Son Bou’s biggest draw is it fabulous beach. Over 3 miles of soft, golden sand that shelves gently into the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. Holding the award for Menorca’s largest beach, it does mean it attracts many visitors from across the island but there’s plenty of room for everyone to find a decent and spacious spot near its shoreline if they so desire.
There are many water sport activities on offer at Son Bou, from water slide pontoons, kayaking, banana boat rides to kite surfing and snorkelling.
Accommodation in Son Bou
You’ll find a wide range of hotels, smaller aparthotels, apartments and villas in Son Bou. When booking your holiday here, it’s important to note that Son Bou is divided into three areas, Central Son Bou, Sant Jaime and Torre Soli Nou.
Central Son Bou
The centre of Sou Bou is also the main gateway to the beach and so access to it is quick and easy if your accommodation is located here. There’s a couple of large hotels located here and eastwards from the centre which are ideally located for those who prefer package holidays – just a stones throw from the beach, restaurants and shops. You will find a number of quality hotels here in Sou Bou, including The Royal Son Bou Family Hotel which is one particular hotel that is very popular with it’s guests, has many facilities including a gorgeous pool and is in a great location for accessing both the beach and the resorts’ restaurants.
Sant Jaime (Jaume)
Sant Jaime, or alternatively called Sant Jaume is a halfway house between the 2 other areas and actually the original name of the entire resort, pushed aside somewhat by the popularity of the beach name. It’s A mix of villas, apartments and apart-hotels with more entertainment facilities than Torre Soli Nou. You’ll also find a few shops dotted around and options for dining out too. Access to the beach is still fairly straightforward with approximately a 5 to 10 minute walk, but of course do check the location of your accommodation before booking as there’s a lot of crossover in terms of where areas begin and finish. For something a little quieter, yet still within walking distance of the beach, The Son Bou Gardens is an aparthotel that features rooms more akin to a small villa/apartment. It’s just 1.5km to the beach, which when you bear in mind some people visiting Son Bou’s beach in the height of summer may not be able to park that close anyway, isn’t too far a walk when all things are compared. There is however, a wide choice of self catering Villas & Apartments in Sant Jaume that can you book directly with the owner or Property Manager via booking websites, such as Holidu, Holiday Lettings and many others.
Torre Soli Nou
Torre Soli Nou is a little bit further afield and requires a long walk to the beach. Whilst this may not be too much of an issue occasionally, you may wish to consider taking the resort’s little ‘train’ or hiring a car if you plan to visit the beach on a more daily basis. However, many of the private villas available to rent in Torre Soli Nou are extremely well appointed, with many boasting their own private pool, or at least a shared pool with a few other residents. These villas and apartments are set further back inland, set amongst pine trees with fabulous views out to sea – it is of course much quieter here too being further away from the centre of the resort.
The Beach at Son Bou
Son Bou’s beach is the largest on the island, and whilst it attracts more visitors than any other, you’ll find there’s still plenty of space to find even a water edge spot, if you’re prepared to put a little effort in. Naturally, the nearer you are to the entrance and car park, the busier it will seem. This however is where you’ll find most of the activities on offer and all 3 of it’s beachside snack bars.
The beach is lifeguarded throughout the summer months along most of it’s expansive length. As with many of the southern facing beaches on Menorca, the sea is crystal clear due to the pale white sands and despite being so open, with no bay as such, it’s waters are still lovely and warm in summer.
The sand shelves gently into the sea, although is a little less protected from waves on a breezy day – not that you’ll get many of those during the summer months.
A huge car park at the rear of the beach accommodates hundreds of cars, but incredibly can be full by 11am during peak periods, so if hiring a car and staying a little further afield, this is worth noting beforehand.
Restaurants & Bars in Son Bou
There are numerous restaurants and bars at Son Bou, with an overall vibe of providing family fun rather than taking their dining experience too seriously. That’s not to say you can’t find good quality food here, quite the opposite. Many of the restaurants here have been running for many years and remain favourites with return visitors to Son Bou.
The Club San Jamie, located in, you guessed it, Sant Jamie is always very popular. They offer both daytime and evening dining, all of which is reasonably priced and have an extensive menu that offers something for everyone. Throughout the summer months, there is also a live music act to keep you entertained whilst you dine or enjoy a bottle of Rioja.
Alesandro’s is an Italian restaurant, specialising of course in pizza and pasta dishes and is located a short walk from the beach behind the gift shops.
For a more traditional, Spanish experience, Casa Andrés located in Son Sou centre is definitely worth a look if finer dining is more to your liking. They have an excellent menu that is reasonably priced given the quality of food and service on offer.
But it doesn’t end there, there are plenty of other restaurants located near the centre of the resort, such as Las Dunas (pictured below) and others dotted around the wider resort.
There are also a number of bars in Son Sou, but for that ultimate holiday experience, a cocktail sipped whilst your toes are in the sand is hard to beat at one of the areas 3 beach bars.
Activities in and around Son Bou
If you’ve had enough of finding sand in every pair of swim shorts, The Club San Jamie boasts a large swimming pool surrounded by an sun lounging area or large area of lawn if you prefer to bring your towels to lie on. Inside the restaurant, the restaurant, you’ll also find a separate room with arcade machines, and games tables, including pool and table football. Nearby, there’s a 10 metre high slide (a fee is required) for children to burn off energy and lifeguards are onsite at all times.
There’s also a plethora of gift shops in Son Bou ranging from the traditional to the more chic. Most of these can be found on the main strip leading down to the beach.
