Menorca is not famous as a main destination for windsurfing holiday, but it offers some good spots, where you can enjoy nice sessions if you happen to come there. We tried the spot of Fornells, in the North part of the island, and so we will basically report on that spot. But we will also give some tips about other place where to ride.

 

Windsurf spot reviews: Menorca - Fornells (Balearic Islands, Spain) 

Fornells, indeed, is the most organized spot if you come here without your own equipment. To reach the spot (see map below), from wherever you are (if not already in Fornells), you just take the Me-1, the main road that run from west to east for all the lenght of the Island, and at Es Mercadal, you take the Me-15, and follow the signs the drive you North in Fornells direction. If you come from Mahon, you can directly take the Me-7 up to Fornells.

 

 

Just before entering the small village (which is picturesque), you see on your right the Wind Fornells Center, right at the spot. Turn right, just after the wide dirt ground parking, where you can easily leave your car, at a few meters from the windsurfing center. We rented all the equipment at the center. They gave us good equipment, a JP 118 Magic Ride board, and a 5.7 Neil Pryde Wizard sail. For 2 hours session, they asked the reasonable amount of 53 € (2015). Wetsuit, harness, jacket included, as well as a dressing room, with shower an toilet, available. They were very kind. English, of course, spoken. You can begin your ride from the small beach in front of the center. You don't need to wear surf shoes, because you do not meet rocks at the sea bottom (only some algae at the entrance, which cause you no disturb).

 

 

Fornells bay is long and narrow, so it offers sheltered and flat waters conditions. The spot so turns out to be easy, even with strong wind. The only difficulty you have to face is to avoid boats moored everywhere in the bay. Anyway, that is not a particular problem. We tried the spot with 20 knots North East wind. We enjoyed a good session with this conditions, particularly in the first part, when the wind was strong and constant, while in the second hour, it became a little too much gusty and not steady in direction. To enjoy your session at your best, we suggest to stay away from the promontory with an ancient tower, just on the opposite shore from where you started, since, there, the wind may be really on off, if it is not strong. Good conditions for freeride, and for freestyle, with some chops that you can use for jumps in the beginning of some freestyle maneuvers.

 

The spot works also with wind from all other directions (Menorca is an almost flat island), and with some light thermal breeze, good for beginners who want to learn and practice.

In the same bay, just one kilometer before (to the South), on the same shore, we noticed another good spot, Ses Salines (see also map below). You have a sandy beach here, and a sailing club. We saw many windsurfers here, but as far as we could see, we realized that there are not any windsurfing centers where to rent here. We asked some English guys at the spot, and they told us that the equipment was available only for people on holiday at the resorts there.

 

 

In Menorca, we discovered only another windsurfing center, Surf and Sail Menorca, based at Son Xoriguer, in the south coast, below Ciutadella (the second main village of the island). We didn't tried that spot, and so we cannot report on that. Anyway, we had a look at the bay, and we think it is good only for beginners with light wind, because you have a short sandy beach, here, with rocky coast around.

Local riders, when it's not summer time, can enjoy also Son Bou spot (the longer beach of the island, in the south part - good with wind from the south), and Cala Tirant spot, near Fornells, noticeable with Tramontana wind.

 

Aloha, Fabio Muriano

 

 

If you want to enjoy the slide gallery of our session in Fornells, and some other pictures of our holiday in Menorca, click here. 

 

Below, you have a short video of our session in Fornells, and some other videos of local surfers' sessions in Cala Tirant and Son Bou.