Paddleboarding Route through the North Menorca Marine Reserve — Sea Caves and Snorkelling in Fornells

The experience — Paddleboarding in the Menorca Marine Reserve

The water on the north coast of Menorca is so clear that the shadow of the board is visible on the sandy bottom. That, however, is not something you can see from the shore — only by entering Fornells Bay on a SUP and rounding the cliffs of the North Marine Reserve does this coastline reveal what it holds.

The activity starts at the activity centre in Fornells harbour. The licensed instructor hands out the board, paddle, buoyancy aid and a dry bag for your belongings, and spends the first minutes on basic paddling technique and balance. The key differentiator of this operator: a support motorboat accompanies the group throughout the entire route. If anyone gets tired or needs assistance, the boat is right there.

The route runs through the North Marine Reserve, with its limestone and karst cliffs dropping into the Mediterranean. It enters the Cova de ses Imatges, one of the semi-submerged sea caves of this protected area. And before returning, a snorkelling stop over posidonia seagrass meadows — the protected marine ecosystem that makes this coast exceptional within the Mediterranean.

At the end, back to Fornells with the feeling of having entered a side of Menorca that most people never see. The clarity of the water, the cave and the silence of the reserve are what set this SUP route apart from any beginner paddle anywhere else on the island.