Rural hotels in Menorca: ten manor houses and fincas around Ciutadella, Alaior and Sant Lluís
In Menorca “hotel rural” is not a figure of speech: it is a precise category in the Balearic Islands, reserved for country houses built before 1940 and turned into hotels within their own estate, with the land around them, a pool where the threshing floor used to be and only a handful of rooms, often fewer than twenty. They differ from the agroturismos, which sit on working farms, although in practice the two formulas look alike and you will find both in this list. Rural hotels in Menorca cluster in three areas: the countryside of Ciutadella, towards Cala Morell and the Mahón road; the south-east between Sant Lluís and Es Castell, a few minutes from the airport and the port of Mahón; and the inland of Alaior and Es Migjorn Gran, from where you drive down to the beaches of the south coast.
Below you will find ten places, ranked by the ratings of the people who have slept there: six four-star rural hotels, a five-star with its own vineyards, two agroturismos and a country house. For each one we tell you what kind of house it is, what the estate is like, how the rooms are and how far the sea and the airport are, because in the countryside you always need a car: our guide to getting around Menorca with or without a car explains how to plan it. If you are after a real farm, with animals and produce from the land, see our agroturismos in Menorca too.
- The selection of the 10 best rural hotels in Menorca
- 1. Hotel Rural Sant Ignasi: the 1777 house on the road to Cala Morell
- 2. Hotel Rural Biniarroca: the seventeenth-century house among the gardens of Sant Lluís, adults only
- 3. Hotel Rural Binigaus Vell: the seawater pool and the stables a kilometre from Es Migjorn Gran
- 4. Alcaufar Vell Hotel Rural & Restaurant: the manor house 2 km from S’Algar and its cove
- 5. Torralbenc: the five-star among the vineyards, on the hill above Cala en Porter
- 6. Agroturismo Biniai Nou: the working farm ten minutes from Mahón
- 7. Menorca Experimental: the Llucalari finca with a spa, between Alaior and the south coast
- 8. Binissafullet Vell: the agroturismo 4 km from the airport, with the cove a stone’s throw away
- 9. Agroturismo Son Rosas: the country house next to the Naveta des Tudons
- 10. Binissaida Boutique Hotel: twelve hectares of countryside at the mouth of the port of Mahón
- Which rural hotel to choose in Menorca: the area shapes your days
The selection of the 10 best rural hotels in Menorca
1. Hotel Rural Sant Ignasi: the 1777 house on the road to Cala Morell
Hotel Rural Sant Ignasi occupies a manor house from 1777 in the countryside north of Ciutadella, on the Ronda Norte, by the road that leads to Cala Morell: the town is a few minutes’ drive away and the sea is 5 km away. The white façade with green shutters looks onto a garden of centuries-old trees, with the pool, a terrace facing the fields, tennis and padel courts and a massage service.
The rooms have air conditioning, heating and satellite TV; those on the ground floor have a private garden, those on the first floor a terrace. There are a restaurant, a bar, bike hire, WiFi and free private parking. It is the best-loved four-star rural hotel on the island, and in the evening, when the lights come on around the pool, you understand why.
In short: an eighteenth-century manor house five minutes from Ciutadella, private garden or terrace in every room, tennis and padel, sea 5 km away.
2. Hotel Rural Biniarroca: the seventeenth-century house among the gardens of Sant Lluís, adults only
Hotel Rural Biniarroca is a seventeenth-century country house on the Camí Vell of Sant Lluís, in the south-east of the island, and it takes adults only. Its strong point is the garden: pergolas, fountains, bougainvillea and two pools hidden among the plants, with an à la carte restaurant that cooks fresh local produce the Mediterranean way.
The rooms are air-conditioned, with satellite TV and a bathroom with hairdryer and toiletries; some have a private balcony. The hotel arranges cycling, horse riding and hiking; the village’s restaurants, shops and bars are a five-minute walk away, the airport a 12-minute drive and Punta Prima beach 10 minutes. If this is the formula you are looking for, there are more addresses in our guide to the adults only hotels in Menorca.
In short: a seventeenth-century house for adults only, garden with two pools and an à la carte restaurant, Sant Lluís on foot, airport 12 minutes away.
