The secluded resort of Son Parc, along with it's nearest neighbour Arenal d'en Castell, are both part of the municipal district of es Mercadal on the rugged northern coast of Menorca, approximately 20km, or 12 miles north west of the capital Mahon and the international Aeropuerto de Menorca.

Although as the crow flies the distance from the centre of the resort to the airport, which is a little to the south of Mahon, is quite short, it has to be said that the road over to the north coast is not particularly good.

As a consequence it is not unusual for the transfer to take approximately 30 to 40 minutes from the time you leave the airport grounds.

A further unnecessary complication for those visitors who choose to drive, is that in recent years the local Government has re-numbered most of the roads on Menorca, so make sure that you have an up to date road map before setting out.

As with the other resorts on the island, we have put together the basic route for this journey, complete with links to maps where appropriate, and this is available from the Route Map link on the left hand frame of this page.

If however this all sounds a little daunting, you should seriously consider making the journey by either taxi or coach, and then possibly hiring a car once you are settled in the resort. If for whatever reason you choose not to drive and don't have the option of a coach transfer available to you, there are always a large number of taxis available for hire outside the arrivals hall.

Although in theory at least, these taxi all operate on a fixed price basis, the total cost of the journey is known to vary slightly, however as a very rough guide the transfer to Son Parc should cost around 35€ for a taxi carrying 4 people plus luggage.

It's also worthwhile mentioning that as a rule, taxis do not normally carry child seats, so very small children will have to sit on their parent's knees for the journey. If this is a cause for concern, we strongly recommend that you make arrangements for a pre-booked taxi to be waiting for you, and clearly specify at the time of booking that a child seat is needed for the journey. Pre-booked taxis are often a little more expensive, although as with all things in life, you only get what you pay for.

Whatever method you ultimately choose for this journey, there is always one attraction that you cannot fail to have noticed on your way into the resort, and this is that Son Parc has the only golf course on Menorca. However, this is something that we will endeavour to cover in more depth on our Attractions and Amenities pages.

Once you are in the resort, and have settled in to your accommodation, the trip back to Mahon for either shopping or sightseeing, is then possible by public transport, but only if you plan your journey times with care.

During the summer months a very limited bus service runs from Son Parc, and on a number of occasions we've been asked for a timetable. Experience has shown us that the term "timetable" is not necessarily the best description for the time the buses actually run, although these are published each year on the bus stop in town, and also on the pages of the local councils web site, as well as the web site of the Transportes Menorca, who are the local bus operators. However, clearly no responsibility can be accepted on our behalf as to either the content or accuracy of information provided on these external links.

The warm shallow waters at Son Parc make this resort very popular with families with young children. But as with all beaches, do watch out for the safety flags, green means safe, yellow warns you to be careful and red you mustn’t swim at all. The beach is without doubt a major attraction of this resort with fine, clean sand and a good variety of water sports and other facilities available to suit all tastes.

The resort has a small commercial centre, which is known locally as "the strip", and it is here where most of the bars and restaurants are situated along with a small number of Spar type supermarkets selling the everyday holiday essentials, which in recognition of the high numbers of private holiday villas' and self catering apartments in the area, stock a wide selection of UK recognised branded goods, albeit at slightly higher prices than you would expect to pay back at home in the UK.

The underlying principle of consumer choice was once explained to me by a local shopkeeper as "if you don't like the price, you don't have to buy". However, the reality is that unless you have access to your own transport, and are prepared to travel out of the resort, "you do have to buy", which of course the shopkeepers are only too fully aware of.

Now something that is never mentioned in any of the major tour operators holiday brochures. At the start and end of the summer months Menorca, especially the north coast, does get very windy. If any further proof of this was needed, look at the way the trees around the resort all bend to the south. This may also explain why Menorca is effectively closed to tourists during the winter months.

The rugged northern coast of Menorca also is widely recognised by yachtsmen as being where the sea is at its roughest, and by local fishermen as where the richest fish stocks around the island are to be found.

To ensure these fish stocks survive for future generations, in June 1999 the Municipal Government of the Balearic Islands established La Reserva Marina del Norte de Menorca, (Marine Reserve of the North Coast of Menorca) and thus afforded special environmental protection to the area.

As with most resorts in Menorca, evening entertainment here is mainly hotel based, however, during the summer months at least, the resort does have a small number of lively bars, but certainly nothing that would ever compare to the neon jungle of the popular resorts along the south coast of Majorca.

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This website was launched on 1 May 2002

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