shade
but this becomes busy quite early. In general we found the beach area very
good and clean, the scale of the bay means that if you set up near the
waters edge you can easily keep an eye on the kids which ever direction
they take, although watch out for the red flags which warn of offshore
breezes which can quickly push inflatable's into deeper water ( along with
the odd parasol and beach ball ).
If you have small
children you may find it beneficial to drive down, take the land train
from the top of the beach road or walk down, note the path is not very
push chair friendly and is very steep in places. Alternatively you can
take the steps from further along the top road but they are steep and not
very even. We enjoyed walking down in the evening with the kids and
getting the land train back up after a paddle, although Abigail did
persuade me to carry her up the steps on my shoulders on one occasion, but
only once.
Eating out
There is a good
selection of restaurants, we tried the following Southern Fried Chicken,
just like Kentucky. ( There is a Burger King in Mao & Ciutadella if you
get desperate ) The La Salamanda which has a children's play area and set
menus, very clean, good service, good food and great value. Abigail kept
asking to go there, not for the food but for the play area, I think we ate
there four times. Look Fu Chinese restaurant, we had take away one
evening, very nice but a little expensive and the curry sauce ( I know, I
know ) was like soup and came in a plastic cup with silver foil for a lid
which made for an interesting drive back to the villa.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Cala 'n Porter
village centre along with the land train for the trips down to the
beach. Or if your feeling fit you can use the steps !!. |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
Night Life
There are enough
bars, dance bars, and karaoke bars to keep most people happy. The night
club in the Coves d'en Xoroi is very impressive, very atmospheric.
Shops
Again, there is a
good selection of shops for food, drink and souvenirs. They seem to offer
value for money as good as those in the larger towns, the SPAR supermarket
has almost everything you need and there is a chemists.
Money Exchanges
There is one bank in
Cala en Porter plus there are plenty of places where you can exchange
money, shop around a little of course but in general their exchange rates
are so close to the banks that it was not worth traveling to town.
For the kids
The land train is a
must the round trip which takes a leisurely 30 min approximately. It runs
all day until late and stops at regular marked pickup points. There is a
play area just up the road from the SPAR which has kiddies go carts and
rides, all a bit tatty but good fun. They have an area which has bouncy
castles, trampolines and a climbing area with ball pit.It is worth noting
that in general the play areas in Menorca are not very child friendly in
that they usually have hard or gravel surfaces. And don't forget the beach
of course.
Coves d'en Xoroi
The famous Caves of
Cala en Porter are very impressive. We visited during the day, open from
11:00 the entry ticket includes a drink. The caves are very atmospheric,
well worth a visit ( if you can negotiate the steep steps ) with great
views out to sea.
Summary
Cala en Porter is an
excellent base for a holiday in Menorca if you have young children. It is
clean, the perfect size, friendly and the kids loved it, there should be
sufficient night life for teenagers away from the centre it is quite. The
roads and footpaths are very steep in places although the worst can be
avoided.
Please
note Lock up when you go out, we learned the hard way, use the
shutters provided. Mosquito screens alone are not regarded as secure, if
someone breaks in through them you may not be insured.
Click here for accommodation in Cala en Porter |
