Arriving to Menorca with Balearia

Última actualización: 21/09/2023

New Ciutadella Dam in Son Blanc

Since 2011, the company Balearia centralizes all its routes in the new dock of Ciutadella de Menorca. The new dam is in the Son Blanc area. The dock is further away from the center of Ciutadella, and the services on arrival are not exactly luxurious.

There are buses that link with Ciutadella and there is almost always a cab in the parking lot.

The Son Blanc dock has some advantages for passengers:

• The routes from Barcelona with the
  Long Ferry
  now take less time, and passengers who bring their vehicle on board have an easier time embarking and disembarking (compared to the old Ciutadella harbor dock).
• It also has its disadvantages, especially for those on foot, and is that now to get to the terminal, where there are buses and cabs, you have to walk a good 500 meters.

Balearia Fast Ferrys

One of the ways to get to Menorca by boat is through the Balearia company. Balearia is mainly characterized by its
fast route between Barcelona and Ciutadella
which is normally covered in about 5 or 6 hours. There are some things to keep in mind when using Balearia as a means to reach the island, especially if you use the Fast Ferry.

First of all, it is a ship that sails badly.

• If you get seasick it is better to take the long Balearia ferry which moves much less.
• When the sea is rough, the best thing to do is to take some medication such as Biodramine (with caffeine if you don’t want to sleep).
• When the sea is really bad, or there is a warning from Rissaga, the boat can be diverted to Maó, lengthening the journey time a little more. In this case, passengers are provided with a free Maó-Ciutadella bus when they arrive at the port.

I personally always travel with Balearia for the convenience of arriving directly to Ciutadella.

Seats: Neptuno vs Sirena

On Balearia Fast Ferrys there are two categories of seats: the Sirena seat and the Neptuno seat (the most expensive). The Neptune seats serve food, some newspapers, and the air conditioning is often extremely high, so it’s a good idea to bring a sweater.

In the Sirena seats nothing is served, but in the ship’s Bar they serve you drinks, coffees, packaged snacks and other things, all at a very high price. The best thing to do when traveling on Sirena is to bring food and drink from home.

• If you decide to use Balearia to go to Menorca, it probably means that you are taking a car and going to Ciudadela. Keep in mind that the car is not accessible for the entire crossing, so take everything you need to get you through the 5 to 6 hours of travel.
• If you have a laptop and need a power outlet, the only thing you can do is arrive early and be among the first to board, as the seats near the power outlets are very few and are usually filled quickly. As for mobile and 3G connections, there is almost no coverage on most of the route, so don’t get your hopes up.
• The last thing to keep in mind is that during the whole trip there is a lot of noise, both from the TV with movies and from children. It is highly recommended to bring headphones to isolate yourself from the hustle and bustle, especially if you want to sleep.

Oh, and when you arrive at the port don’t forget to look out the window (if you are in the mood after the long trip), although now the arrival is no longer inside the magnificent port of Ciutadella, it is still nice to see the coast of Menorca from the Ferry.

Bookings with Balearia

You can make
book online at Balearia
. The process is quite fast and you can instantly check for availability and price.

• Search Balearia Offers