Section I · The Ranked Twelve
From best to twelfth.
Sorted by what each villa does well at the occupancy it is built for. The number-one pick is the one we would book first given a free pick across the twelve.
No. I
The six-bedroom Cala en Porter estate. (Le Collectionist)
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Area: Cala en Porter, south coast. Peak rate:. Included: housekeeper, daily breakfast, two cars, pool maintenance, gardener. Not included: chef (€220 to €320 per service plus food), beach club credit.
Why it ranks here: Le Collectionist’s named-verified Menorca inventory is small. This property is the workhorse. Six proper en-suite kings across two floors, a 16-meter lap pool, and a southern orientation that holds outdoor dining from May through October. The drive to the Cala en Porter beach is 4 minutes. The drive to Mahón for restaurants runs 18 minutes off-peak.
What we would change: the upper terrace shade is light. Add a retractable pergola or sleep the late risers downstairs. The cook’s kitchen station sits in the main run of the house; ask for a service-door routing if you plan two large dinners in the week.
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No. II
The Binibeca seven-bedroom, south coast.
Bedrooms: 7. Sleeps: 14. Area: Binibeca Vell. Peak rate: €26,000 to €38,000 / week. Included: full staff (housekeeper, two stewards, gardener), two cars, three pools, gym. Not included: chef, boat charter, paid pool heating.
Why it ranks here: Binibeca Vell is the whitewashed village on the south coast and this property sits above it on the cliff. Seven kings across two buildings, three pools, and a kitchen that handles 14 at dinner. The walk to Binibeca for cocktails runs 8 minutes. The water from the property is accessed by a 4-minute path with cut steps to a small private cove.
What we would change: Binibeca village turns to high-foot-traffic from 11 a.m. through nine p.m. in August. Plan the village walks for morning or after the dinner sitting.
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No. III
The Cap d’Artrutx six-bedroom, sunset point.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Area: Cap d’Artrutx, west tip. Peak rate: €22,000 to €32,000 / week. Included: housekeeper, gardener, one car, pool. Not included: chef, second car, paid sunset-boat charter.
Why it ranks here: the western tip of the island catches the Mallorca sunset across the channel. Six kings, an infinity pool oriented west, and a single long table on the upper terrace for the sunset dinner. Ciutadella is 22 minutes by car for the evening dinners. Walking access to the lighthouse on the headland is 6 minutes.
What we would change: west exposure means the wind picks up in August afternoons. The outdoor dining table needs the windbreak panels deployed; verify they are on site before arrival.
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No. IV
The Sant Lluis five-bedroom, finca-style.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Area: Sant Lluis, inland. Peak rate: €16,000 to €24,000 / week. Included: housekeeper, gardener, two cars, working pool, vegetable plot. Not included: chef, beach club access (Punta Prima clubs charge separately).
Why it ranks here: the agrotourism pick on the list. A working finca with five proper en-suite kings, a 14-meter pool above the orange grove, and a kitchen with a wood-fired oven that handles ten at outdoor dinners. Sant Lluis village is 4 minutes by car for the dinner restaurants. The beaches at Punta Prima and Binibeca run 8 to 12 minutes.
What we would change: the orange grove also draws insects in July. Verify the screen status on the doors before the deposit. The included compact cars are slow on the rural roads; pay the upgrade for the second car.
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No. V
The Macarella hillside, four-bedroom.
Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Area: Macarella, south. Peak rate: €12,500 to €18,000 / week. Included: housekeeper, one car, pool. Not included: chef, beach club access (Macarella is protected; clubs are not on the cove).
Why it ranks here: Macarella is the most beautiful sand cove on the island and the village above it has eight villas, this being one of them. Four kings, a 10-meter pool, and a 7-minute walk down to the cove. The Camí de Cavalls path links to Cala Mitjana in 25 minutes for the second swim.
What we would change: Macarella is a protected area; parking access is capped at 80 cars from June 15 through September 15. Walk down. Drive to Galdana or Mitjana for the days the parking is full.
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No. VI
The Es Mercadal eight-bedroom finca.
Bedrooms: 8. Sleeps: 16. Area: Es Mercadal, central inland. Peak rate: €32,000 to €48,000 / week. Included: full staff (housekeeper, two stewards, gardener, pool attendant), three cars, working farm, two pools. Not included: chef, boat day, third car.
Why it ranks here: the largest finca-style property we keep on the editorial list. Eight kings across two buildings, two pools, and a working farm with a vegetable plot and chickens. The drive to the south-coast beaches runs 18 to 24 minutes; the north-coast beaches at Fornells and Cala Tirant run 14 to 18. For a 14- to 16-person multi-generational week, this is the configuration that holds.
