Hiking to Cala Macarella & Macarelleta: Everything You Need to Know!

Hiking to Cala Macarella and Cala Macarelleta! Considering visiting the beautiful sister coves of Cala Macarella and Macarelleta and wondering how bad the hike is to get to them?

While hiking on a beach vacation may not sound appealing, the “hike” really isn’t bad. I saw people in flip flops, elderly people, kids and all kinds of people doing the hike.

Plus, during peak season (June-September) the alternative requires taking a bus, so this can be a more convenient option as well.

Here is everything you need to know about hiking to Cala Macarella including where the beaches are located, where the trailhead is located, what to expect on the trail, getting to Cala Macarelleta from Macarella, fitness level required plus additional information about visiting the beaches such as amenities available, what to wear and pack and guided tour options to the beaches.

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Cala Macarella and Cala Macarelleta are sister coves that are some of the most popular coves on the island. This is due in large part to the incredible color of both coves. While one has a beautiful turquoise color, the other has a deep blue hue.

While there are lots of coves on Menorca with super blue waters, these two coves also have great views from above that are fairly easy to access.

I visited in July and opted to hike rather than take the bus from Ciutadella because I could drive myself to Cala Galdana and be in control of when I came and left rather than being dependent on the bus schedule.

I also planned to visit Cala Mitjana and continue east down the coast after visiting Macarella. The trailhead is very near where I parked at Cala Galdana, so it just didn’t make sense for me to go all the way to Ciutadella.

And, again, the hike was relatively quick and easy and added a little movement to my itinerary. I really didn’t mind the hike at all!

What to Expect on the Trail: Length of the Hike, Trail Conditions & More

The trail has a slight incline/decline throughout the trail but is relatively flat UNTIL you get to the steps that descend to the beach.

Once you complete the “trail”portion, you will come to a wooden set of steps. They are nice and sturdy, but you will have to descend (and thus, ascend later) around 200 steps to get down to the beach.

Cala Macarella vs Cala Macarelleta

Cala Macarella is the bigger of the two beaches with more amenities and things to do like kayaking.

Cala Macarelleta is the smaller cove and is more of a turquoise color rather than blue. Cala Macarelleta is also a “nude optional” beach, so beware of this also. I’ll admit I didn’t even know this when I went. But, in all honesty, I can’t say I remember seeing anymore b()()bs here than anywhere else that I went in Menorca 🙃 (they are prominent on the island lol)

A small tip on which to visit first 👇🏻

You will come to Cala Macarella first from the steps at the end of the trail. If you hit the trail early, you will come to it pretty early in the day.

And, in the morning, the color of Cala Macarella is going to be underwhelming. I was worried I hiked and descended all those stairs to see a dull-colored cove (compared to the pictures I saw.)

However, when I tried to climb along the cliffside trail to see if the color would be better from a higher viewpoint I realized you could take this trail to Cala Macarelleta (I didn’t know this before hand 🙃.) THIS is where I first got sight of the vibrant waters!

Cala Macarelleta has the BRIGHT turquoise hues even earlier in the day. The angle of this cove means the tall cliffs block the direct sunlight that reflects off the water and dulls the colors of Cala Macarella early in the day.

Therefore, I recommend heading straight to Cala Macarelleta and then returning to Macarella once the sun is a little higher in the sky and the water is at its full blue hue.

Getting from Cala Macarella to Cala Macarelleta

If you are opting to take the hike, the steps will bring you to the East side of the beach (view from below.) The trail from the bus stop and parking will also bring you to this side of the beach.

Once here, cross the beach of Macarella to find the trailhead to Cala Macarelleta.

You will continue up the slightly-sketchy, man-made rock steps to the trail that will take you along the cliff that overlooks Cala Macarella.

Once you get to the end of this trail, it will turn right and here is where you will see Cala Macarelleta.

Continue along the trail that overlooks Cala Macarelleta until you come to another set of man-made rock steps. These will descend down to the beach.

Fitness Level Required to Hike to Cala Macarella & Macarelleta

This hike is doable for most people. Again, I saw elderly people doing this hike, people doing it in flipflops, people carrying their beach necessities while doing it, etc.

Not that it won’t be a challenge (especially climbing the stairs back up.) but the trail itself isn’t exceptionally long or rough/uneven.

However, the steps and trail from Cala Macarella to Macarelleta is a little steeper and more rugged.

The hike from Cala Macarella to Macarelleta is only about 10 minutes. But most of the steps are man-made, rock steps with thin, wooden hand rails. Then, once you get to the bottom of the steps and almost to the beach, you have to kind of just navigate a rock without actual steps.

All this to say, Cala Macarella is a little more easily accessible as long as you can handle ~200 well-groomed steps. However, to get to Cala Macarelleta, you need a little more balance and ability to climb steeper steps with less-sturdy hand rails, etc.

Amenities Located at the Beaches

Cala Macarella is a good place to spend a day at the beach due to its amenities.

It has nice, natural shade along the back of the beach for one. But it also has restrooms as well as vendors and a restaurant.

You can also rent kayaks at Cala Macarella.

Cala Macarelleta, however, does not have amenities or a lot of shade. You can find a little shade, depending on the time of day, up against the cliffside. Or, you can go deeper into the trees behind the beach, but you won’t find trees directly on the beach.

If you opt to spend your beach time here, I recommend bringing your own form of shade.

What To Wear

Breathable Top– The hike might not be awful, but it is enough to make you sweat. I recommend a breathable tank top that will dry quickly after you sweat and after you take a dip in the water

Breathable Shorts– Hiking back to Cala Galdana after swimming means you will be hiking wet. Worse than being wet up top will be having wet shorts that won’t dry quickly. I opted to wear moisture-wicking skort, but shorts or biker shorts work too.

Sturdy Shoes– Sneakers aren’t really necessary and will actually be a pain when you get to the beach. Instead, I recommend a sturdy pair of sandals. My favorites right now are Teva Hurricane’s!

Swimsuit– Though there are restrooms at Cala Macarella, it will be easier just to come with your swimsuit under your clothes

Anti-Chafe Balm– This one was a non-negotiable for me. Hiking after being wet and sandy (and even on the way there, being sweaty) the likelihood of chafing is high! I used the Body Glide for Her Balm and carried it with me EVERYWHERE.

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What to pack & Bring With You

Travel Beach Towel– I don’t like laying directly on the sand and like having somewhere less sandy to lay my things. I brought a Sun’y quick-drying beach towel that wicks sand. But there are other cheaper brands also.

Kindle– If you are like me, you can get a LOT of reading time done at the beach. Rather than hiking with a book, bring your kindle!

Sunscreen– Another non-negotiable. The hike does have some shade, but there are still spots without shade. And, again, Cala Macarelleta does not have a lot of shade. You can either buy a travel-sized sunscreen, or buy this when you arrive in Menorca.

Sunscreen Powder– Ladies, if you have had the part of your hair burn, sunscreen powder can be a good addition to your beach bag.

Mini-Umbrella– The one thing I didn’t have that I wish I DID have was a small umbrella. If I were to do this again, I would have either brought a small, carry-on sized umbrella or bought a small one on my first day to use throughout my trip. I wished I had it on MULTIPLE occasions.

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Even though visiting Cala Macarella and Macarelleta took a little work during busy season, it was worth it! They are truly beautiful coves with incredibly blue waters.

If you plan to visit during busy season, I just recommend getting a pretty early start so you can beat the majority of the crowd.

Plan to visit nearby Cala Mitjana? Here is everything you need to know about visiting Cala Mitjana!

How to spend 5 days in Menorca seeing the best beaches, hiking, taking a boat tour and more!