Zafiro Menorca
Zafiro Menorca is a four-star apartment-hotel at Cala'n Bosch, on the quiet south-west corner of Menorca in Spain. Every apartment is a one-bedroom suite with its own kitchen, and the draw for families is a children's pirate pool with slides, swim-up suites that step straight into a small private pool, and an all-inclusive that families rate for what's in it. The sandy Cala en Bosch beach is about a five-minute walk away.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who it suits, what a booking includes and where to set your expectations.
Zafiro Menorca is a four-star apartment-hotel built around families and multi-generational groups, on the flat south-west tip of Menorca. Its strengths are the children's pirate pool with its ship and slides, the swim-up apartments that open onto a small private pool and the apartment format itself: every room is a one-bedroom suite with a kitchen and a separate bedroom, so a baby can nap behind a closed door while you use the living space, and you can make up bottles or a toddler's breakfast without working to the buffet clock. The all-inclusive gets consistent praise for value. The two things to weigh are that it's one of the island's longest airport transfers and that there's no crèche or drop-off childcare for children under four, so with a baby or young toddler you carry the childcare yourselves. You'll get the most from it if you want a family-focused all-inclusive with proper space and a kitchen, and the pool-based fun matters more than a room that opens onto the sea.
Best for
You want a one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and a room to close on a napping child, a children's pirate pool with slides and an all-inclusive families rate for value.
Maybe not for
You need a crèche or drop-off care for a baby, you'd rather not spend about 50 minutes on the transfer with young children or you want to step from your room onto the sand.
Best ages
Four and up get the kids' clubs. The pirate pool suits toddlers with a parent alongside, but there's no organised childcare for the very youngest.
What stands out
The children's pirate pool and the swim-up apartments, both singled out by families, plus the space and kitchen of a full one-bedroom suite.
What to check
Whether you're booking direct, since that makes the cot and high chair free, the long transfer and bed guards, which the hotel doesn't list, so bring your own.
Where is it?
Cala'n Bosch, on the south-west coast of Menorca in Spain, about 34 miles (55 km) and roughly 50 minutes from Mahon Airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
Where Zafiro sits, how it's laid out and what that means with a pushchair.
Zafiro Menorca is run by Zafiro Hotels, a family-owned Spanish group based in Mallorca and run by two sisters, and it's the only Zafiro property on Menorca. It traded as Viva Menorca before the group's rebrand, so you may still see the old name in older reviews. It sits in a quiet residential part of Cala'n Bosch on the south-west coast, about 6 miles (10 km) south of Ciutadella, the island's former capital.
It's a self-contained resort of 172 apartments in low-rise blocks, all one-bedroom suites of the same size, so there are no villas or separate zones and no swim-up-only wing, just apartments differing in outlook. They're set around roughly 2,500m² of gardens and pool areas, and the website offers a virtual map so you can pick your apartment by where it sits. There's an entertainment terrace and a modernised sports court, and the Babalú lounge bar has been refurbished. It's a mid-size resort rather than a sprawling one, described by one family-resort guide as leaning to practical, kid-first design rather than a formal five-star. Mumsnet's editorial guide to Menorca named it the island's best overall family hotel, one publication's verdict rather than a member vote or an industry award. For the wider island, its beaches and when to go, see our Menorca guide.
Every restaurant and bar
The buffet, the poolside bistro, the lounge bar and how children eat.
Most families book the All-Inclusive Plus board, though the hotel also sells Room Only, Bed and Breakfast and Half Board Plus, which covers breakfast, the dinner buffet and self-service wine, beer and soft drinks at dinner. On All-Inclusive Plus you get the buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner with themed evenings, two speciality dinners a week, drinks from 10:30am to 11:30pm including cocktails, plus ice creams, milkshakes, fruit, pastries and sandwiches through the day. Children's menus are available too. The drinks menu is self-service, and some premium drinks are marked "ALL" as included while others carry a surcharge, so you check the tag. Gluten-free options are available.
Caprice is the main restaurant, a European buffet open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, roughly 7:30 to 10:30am, 12:30 to 2:30pm and 6:30 to 9pm. It seats around 313 people and has an outdoor terrace when the weather allows. Dinner rotates themed nights, Italian, Mexican, Mallorcan, Spanish and others, with live show-cooking stations grilling fish, cooking eggs to order and finishing sauces. Two of the week's dinners are billed as speciality evenings. Breakfast runs to churros with coffee, milk pudding, crepes, omelettes and scrambled eggs cooked to order, cold cuts, Mallorcan produce, fresh juices, smoothies, croissants and doughnuts. There are children's menus, healthy options and gluten-free choices. No booking is needed, and it's for hotel residents only. Dinner is smart-casual and swimwear isn't allowed.
