Illa d’en Colom (Es Grau, Menorca)

The Illa d’en Colom is the islet just off the fishing village of Es Grau on the north-east coast, in the municipality of Maó. You get there by kayak from Es Grau beach, by the boat service from the village, or on your own boat, and you may land only on its two public beaches, Tamarells and s’Arenal d’en Moro. The rest of the island is private and a strict nature reserve inside the s’Albufera des Grau Natural Park. It suits kayakers and boaters who want a quiet swim; skip it if you want to explore the island on foot, bring a dog or find a beach bar.

Quick facts

• Names: Illa d’en Colom in Catalan, Isla del Colom or Isla de Colom in Spanish.
• Where: off Es Grau, Maó (north-east Menorca). The nearest beach on the island, Tamarells, is about 1.2 km in a straight line from Es Grau beach.
• Coordinates: 39.9614, 4.2773 (centre of the island, OpenStreetMap).
• Height: rises to 49 m above the sea (illesbalears.travel).
• Beaches you can visit: Tamarells de s’Illa d’en Colom and s’Arenal d’en Moro, both on the side facing Menorca. They are the only public, visitable parts of the island.
• Protection: natural reserve within the Parc Natural de s’Albufera des Grau (park declared 4 May 1995; the reserve dates from the 2003 enlargement). The park is the core of the Menorca Biosphere Reserve.
• Dogs: not allowed on the island.
• Entry: free.

Access and parking

By kayak: the park recommends a kayak from Es Grau beach if you have no boat, and says kayaks can be hired on the beach. It calls it a simple and safe trip, as long as the tramuntana (north) wind is not blowing (s’Albufera des Grau Natural Park).

By boat: the park says one company runs boat trips from Es Grau village to the island. We could not confirm its name, times or fares; ask in Es Grau.

Your own boat: park rules ban anchoring on Posidonia and on Cymodocea seagrass. There are regulated mooring zones with buoys (the park links to the PortsIB booking site), and the park gives an information phone line for boaters, +34 617 97 51 72. In 2025 the PortsIB field here was listed as “Illa d’En Colom – Cala Tamarells”, bookable online from 1 June to 30 September (Govern de les Illes Balears, May 2025). Check the 2026 status before you sail.

Getting to Es Grau: Es Grau is 9.7 km from Maó. Leave the car in the village and walk to the beach (illesbalears.travel, Es Grau). In the tourist season, bus line 23 runs from Maó to Es Grau (park FAQ).

What to expect

The two beaches face the Menorca shore, so they are sheltered from the north wind and often used as a shelter by boats. Beyond the sand, the island is closed: the park says the rest of it is an area of strict protection in private hands and cannot be visited. Stay on the beaches.

Es Grau beach, your likely starting point, is almost 600 m long with shallow, calm water, good for children and for paddling out. It has no services, but the village has bars and restaurants. The island has no facilities at all that we could find.

The islets of the park are home to the Balearic lizard Podarcis lilfordi, which lives only on islets and has split into different subspecies there. The park bans dogs here because birds see them as a threat, even on a lead, and can abandon their nests.

Park rules that apply

• Only the two beaches may be visited; the rest of the island is strictly protected private land.
• No dogs or other pets on the Illa d’en Colom.
• No anchoring on Posidonia or Cymodocea seagrass; use the regulated buoys.
• Authorisation needed for groups of 25 or more, spearfishing, drone flights, and camping or bivouacking.
• Do not walk on the dunes or take stones from anywhere in the park.

The park’s reception centre, Rodríguez Femenías, is on the Es Grau road (Me-5, turn-off for Llimpa at km 3.5) and opens 9:00–15:00 every day (checked November 2026, park website); tel. 971 17 77 05. Entry is free.

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

Summer, on a day without north wind, for the kayak crossing; the 2025 buoy season ran from 1 June to 30 September. Go early to find space on the small beaches before the boats arrive. For birdwatching in the wider park, the park recommends October to February and the spring and autumn migrations.

Nearby alternatives

• Camí de Cavalls, 8 km away (to our map point): the coastal path round Menorca; the 8.6 km stage from Es Grau to Favàritx starts by the village.
• Maó Harbour, 8 km away: Menorca’s capital and its long natural harbour.
• Illa de l’Aire, 18 km away: the lighthouse islet off Punta Prima, closed to landing but a marine reserve for divers.
• Cala Mitjana, 26 km away: a cove on Menorca’s south coast, in Ferreries.
• Cala Macarelleta, 29 km away: a small cove in Ciutadella.

Distances are in a straight line from the centre of the island.

FAQ

How do I get to the Illa d’en Colom?

By kayak from Es Grau beach (hire on the beach), by the boat service from Es Grau village, or on your own boat. Only the two beaches can be visited.

Can you kayak to the Illa d’en Colom?

Yes. The natural park calls it a simple and safe trip from Es Grau beach, as long as the tramuntana (north) wind is not blowing. Tamarells beach is about 1.2 km away in a straight line.

Can you walk around the Illa d’en Colom?

No. Only the beaches are public; the rest of the island is private and under strict protection.

Can I bring my dog to the Illa d’en Colom?

No. Pets are banned on the island to protect nesting birds.

Is there parking for the Illa d’en Colom?

Park in Es Grau village and walk to the beach, where the kayaks start. In season, bus line 23 runs from Maó.

Sources and freshness