3. Hotel Rural Binigaus Vell: the seawater pool and the stables a kilometre from Es Migjorn Gran
Hotel Rural Binigaus Vell is a restored country house less than a kilometre from Es Migjorn Gran, the smallest village on the island, and less than 3 km from the beaches of Binigaus and Sant Tomàs. The pool is filled with seawater and set among pines and stone slabs, and the estate has its own stables, with horse rides that leave from the hotel: the black Menorcan horses in the photos live here.
The rooms have air conditioning, heating, a safe and satellite TV, with a hairdryer in the bathroom; outside are the restaurant serving local cooking, the garden and the terrace. Parking is free and there is an airport shuttle. From here you can walk down to the coast and join the Camí de Cavalls.
In short: an estate with a seawater pool and horses, Binigaus and Sant Tomàs beaches 3 km away, Es Migjorn Gran a kilometre away.
4. Alcaufar Vell Hotel Rural & Restaurant: the manor house 2 km from S’Algar and its cove
Alcaufar Vell Hotel Rural & Restaurant is an old family manor house on the Alcalfar road, in the municipality of Sant Lluís: a golden stone façade with green shutters, gardens and farmland all around, a large terrace and an outdoor pool. The sea and the village of S’Algar are 2 km away, with the sand of Cala Alcaufar just beyond, and the airport is 6 km away.
The rooms are spacious, with exposed wooden beams, tiled floors, satellite TV and a kettle; the suites have a private terrace. Dinner is at Ses Cotxeries d’Alcaufar Vell, the restaurant housed in the old coach houses with vaulted ceilings, which serves Menorcan cooking and in summer lays its tables under the trees; a hot tub, massages, room service and a tour desk complete the picture.
In short: a manor house with a Menorcan restaurant under the vaults, suites with a terrace, S’Algar and Cala Alcaufar 2 km away, airport 6 km.
5. Torralbenc: the five-star among the vineyards, on the hill above Cala en Porter
Torralbenc, a Small Luxury Hotel of the World is the only five-star on the list: a white finca on a hill in the municipality of Alaior, on the road between Mahón and Cala en Porter, a 10-minute drive from the airport and as far again from the beach and the Cova d’en Xoroi. The rooms are gathered around the pool, in the island’s traditional style: whitewashed walls, exposed beams, gardens; from the sun terrace you can see the sea in the distance.
The estate grows its own vines, which surround the hotel and can be explored on foot or on horseback, and the restaurant works with produce from the organic farms of the area. There are a gym, room service, WiFi and free parking. The rooms are booked for two people: a third guest can be added on request, with a supplement, in all of them except the Albenc.
In short: a five-star country hotel with its own vineyards and restaurant, a pool at the heart of the finca, airport and Cala en Porter 10 minutes away.
6. Agroturismo Biniai Nou: the working farm ten minutes from Mahón
Agroturismo Biniai Nou stands at kilometre 5 of the road from Mahón to Ciutadella, a ten-minute drive from the town and as far again from the airport, and it is a farm that really works, with crops and animals around the white houses. The garden has an outdoor pool, a terrace and a barbecue, and the patios with stone vaults where breakfast is served in the shade.
The rooms, furnished with antiques and colourful fabrics, have a ceiling fan, a flat-screen TV, a safe and a bathroom with toiletries and hairdryer; there are family rooms, free WiFi, an airport shuttle and parking. The staff give out tourist information: it is the right base for anyone who wants the countryside but also the port of Mahón within easy reach.
In short: a working farm with a pool and stone patios, family rooms, Mahón and the airport ten minutes away.
7. Menorca Experimental: the Llucalari finca with a spa, between Alaior and the south coast
Menorca Experimental is a four-star on the Camino de Llucalari, in the municipality of Alaior, 2.8 km from Cala Llucalari, the unspoilt cove you reach on foot from Son Bou beach. The white manor house crowns a meadow of olive trees, with the long pool under the trees, the garden, the terrace and an open-air bar among the dry-stone walls.
