Keep reading for a full guide on how to visit Monte Tore; Menorca’s highest peak.

There are a lot of high points during a Menorca trip: that first sunset, hiking dusty trails, swimming for hours in the clear waters of a paradise cala.

However, there's only one actual high point on this flat, small Balearic Island: Monte Toro.

The highest peak in Menorca, it could also justifiably be labelled as the only peak in Menorca given the lack of competition. Relatively diminutive in size at 358 metres (1,175 ft) above sea level, it's really more of a hill, but Monte Toro is undoubtedly the go-to place for a panoramic vista over the island.

From its open-air balcony, the countryside and the coastline unfold beneath and into the Balearic Sea, with the colours changing from a spring green to the dry browns and golds after long, hot summer; it is the best view of Menorca.

In this short explainer, we've shared everything you need to know before you visit Monte Toro, plus advice on how to get there and when to include it in your Menorca travels.

How To Visit Monte Toro

The Legend & The Sanctuary

Monte del Toro translates to 'Mountain of the Bull', and the story behind that name is suitably cock and bull.

Or perhaps that should be 'monk and bull'...

The legend goes that a group of 13th century monks, upon seeing a curious light upon the hilltop, decided to investigate. As they ascended, the path became increasingly unclear and treacherous, with the monks lost and uncertain.

At this point, they were confronted by an angry bull.

We don’t know why the bull was up there, but it’s likely that he was tasked with defending the mountain and its secrets.

The frightened monks defended themselves in the only way the knew with the only thing they had - their crosses.

The bull, cowered by the sight of their crucifixes, turned and cleared the path for them. He then led the monks to a cave at the top of the hill where, inside, they saw an image of the Virgin Mary before them.

A chapel was built upon the site, the mountain named after the bull, and the vision gave Menorca its patron saint of 'Nuestra Señora del Toro'.

This is not the settled story however, with others putting forward more mundane explanations relating to the linguistic heritage of Menorca. In Arabic, tor or al-tor means 'height' or 'high place', whilst in Catalan turó means hill. In Catalan though, this place is known as 'El Toro', which definitely also means 'bull', so we're going with the monks instead of the name evolving into something akin to 'Mountain of the Hill'.

Regardless of the etymology, although Monte Toro is very much a tourist attraction today, this is a spiritually important place for Menorcans. Due to the vision and shrines in its honour, this was a site of religious pilgrimage and dedication for centuries. It's the reason for the beautiful whitewash Mare de Deu del Toro sanctuary and convent atop the hill, which is still run by a small community of nuns.

The sanctuary and the small church you will visit were however built much later, circa 1670.

With its singular panorama over the island, Monte Toro was also defensively valued over the centuries alongside the coastal trails of the Camí de Cavalls, and you'll find the remnants of a medieval defensive watchtower.

How To Get To Monte Toro

Monte Toro rises on the outskirts of a little town called Es Mercadal (maps). In Menorca's central interior, it's on the main Me-1 road which runs from Ciutadella in the west to Mahón in the east, and is therefore easy to reach from everywhere else on the island.

Having your own hire car in Menorca is absolutely the most convenient way to incorporate a visit to Monte Toro into your travel plans, and we think Monte Toro is best visited when you're already passing through the interior, staying in it, or as a quick visit from your base in the south or north coast (particularly Fornells or Son Bou).

We don't recommend going out of your way to it specifically from Mahón or Ciutadella.

Similarly, we don't recommend setting out specifically to Monte Toro for a day trip, but rather pairing it with time in Es Mercadal and a section of the north or south coast, or on your way to / from Ciutadella or Mahón.

Driving & Parking

From the Me-1 turn off at Es Mercadal, it's a 3.5 km / 10 minutes drive up the winding road to the top (maps). The two-lane tarmac road is in pretty good condition and, beyond a dramatic S-bend, it's smooth sailing up and down if you drive with the necessary caution.

Just be aware that there are sometimes walkers and tourist buses.

There are two car parks on Monte Toro, and each is tarmacked with marked spaces (unlike the car parks you'll use for many of the best Menorca beaches). It's free to park, with spaces for about 30+ vehicles in each lot and two disabled spaces by the entrance.

Bus To Monte Toro

As far as we're aware, there is currently no bus to Monte Toro - please do let us know in the comments if this changes!

For those of you without a rental car in Menorca, this means you need to take a bus to Es Mercadal. The pretty little town (definitely worth a few hours on its own merits) is very well-connected, with all sides of Menorca. Bus lines stopping there include:

Line 36 | Ciutadella - Son Bou
Line 41 | Mahón - Es Mercadal
Line 45 | Fornells to Es Mercadal
Line 51 | Mahón to Cala Galdana

From there, you can either take a taxi up / down, but that may prove to be more hassle than it's worth, or choose to walk up to Monte Toro.

An alternative would be to take a taxi to / from Monte Toro from your accommodation, but we don't think this would be worth the cost as a standalone activity.

If your heart is set on visiting Monte Toro, then we'd recommend considering renting a scooter or cheap car for one day to take advantage of the opportunity to explore more of the island with your own wheels! That allows you to go here as well as visit some of the more remote, paradise beaches such as Cala Pregonda.

If you follow our advice, you can get your own wheels for less than €25/day too - find out more in this post.

Walking

It is possible to walk up to Monte Toro on the same road from Es Mercadal (3kms / 45+ minutes), but it's necessary to appreciate a few things before setting out:

1. It's a walk alongside the road, not along a hiking trail or section of the Camí de Cavalls

2. It's all up on the way up

3. In the summer months, the heat would make this quite unenjoyable unless you set off early.

As two travellers who have often decided to walk 10 kms just to save a bit of money, we aren't going to advise you against it, but we're just setting your expectations where they should be.

If you do walk, please be fully aware that this is a busy road with tourist traffic, so pay full attention and walk safely. There is space on the roadside for the majority of the 3 km, but this is narrow to none in sections and extra caution should be taken close to the tight bends (i.e. don’t have your bloody headphones in).

Tips & Good To Know

· It's free to park and free to enter!

· You should factor in at least 30-45 minutes for your visit. Sa Posada del Toro, the little cafe at the top, is an option if you'd like to take your time though. It serves coffee, cold drinks, as well as food - it's open every day from 1st May to 31st October, but is limited to weekends outside of the tourism season. There's also a gift shop.

· Coinciding your arrival with a clear day is, obviously, sensible. You may think that Menorca only gets clear days, but overcast ones do happen (especially from September towards the end of the year).

· If you're trying to choose between sunrise or sunset, we recommend sunset.

· There are several ugly red and white telephone towers up there too, but they won't obstruct the best viewpoints.

· There's a toilet which is free if you're using the cafe, but €0.50 otherwise.