Maó Harbour
TownMaó’s harbour runs about 5 km inland and is up to 900 m wide — one of the longest natural harbours in the world, and the reason the Royal Navy made it their principal Mediterranean base for much of the 18th century. It is also why the town above it has sash windows, fanlights and Georgian doorcases.
What it actually is
A drowned river valley on Menorca’s east coast: deep, sheltered and almost invisible from the open sea. Maó stands on the cliff along its south side, with the quays of Moll de Llevant and Moll de Ponent below, reached down the ramped Costa de ses Voltes. The town has been the island capital since the British moved it here from Ciutadella, and the harbour is still working — ferries, a naval station, fishing boats and superyachts sharing the same water.
The British century
A British and Dutch force took Menorca in 1708 and the Treaty of Utrecht confirmed the possession in 1713. The island changed hands repeatedly after that and only passed to Spain for good in 1802. The Navy laid out a dockyard on the north shore in 1715 and founded a naval hospital on Illa del Rei in 1711; ruined for decades, that hospital reopened in 2021 as the Hauser & Wirth Menorca gallery, reached by launch from the quay. Mayonnaise is generally held to take its name from the town.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get out on the water?
Yes. Glass-bottomed launches make a circuit of the harbour from Moll de Llevant, and a separate shuttle runs across to Illa del Rei and its gallery.
What should I eat or take home?
Mahón-Menorca cheese, cured on the island, and Maó gin — another British leftover, still distilled here on a wine-alcohol base.
Maó or Mahón?
Maó is the official Catalan form and the one on the road signs. Mahón is the Spanish spelling, and it survives in the name of the cheese.
Explore more of the Illes Balears
Maó is one of many destinations on the CostaMap interactive map — browse beaches, coves, castles and viewpoints across the islands.