I Found The Santorini Of Spain And It’s This Gorgeous Whitewashed Town With Turquoise Seas

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I once spent $800 a night on a caldera-view suite in the heart of Oia, Santorini’s trendiest town, because I simply didn’t know any better.

While the room itself felt incredibly premium, and the fact that my outdoor plunge pool sat right at the foot of the world’s most famous blue dome did somehow make up for it, the chaos of the morning crowds and the eye-watering dent in my bank account left a, ahem, lasting bittersweet taste.

Santorini’s cool, but it’s not the only postcard-perfect, whitewashed beauty you can find across the pond.

This summer, I swapped Greece for the lesser-known Spanish island of Menorca—that’s Mallorca’s smaller, somewhat quieter sister—and I was properly gobsmacked when I pulled up to my hotel, only to find a miniature Santorini… with half the crowds.

The Prettiest Town In Menorca Is An Unlikely Santorini Look-Alike

Most tourists who go to Menorca choose between one of two main towns: either Port Mahon, the island’s eastern capital and liveliest settlement, or Ciutadella in the west, its historic seat, dominated by this soaring Gothic cathedral and peppered with medieval gems.

I chose Binibeca Vell instead:

A small coastal village perched on Menorca’s southeastern coast, it’s a jumble of weathered fishermen’s cottages arranged higgledy-piggledy around a tiny harbor. The first thing that popped into my mind when I stepped out of the bedroom and onto my private balcony overlooking the Old Town was…

‘Well, doesn’t this look familiar?‘

Whitewashed homes packed into tight clusters, set along the harbor like a pile of sugar cubes, an intricate maze of narrow, cobbled lanes that will have you lost in no time, and family-owned tabernas serving up fresh fish caught just offshore earlier that day.

Binibeca doesn’t cling to the cliffside of a caldera like towns in Santorini do, nor is it a popular port of call for mainline cruises, but being here feels like you’re on a remote, sun-drenched Greek island instead of in a holiday village in the heart of Spain’s Balearics.

There’s no blue dome, sure, but that tall, stark-white square belfry—rising like a blocky beacon above the rooftops and crowned with a simple cross—looks that much cooler.

Prettier Than Oia?

As gorgeous as Santorini is, the whole island today feels like one big photo op and a playground for Insta influencers swanning around in their flying dresses at sunset.

I’m not exactly innocent of standing in line for a sunset shot with Oia’s blue dome, but you gotta do what you gotta do when in Santorini. I can only imagine what it must have been like in the ’70s, though, before cell phones, Instagram, and all the palaver.

Binibeca’s not exactly a hidden gem tucked away in some quiet corner of Europe.

It’s a purpose-built village on one of Spain’s most popular vacation islands, even if I’d make the argument that Menorca is a touch sleepier than Mallorca. Yet it still feels more like a slow-down, switch-off-and-enjoy-the-sunset kind of spot than a permanent backdrop for selfies.

You might have to contend with the occasional coachload of day-trippers from Port Mahon during the day, but as soon as night falls and the old-fashioned lampposts spaced every few steps along the main promenade cast the cobbles aglow, it’s just you and your shadow with a whole maze of whitewashed streets and passageways practically to yourselves.

Well, and a handful of other holidaymakers with dinner reservations.

Your Home In The Heart Of Binibeca

By the way, if you’re looking for a peaceful stay in the heart of Binibeca, within walking distance of the restaurants and harbor, Hotel Menorca Binibeca by Pierre & Vacances is your best bet.

It’s a 5-minute walk from the Old Town, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I felt as calm and unhurried.

Beautiful rustic décor, front-row sunset views over the Mediterranean right from your balcony, and, if you ever grow tired of early-morning dips in that crystal-clear harbor, there’s also a beautiful outdoor pool to take your pick from. All of this for as little as $137 a night this fall.

I wasn’t paid to write this, nor is this a sponsored story. I genuinely enjoyed it.

Worlds Away From Barcelona

And I mean, how could I not when this feels like you’re worlds away from the jam-packed Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and even Mallorca, despite being a mere 42 miles from its sister island?

Menorca is super chill, and the usual problems affecting tourists in other tourist-heavy parts of Spain generally do not apply here.

It’s largely made up of tiny coastal settlements and rural villages, so organized crime, pickpocketing gangs, and other issues that typically affect larger urban centers do not apply here.

Naturally, I wouldn’t leave my personal belongings unattended while going for a swim, no matter how clear and inviting the water looks, but it’s true that, on a compact, 269-square-mile landmass with protected ports and strict surveillance like Menorca, criminals don’t exactly have a place to run or hide.

