Fornells (Es Mercadal, Menorca)

Fornells is a small fishing village on the north coast of Menorca, in the municipality of Es Mercadal, on the west shore of the Bay of Fornells, a natural harbour about 5 km long and 2 km wide. Drive in following the signs for Fornells and park in the free car parks at the village entrance, or take a TIB island bus. People come for the harbour of white houses with green shutters, the lobster stew and the British-era tower on the headland. It suits food lovers, sailors and kayakers; skip it if you want a long sandy beach on the doorstep.

Quick facts

• Names: Fornells (Catalan and Spanish). People from Fornells are called fornellers. Not to be confused with Fornells de Mar on the Costa Brava.
• Where: 07748 Fornells, Es Mercadal, north coast of Menorca (Balearic Islands).
• Coordinates: 40.0548, 4.1300 (the harbour front, OpenStreetMap).
• Residents: 1,197 in 2025 (Catalan Wikipedia). Catalan Wikipedia also says the village has about 1,500 people in summer and fewer than 500 in winter.
• The bay: about 5 km long and 2 km wide, one of the largest natural harbours on Menorca (Spain’s tourism board).
• Founded: as a settlement around the Castell de Sant Antoni, a fort completed in 1662; the first houses date from the 1630s (Catalan and Spanish Wikipedia).
• Known for: caldereta de langosta, the Menorcan lobster stew cooked in a clay pot.
• Entry: the village is free; the Torre de Fornells charges a fee (amount not confirmed).

Access and parking

By car: from Es Mercadal, in the centre of the island, follow the road signs to Fornells (Balearic tourism portal).

Parking: OpenStreetMap maps a free surface car park with 91 spaces, 4 of them for disabled drivers, about 100 m from the harbour, and a second free car park next to it marked as park-and-ride. There is more free parking off Carrer de la Mar and a free car park with about 20 spaces near the Torre de Fornells. We found no official parking information; in July and August expect the car parks to fill.

By bus: the Fornells stop, with a shelter, is on the edge of the village next to the car parks. OpenStreetMap tags it for TIB lines 41 and 45. We could not open the Menorca bus operator’s site, so we could not confirm the routes, the 2026 timetable or winter service.

What to expect

A compact village of low, whitewashed houses with green shutters around a sheltered marina and fishing port, with a seafront promenade (Balearic tourism portal). The harbour is full of llaüts, the traditional Menorcan wooden boats used for lobster fishing (English Wikipedia). The promenade is lined with restaurants, and the Balearic tourism portal calls Fornells the best place on the island to try caldereta de langosta. Spanish Wikipedia calls it the gastronomic capital of Menorca.

Most visitors walk the harbour front and then out to the headland at the mouth of the bay. On the way you pass the ruins of the Castell de Sant Antoni, built from 1637 to defend the bay against pirates, held in turn by the British and the French in the 18th century and partly demolished after it returned to Spain in 1782 (English Wikipedia). Further out stands the Torre de Fornells, a round defence tower built by the British in 1801–1802 to guard the harbour entrance. It is one of the largest defence towers on Menorca. The town council bought it in 1994; restoration finished in 2000, and since then it has been a museum (Spanish Wikipedia). Catalan Wikipedia says you reach it on foot from the path to the Lourdes chapel at the end of Carrer Tramuntana, and that the interior can be visited in summer.

The narrow entrance keeps out most of the swell, but the hills around the bay are too low to stop the Tramuntana, the north wind (English Wikipedia). Spain’s tourism board calls the bay ideal for sailing. From the village you can see the Cap de Cavalleria to the west and the bulk of La Mola on the east side of the entrance (English Wikipedia). Spain’s tourism board says the area lies within a protected natural area.

Practical details

• Beaches: the village has only small spots to swim from rocks and slipways. The nearest sandy beach we could confirm is Cala Tirant, about 2.5 km west in a straight line: about 90 m of fine sand by the Platges de Fornells development, with a wetland and dunes behind it, no services, and parking nearby (Balearic tourism portal).
• On the water: English Wikipedia lists boat trips, catamaran excursions, kayaking and windsurfing from the harbour.
• Services: OpenStreetMap maps a tourist information office and a free, wheelchair-accessible public toilet by the harbour, a pharmacy, and the Casa del Contramestre, a cultural building on the seafront. We could not confirm the office’s hours.
• Fiestas: the Sant Antoni fiestas at the end of July, on the fourth weekend according to English Wikipedia, with the jaleo, in which horses rear up to music among the crowd (Spain’s tourism board).

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

Avoid July and August if you can: Catalan Wikipedia notes that crowding and heavy use of the port in those months cause friction with residents. The village has about 1,500 people in summer and fewer than 500 in winter, so spring and autumn are quieter, though we could not confirm which restaurants open out of season. Come at the end of July if you want to see the Sant Antoni fiestas.

Nearby alternatives

• Es Mercadal town guide: the inland municipality Fornells belongs to, with Monte Toro.
• Illa d’en Colom (Es Grau), 16 km away: an island off Es Grau on the east coast.
• Camí de Cavalls: the coastal path around Menorca.
• Cala Mitjana (Ferreries), 19 km away: a cove on the south coast.
• Naveta des Tudons, 21 km away: a prehistoric monument in the west of the island.
• Maó Harbour, 22 km away: the harbour of Menorca’s capital.

Distances are in a straight line from the harbour of Fornells.

FAQ

Where is Fornells?

On the north coast of Menorca, in the municipality of Es Mercadal, on the west shore of the Bay of Fornells. Coordinates: 40.0548, 4.1300.

Is there parking in Fornells?

Yes. OpenStreetMap shows a free car park with 91 spaces about 100 m from the harbour, a second free car park beside it and a small free car park near the tower.

Is there a beach in Fornells?

Not a sandy one in the village. Cala Tirant, about 2.5 km west, is a 90 m sandy beach with no services.

What is Fornells famous for?

Its harbour of white houses and fishing boats, and caldereta de langosta, the Menorcan lobster stew served in the harbour restaurants.

Can you visit the Torre de Fornells?

Yes. The British-built tower has been a museum since 2000 and its interior can be visited in summer. We could not confirm the 2026 opening hours or price.

Sources and freshness