La Palapa is the poolside pool bar and bistro. As a bistro it serves an à la carte lunch from 12:30pm to 4pm, croquettes, calamari, Thai noodles, Mallorcan pa amb oli, salads and sandwiches among them, with children's menus, and it's a relaxed, family spot by the water rather than a grown-up one. As a bar it pours the all-inclusive drinks from 10:30am to 11:30pm, from soft drinks to cocktails and local gin and rum.
Babalú is the lounge bar, recently refurbished, and it doubles as the evening entertainment venue where the shows happen alongside casual bar service through the day and evening, from coffee and soft drinks to cocktails.
How eating works
Neither restaurant takes bookings, so there's no reserving a table and no fixed sitting, which suits a young child's changeable appetite. If occupancy is low or the weather turns, Caprice may close for lunch at the management's discretion, and lunch then moves to La Palapa by the pool.
Rooms and suites
The one-bedroom apartments, then the pools and the beach a short walk away.
Every apartment here is the same one-bedroom suite, so the four types below differ only in outlook and outdoor space, never in size or layout inside. Each has a separate bedroom with a queen bed, a living room with a sofa bed, one bathroom, a private terrace or garden and a fully equipped kitchen. The table is the four types; the guidance after it is which suits a family with a baby or toddler.
| Apartment | Size | Sleeps | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Bedroom Suite | 46.7 m² | 2 adults + 2 children | A balcony or terrace with a standard garden or patio outlook. |
| One Bedroom Suite Pool View | 46.7 m² | 2 adults + 2 children | A terrace looking over the pool areas. |
| One Bedroom Swim Up Suite | 46.7 m² | 2 adults + 2 children | A terrace with direct access to a small private swim-up pool. These vary by building, so the layout and furniture differ. |
| One Bedroom Private Garden Suite | 46.7 m² | 2 adults + 2 children | A private garden with sun loungers and a hanging hammock, but no direct pool access. |
All 172 apartments are one-bedroom suites of 46.7m², which the hotel describes as measuring almost 47m². Each has a separate bedroom with a queen bed (180 by 200cm), a living room, one bathroom with a shower rather than a bath, a private terrace or garden and a fully equipped kitchen: a microwave, toaster, fridge, dishwasher and the crockery and pans to cook with. The living room also has a sofa bed, though at 90 by 190cm it's really a child's size rather than a comfortable double, which matters if you're planning to sleep four without a second apartment. The official maximum for each apartment is two adults and two children. There are no connecting rooms, but you can ask for neighbouring apartments, which the hotel will try to arrange without promising.
For a family, the useful part is that same layout: the separate bedroom lets a baby nap or go down for the night away from the living space, and the kitchen handles bottle sterilising, warming purées and storing snacks and baby food. The one bathroom is shared by everyone, so there's no second bathroom to keep children and parents apart. Beyond that the choice is the terrace. A Swim Up Suite gives the most direct water access, with a small private pool off the terrace, which families like for letting a child move between room and water without crossing the resort, though these swim-up pools are small and vary by building, not the resort's main pools. A Private Garden Suite gives the most privacy and outdoor space, with an enclosed garden, loungers and a hammock, but no pool at the door.
Pools and water features
The centrepiece is the main pool, which has a "Wet Bubble" water feature and is ringed by sunbeds, with no age limit on it. The one that draws families is the children's pirate pool, with a pirate ship, water slides and a bubble pool, and again there's no age restriction on it: under-fours can use it and the main pool as long as an adult is with them. It's the resort's children's water feature rather than a separate splash pad. The Swim Up Suites each have their own small private pool off the terrace, which is a private extra rather than one of the main pools. Indoors there's a heated pool with a Jacuzzi, but it's only open and heated in May and October, not through the summer, and children may use it accompanied by an adult.
The beach
Cala en Bosch beach is about 500m from the hotel, roughly a five-minute walk on the flat, though it can feel longer once you're out of the resort and across to the sand with a pushchair. It's fine sand with shallow, clear water, and the hotel's own site calls it the best family beach on Menorca, with bars and restaurants around it. The Cala'n Bosch marina sits in the same cove system, with boats you can charter or join for excursions, and there's scuba diving available at Cala en Bosch, run off the resort rather than on it.
Babies and toddlers
The childcare, the kids' clubs, the baby kit and what fills a family day.
The honest headline is that Zafiro is child-focused but doesn't run a crèche or drop-off childcare for the youngest. Under-4s can go into the Mini Club, but a parent has to stay with them throughout. Children aged four and over can be supervised by the monitors without a parent, but only with written permission arranged in advance, and that supervision generally isn't available after 1pm. So for the youngest children the day-to-day care is on you throughout the stay. The hotel doesn't babysit either, though it can put you in touch with outside firms that do and help you make a booking, which is worth sorting early if you want an evening out.