If you’re heading to Spain, and you’re wondering how safe the country is right now, it scores 93 out of 100 on the Traveler Safety Index, based on reports from recent visitors… like yours truly:

The Perfect Day In Binibeca

Here’s how the perfect day in Binibeca, Menorca goes like:

• You wake up at around 9 a.m., just in time to catch the tail end of breakfast at your harborfront hotel
• From 10 a.m. until around 1:30 p.m., you swim and laze around in the turquoise harbor at the foot of the Old Town
• Late 2 p.m. lunch at El Faro in nearby Cala Torret, and do go for their brothy lobster rice
• A cheeky little post-lunch siesta
• You spend the rest of the afternoon browsing shops, getting hopelessly lost in the narrow lanes, and soaking up the laid-back atmosphere
• A quick dip in the hotel pool for good measure before dinner
• 10 p.m. dinner—Spanish hours, amigos—at Sa Musclera, where you should go for the Menorcan stew

Check Travel Rules For Europe Before Flying

As attractive as this sounds, before you start packing, make sure you’re up to speed with Europe’s new entry and stay regulations.

The continent has had a massive overhaul of its border rules this year, including the introduction of a mandatory fingerprinting step for Americans and other non-European visitors. This is in order to ensure they have not overstayed their 90-day tourist visa.

Since then, over 44,000+ travelers have been denied entry for failing to comply with the rules.

Use the Entry Requirement Checker to verify Europe’s latest border regulations.

The Best Beaches Near Binibeca

I could easily just have stayed in Binibeca for all of my days in Menorca, but charming as it may be, it works best as a launchpad for exploring the island’s quieter southeastern corner.

There are some truly jaw-dropping beaches here.

Not the pebbly, bring-your-water-shoes kind you get in Croatia and the Amalfi Coast, but proper, powdery-white stretches of sand that look like they belong in the Caribbean instead. Oh, and here’s the kicker: they’re all within a short 10- to 15-minute drive of town.

• Cala Binibèquer: the easiest to reach, barely a mile from the main village, with soft white sand and calm turquoise water
• Cala Binissafúller: a sheltered inlet with lovely, shallow water. Roughly 2 miles away and usually frequented by in-the-know locals
• Caló Blanc: a tiny rocky cove with extraordinarily clear water. There’s barely any sand, but the electric-blue hue of the sea here makes it well worth the detour—and it’s only around 2 miles out
• Cala de Binidalí: a secluded, horseshoe-shaped cove backed by low cliffs. About 4 miles out as you drive west from Binibeca towards Cala en Porter
• Punta Prima: one of my favorite beaches in Menorca, complete with views over Illa de l’Aire and its lighthouse, plus seafront restaurants and plenty of family-friendly facilities. Around 3 miles to the east, towards the island’s southeastern tip

Tourists generally pack into the big hitters like Cala Macarella, its smaller, once-secret and now equally overrun sister Macarelleta, or Cala Mitjana, Mitjaneta, and the adjacent coves along the southwestern coast.

The whole coastal strip stretching from Binidalí, passing Binibeca, all the way to Punta Prima is generally much less crowded, and if you’re basing yourself in the village, you can easily get to any of the beaches listed above in next to no time, ideally before the parking spots fill up…

And from late September onward, they rarely do in this part of the island, Caló Blanc’s handful of roadside spaces being the one possible exception.

Getting To Menorca From North America

Wondering how to get to Menorca this season from the U.S.? You have plenty of options available:

Either flying anywhere in mainland Spain, or even the wider Europe, and then hopping on a direct flight to Menorca with low-cost airlines like Ryanair, usually to the tune of $30 one-way; or…

Flying direct to Mallorca, the nearest Spanish destination hosting Transatlantic flights (Newark), and boarding a Menorca-bound ferry.

Ferries leave from Mallorca at the Port of Alcúdia, and you can choose between either Port Mahon or Ciutadella as destinations in Menorca.

Ferries From Mallorca To Menorca

• Alcúdia → Ciutadella: the main and fastest route, taking around 1–2 hours. Several daily sailings are avialable with Baleària and Menorca Lines
• Palma → Mahón: around 6 hours, generally once weekly with Trasmed (frequency may be reduced in the fall)
• Alcúdia → Mahón: a very limited Trasmed service taking roughly 3-and-a-half hours. Not available on every date or consistently in both directions, so better to call in and check in advance

The average price for a ferry ticket from Mallorca to Menorca ranges from only $30 to $140 one-way, depending on the season, route, operator, and whether you’re bringing a vehicle onboard.

Port Mahón is the closest ferry terminal to Binibeca, just a short 20-minute drive away, while Ciutadella is a longer 50-minute drive across the island.

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