What we would change: the central position trades beach proximity for the inland farm feel. Plan beach days as half-day commitments rather than the morning swim. The second building runs Wi-Fi on a separate hub; confirm the speed before any guest plans to work from there.
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No. VII
The Cala Galdana five-bedroom, family pick.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Area: Cala Galdana. Peak rate: €15,000 to €22,000 / week. Included: housekeeper, one car, pool, gated lower terrace. Not included: chef, beach club access, second car.
Why it ranks here: the family-with-young-children pick. Five kings on two floors, a 12-meter pool with a gated perimeter, and a 6-minute walk down to Cala Galdana beach (sand-bottomed, sheltered, lifeguards from June 15 through September 15). The drive to the beach is unnecessary; the path is the better route.
What we would change: the property sits in a residential area shared with the Galdana hotel complex. The afternoon hotel-pool noise carries to the upper bedrooms. Sleep early risers in the lower wing.
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No. VIII
The Fornells four-bedroom, north coast.
Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Area: Fornells village. Peak rate: €13,500 to €19,500 / week. Included: housekeeper, one car, pool, harbor walk. Not included: chef (Fornells village holds the best caldereta de llagosta restaurants; eating out is the model), beach club access.
Why it ranks here: the north-coast pick on the list. Fornells is the fishing village where the lobster stew (caldereta) is the regional dish, and three of the village restaurants run on the Michelin Bib list. Four kings, a 10-meter pool, and a 5-minute walk to the harbor. The Cala Tirant beach is 8 minutes by car. The drive to Mahón runs 28 minutes.
What we would change: Fornells is exposed to the Tramontana. On a north-wind week the bay churns and the swim becomes the pool. Verify the weather window before the booking.
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No. IX
The Punta Prima three-bedroom, beach-walk.
Bedrooms: 3. Sleeps: 6. Area: Punta Prima. Peak rate: €9,500 to €14,500 / week. Included: housekeeper, one car, pool. Not included: chef, beach club, second car.
Why it ranks here: the small-group pick on the list. Three kings, an 8-meter pool, and a 4-minute walk to Punta Prima beach (sand-bottomed, lifeguards in season). Right for two couples and a guest, or a family of six. The drive to Mahón for dinner runs 14 minutes. The Sant Lluis dinner restaurants are 6 minutes by car.
What we would change: the kitchen is tight for serious cooking. Book a chef twice in the week and let them work; keep the self-prep nights simple.
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No. X
The Ciutadella six-bedroom, harbor side.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Area: Ciutadella, west. Peak rate: €18,000 to €26,000 / week. Included: housekeeper, two cars, pool. Not included: chef, harbor-front parking permit, beach access (drive).
Why it ranks here: Ciutadella is the historic capital and the dinner scene is stronger than Mahón. This property sits in the upper town with six kings, a 14-meter pool, and a 9-minute walk down to the harbor. For a group that wants the city as the daily output and beach days as the weekend, this is the configuration. The Sant Joan festival in late June takes the town for three days; rates triple in that window.
What we would change: harbor parking in the high season is limited. The included cars are a 7-minute walk to the off-property garage. Plan the parking with the manager.
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No. XI
The Son Bou five-bedroom, agrotourism.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Area: Son Bou hillside. Peak rate: €14,500 to €21,000 / week. Included: housekeeper, gardener, one car, working pool. Not included: chef, second car, beach club access.
Why it ranks here: the second agrotourism pick on the list, sitting on the hillside above Son Bou (the longest sand beach on the island, 2.4 km). Five kings, a 12-meter pool over the orchard, and a kitchen with a wood-fired oven. The drive to the beach runs 6 minutes; the path down for walkers runs 22 minutes.
What we would change: the Son Bou beach turns busy from 11 a.m. through five p.m. in August. Arrive early or pick the south-end Atalís section, which is the quieter half.
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No. XII
The Cala Morell four-bedroom, north.
Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Area: Cala Morell, north coast. Peak rate: €11,500 to €17,000 / week. Included: housekeeper, one car, pool. Not included: chef, beach club access (no clubs in the cove), second car.
Why it ranks here: Cala Morell is the cliff cove at the northwest tip with the prehistoric burial caves on the headland. Four kings, an infinity pool oriented to the cove, and a 5-minute path down to the rock pools. The cove water is the calmest north-coast swim. Ciutadella is 12 minutes by car for dinner.
What we would change: the rock pools are not sand. For a group that needs sand-bottomed swimming with children, this is the wrong cove. Pair the week with a Son Bou or Galdana day trip.
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