'Menorca Cala Santandria boats and sea view' Nicky Jacobs / ShutterstockCala Santandria, just south of the town and within easy walking distance, is Ciutadella's own beach. Unfortunately, its proximity makes it overcrowded during the high season.
Cala Santandria is a narrow and deep inlet at the bottom of which two small sandy beaches, separated by a few meters, have been formed. The first one is 55m wide and boasts fine sand with a very small slope. The shore's palm trees that sweeten the atmosphere. The other cove is even more graceful, although much smaller. It's 30m long and 8m wide. Although urban planning has been wasteful with them, the beaches still remain a quiet family corner.
It is a good alternative for families with children as it's fully equipped with everything you'd need on a beach day (sunbeds, umbrellas, lifeguard, beach bars, pedalos, showers, toilets, etc.). The slope is very small while the water is always very calm. It's a genuine natural pool, perfect for infants. The calm waters are not only due to being at the bottom of a long, narrow inlet, over 500m deep. Also it's orientation brings about a big advantage. During the summer, winds are most annoying at N and E, so its orientation to W keeps it safe from dangerous waves.
One of the best attractions of Santandria is the 'Cova sa Nacra' restaurant, which is excavated in a cavern and sits on the rocks overlooking Cala Santandria. The view is too good to be true. There is a snack bar on the upper level and a full restaurant on its lower level.