The clubs run in three age bands: a Mini Club for fours to sevens, a Maxi Club for eights to elevens and a Teeny Club for twelves to fifteens. Activities take in pool sessions, outdoor sports, dancing, workshops and handicrafts, a bouncy castle, an outdoor playground, team competitions and films, running roughly 10am to 6pm in sessions of about 45 to 50 minutes, with the mascot Yzzy along for the ride. A few activities that use extra materials, such as t-shirt painting, carry a small supplement of about €6 to €10, and you're told in advance. The daily programme is published through the Zafiro Hotels app rather than on the website.
On the practical kit, a cot and a high chair are free if you book direct on the Zafiro website, and about €4 a day each if you book elsewhere (last checked July 2026). A Baby Pack that adds a pushchair is €8 a day whichever way you book. For a steriliser, baby food or baby toiletries, bring your own or buy them locally, though the kitchen in every apartment covers sterilising and food. Under-2s pay nothing to stay; from age two to eleven children are charged at the child rate, and from twelve at the adult rate. What works well for the very young is that apartment format and kitchen, the pirate pool and main pool with a parent alongside and the children's buffet menus; the gap is simply the lack of a crèche or unaccompanied care.
On resortThings to do
Beyond the pools and the kids' clubs there's a gym with machines, open 8am to 8pm and for guests aged sixteen and over, and a Fit and Sports programme of aerobics, aquagym and team-run sessions. There's table tennis and a modernised sports court. Pool towels are included, with a deposit at some properties returned at check-out. Evening entertainment centres on Babalú, with shows described as nightly, musicals, plays, comedy and live music, and there's an entertainment terrace for the programme. Families also mention an early-evening children's disco and a bouncy castle, along with the karaoke, bingo and quiz nights familiar from this style of all-inclusive. The website links to an excursions page but doesn't list set tours; the usual Menorca trips from Cala'n Bosch would be boat trips to the coves, a jeep safari, a Ciutadella walking tour, cycling on the Camí de Cavalls coastal path or kayaking.
Off the parkThe area and days out
The Cala'n Bosch resort centre is a short walk from the hotel, with bars, restaurants and shops around a marina at the heart of the cove, and it has a relaxed, low-key feel. Aquarock, a waterpark in the Cala'n Bosch area, is an independent paid day out rather than part of the hotel; its opening times and prices change, so check the current details before you go. For a shop, the resort centre covers the basics on foot, and Ciutadella has a wider range about 15 minutes away by car.
Ciutadella itself, about 6 miles (10 km) and 15 minutes by car, is a walled old town with a Gothic cathedral, a picturesque harbour lined with fish restaurants and boutique shopping, and the island's Talayotic prehistoric sites, now a UNESCO World Heritage listing, are nearby. Closer to hand, the Artrutx Lighthouse is about 1 mile (2 km) away, a five-minute drive and a short outing for the sunset. The famous coves of Macarella and Macarelleta are about 9 miles (15 km) and 25 minutes by car, but they're reached only on foot, from a car park along a rocky path of 15 to 20 minutes, so they aren't buggy-friendly; the nearer Son Xoriguer and the other south-west coves are reachable on foot or by bike along the Camí de Cavalls. Further out, the Cavalleria Lighthouse on the north coast is about 22 miles (35 km) and 40 minutes, with cliffs and reddish-sand coves, the S'Albufera des Grau nature reserve, the island's largest wetland, is about 31 miles (50 km), and Mahon, the capital, at roughly 34 miles (55 km), makes a full day out for its harbour, antique shops and gin distilleries.
Loves and gripes
What guests rate and what they flag, how it compares, the journey, the weather and the practical bits.
What families love
- The children's pirate pool and water area, called out again and again for toddlers and young children.
- The swim-up apartments, and stepping from the terrace into the water.
- The all-inclusive, rated for value and for the breadth of what's included.
- Friendly, attentive staff and entertainment team.
- The evening shows.
- The apartment size and kitchen, and the quiet, manageable scale of the place.
- Menorca itself, praised as a safe, relaxed island for the wider holiday.
Common gripes
- The walk to the beach, which some found longer than the quoted five minutes.
- No crèche or drop-off care for children under four.
- Queues at the buffet at peak times.
- The shared, communal feel of a big apartment resort.
- No bed guards confirmed for children.
- The long airport transfer, the furthest of the main Menorca family hotels.
Zafiro Menorca holds a TUI Global Hotel Award, which named it among the top 600 hotels in the world, and Travel Mum ranks it third on a list of Menorca hotels with splash parks and calls the All-Inclusive Plus excellent value. On TripAdvisor its listing is rated 4 out of 5 bubbles from more than 2,500 reviews, though the current score is worth checking on the listing itself.
