East coast · 39.9156° N, 4.2868° E
Cala Mesquida by boat
Cala Mesquida sits on the east coast of Menorca. Its mouth opens to the east (70°), so the wind that blows straight in is the llevant. The nearest port by sea is Maó, approx. 7 nm away: about 30 min at 15 knots.
Getting there by boat
The distances in the quick facts are by sea from the six reference ports, worked out on the OpenStreetMap coastline and rounded to half a mile. Times are a rough guide: a steady 15 knots, with no stops and calm water.
Only Maó is within half an hour. From every other port each leg takes longer than that.
From Maó the sea route (approx. 7 nm) is much longer than the straight line (approx. 2 nm) because you have to follow the coast around.
Cala Galdana, Cala en Bosch and Ciutadella are more than 20 miles away. From Ciutadella, the round trip adds up to about 4 h 40 min at 15 knots, so it only makes sense as a day exploring the coast.
If you go out on a navigation licence (licencia de navegación), remember it only lets you go 2 miles from a port, marina or sheltered spot, and the rental company sets the area you can use. More in our guide to hiring a boat without a licence in 2027.
Which wind suits it
Good choice with llebeig (SW), ponent (W) and mestral (NW). These blow off the land or from behind the cove, so the mouth stays sheltered.
Avoid it with gregal (NE), llevant (E) and xaloc (SE). They blow straight in and push the swell into the cove, which makes anchoring and swimming harder.
With tramuntana (N) and migjorn (S), which come from the side, shelter is partial and depends on how hard it blows.
If the llevant is blowing, the nearest sheltered alternatives are Playa Arenal d'en Castell (approx. 11 nm) or Cala Binidalí (approx. 12.5 nm).
The orientation comes from the shape of the coastline in OpenStreetMap: it is a reference, not a forecast. Before you go, check the AEMET marine forecast and ask your rental company. You can compare coves on the wind and port map.
Anchoring and seagrass
In the Balearic Islands anchoring on Posidonia seagrass is generally prohibited (article 7 of Decree 25/2018 of the Balearic Government). In practice: drop anchor on sand, and where there is an authorised mooring field, use a buoy.
This page does not show the type of seabed yet: we will only publish it with an official source. Until then, look carefully at the bottom before you anchor. More in our guide to anchoring without harming the seagrass.
Nearby coves
- Platja d'en Tortuga, approx. 5.5 nm by sea
- Cala Binibèquer, approx. 10 nm by sea
- Playa Arenal d'en Castell, approx. 11 nm by sea
Sources
- Name, coordinates and beach type: OpenStreetMap (relation/1637539), © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- Wikidata: Q28120315
- Sea distances and orientation: our own calculation on the OpenStreetMap coastline (25 metre grid, expected error up to 8%). How we work it out
- Nearby coves by sea: same calculation, from 23 October 2026.
- Data checked on 23 October 2026.
For guidance only. This does not replace the regulations, the Harbour Master (Capitanía Marítima) or the instructions of your rental company. Always check the forecast before heading out.