The rooms have air conditioning, WiFi, a desk and a private bathroom, with the arches painted pink and terracotta that are the house’s signature; the spa has a sauna and a hammam, the restaurant serves a buffet or continental breakfast, and bikes and cars can be hired. The port of Mahón is 18 km away, Monte Toro 16 and the airport 17, with a paid shuttle.
In short: a finca with a pool among the olive trees, a spa with sauna and hammam, a bar in the garden, Cala Llucalari and Son Bou a few minutes away.
8. Binissafullet Vell: the agroturismo 4 km from the airport, with the cove a stone’s throw away
Agroturismo Hotel Rural Binissafullet Vell stands on the Binissafullet road, in the municipality of Sant Lluís, 2.5 km from Cala Binissafúller beach and 4 km from the airport: it is the answer for anyone landing late or leaving early who does not want to give up the countryside. The garden has a seasonal pool, terraces with dry-stone walls and green shutters, and a bar; a few minutes away is the talayotic settlement of Binissafullet, with its taula.
All the rooms look onto the pool and have air conditioning, a desk, a flat-screen TV, a minibar, a wardrobe and a private bathroom; there are family rooms and WiFi. Breakfast is buffet or Italian style. The port of Mahón is 8.6 km away, Es Grau beach 16 km, and parking is free.
In short: an agroturismo with every room on the pool, the Binissafullet taula nearby, airport 4 km and cove 2.5 km away.
9. Agroturismo Son Rosas: the country house next to the Naveta des Tudons
Agroturismo Son Rosas is a country house at kilometre 41.6 of the main Me-1 road, in the municipality of Ciutadella, 1.3 km from the Naveta des Tudons, the best-known monument of talayotic Menorca, and 4.7 km from the cathedral. The white house with green shutters has a garden with an outdoor pool and shade sails, a terrace with wooden tables and a lounge with red armchairs and old maps on the walls.
The units have air conditioning, WiFi and a bathroom with shower and hairdryer, and some have a fitted kitchen, for those who prefer to cook for themselves; private parking is on site. The Ciutadella lighthouse is 6.7 km away and the airport 40 km: it is the address furthest from Mahón on the list, and the closest to the coves of the south-west, from Son Saura to Cala Turqueta.
In short: a country house with a pool and units with a kitchen, the Naveta des Tudons on foot, Ciutadella and the south-west coves close by.
10. Binissaida Boutique Hotel: twelve hectares of countryside at the mouth of the port of Mahón
Binissaida Boutique Hotel, which many still know as Sant Joan de Binissaida, is an eighteenth-century country residence on the Camí de Binissaida, in Es Castell, very close to the mouth of the port of Mahón, on the eastern side of the island. Around it lie twelve hectares of greenery, with rows of vines, fruit trees, the pool with sun loungers under green parasols and the restaurant.
The rooms are in the house and its outbuildings, with exposed marès stone walls, beds with fabric headboards and stone bathrooms; there are room service, a bar, WiFi, an airport shuttle and free parking. From the estate start the walking and cycling paths that lead down to the coast and the port. For the other country houses with only a few rooms, see our selection of the boutique hotels in Menorca.
In short: an eighteenth-century residence with a twelve-hectare estate, pool and restaurant, the port of Mahón and Es Castell a few minutes away.
Which rural hotel to choose in Menorca: the area shapes your days
In the countryside the difference is made by where you are in relation to the sea and the airport. The south-east is the most convenient area: Biniarroca, Alcaufar Vell, Binissafullet Vell and Binissaida are all within a quarter of an hour of the airport and the port of Mahón, with the coves of Sant Lluís a stone’s throw away. The inland of Alaior and Es Migjorn Gran, with Torralbenc, Menorca Experimental and Binigaus Vell, is the choice for those who want the big southern beaches, from Son Bou to Sant Tomàs, and the country lanes for walks. The countryside of Ciutadella, with Sant Ignasi and Son Rosas, is the furthest from the airport but the closest to the south-west coves and the old town.
Two practical warnings. First: many of these houses close between November and March, so for an off-season trip check the opening dates or look at our list of the hotels in Menorca open in winter. Second: the rooms are few, and between June and September the best ones go months in advance; for the current rates there is our page of Menorca hotel deals.