Against the alternativesHow it compares
What follows is drawn from how each hotel is billed and rated by others rather than a stay of our own, so weigh it as positioning rather than checked fact. Zafiro's strengths against its rivals are the pirate pool, the swim-up apartments and the apartment-and-kitchen format; where it's weaker is on babies, with no crèche, and on the transfer length. TUI BLUE Grupotel Turquesa Mar, also in Cala'n Bosch, is the stronger choice for babies, with a nursery from the first months, a nanny team and a Baby Lounge, while Zafiro is the larger resort with the better pirate pool and the swim-up rooms. Royal Son Bou Family Club, on the south coast, is billed as the island's strongest baby and toddler option, with a crèche for under-twos, direct access to a long beach and a shorter transfer of about 20 minutes; Zafiro answers with the apartments and kitchens, the swim-up rooms and an easier run to Ciutadella. Meliá Cala Galdana is a five-star on one of the island's best sheltered cove beaches, with a kids' club from eight months and a more formal feel, where Zafiro is better value for pool-based all-inclusive fun. Occidental Menorca at Punta Prima is rated best for young children by Mumsnet and is only about 10 minutes from the airport, so it's the one to compare if the long transfer is your deciding factor.
The journey and the seasonGetting there and when to go
Mahon Airport is about 34 miles (55 km) away, roughly 50 minutes by road, among the longest transfers on Menorca; hotels over at Punta Prima are about 10 minutes out, so this is a real consideration after a flight with tired young children. Zafiro offers private transfers through a partner company, priced by vehicle and party size, but they have to be booked and requested in advance rather than laid on automatically, and there's no published rate. There's no specific public bus to the hotel, and a taxi from Mahon takes about 45 to 55 minutes. UK airlines to Menorca include TUI, British Airways and Vueling, with a flight time of around two and a half hours.
The resort runs from roughly the start of May to early November, with the restaurants confirmed closed from 2 November to 30 April and the exact dates shifting a little year to year. For a family with little ones, June and September are the easier weeks, warm at around 25 to 26°C and quieter than the peak. July and August are the hottest at about 28°C and the busiest, with the warmest sea in August at around 26°C and the highest all-inclusive demand. May and October are the cooler margins at about 21 to 22°C, quieter and with some rain risk, and the indoor pool is heated in those two months.
Month by monthWeather
The figures below are typical daytime highs and daily sunshine for each month from May to October. Summer is very dry and autumn is the wettest time, and the sea is at its warmest in August. Menorca is the most northerly of the Balearic islands and can catch strong northerly winds, the tramuntana, which is worth bearing in mind for beach and outdoor days with young children; the south-west coast here is the more sheltered side. Ciutadella and the west coast share the same climate as the Mahon airport figures, so there's no real east-west split to allow for on this low, flat island.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 22.5° | 14° | 31 mm | 4 | 18° |
| June | 27° | 18° | 15 mm | 2 | 22° |
| July | 29.5° | 21° | 5 mm | 1 | 26° |
| August | 30° | 21.5° | 22 mm | 2 | 27° |
| September | 26.5° | 19° | 79 mm | 6 | 26° |
| October | 23° | 16° | 73 mm | 6 | 23° |
| November | 18.5° | 11.5° | 113 mm | 9 | 20° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer. The resort runs from about the start of May to early November; the restaurants are closed from 2 November to 30 April, and exact dates vary slightly year to year.
Practicalities
For baby supplies, Ciutadella is about 15 minutes away and has pharmacies and supermarkets, where baby food, formula and nappies are easy to find; Dodot is the Spanish equivalent of Pampers, and on the pharmacy shelf children's paracetamol is Apiretal and ibuprofen is Dalsy. The nearest hospital is Hospital Mateu Orfila over at Mahon, so the far side of the island, while Ciutadella has a health centre for minor things. Bring a GHIC, the free UK card that covers state healthcare in Spain on the same terms as a resident, alongside travel insurance, and the emergency number is 112, the equivalent of 999.
Spain is a standard trip for a UK family, with no visa needed for a short stay, but passport-validity and entry rules can change, so confirm the current requirements on the GOV.UK Spain travel advice page before you book. On the ground, the resort is a purpose-built, mostly flat and paved zone, though the pirate pool's slides and steps aren't for the very youngest or for a pushchair, and the hotel publishes no detailed accessibility statement, so contact it directly for specific needs. There's an on-site laundry service, with items left before 6pm returned the next day by midnight, and pets aren't allowed in the restaurants.
Questions
The things families ask most, the official pages worth a look and when this guide was last updated.
Which apartment should we book with a baby or toddler?
They're all the same one-bedroom layout at the same size, so you're choosing the terrace, not more room inside. The Swim Up Suite is the one families pick for a toddler who likes being in and out of the water, though an open pool right off the terrace is worth thinking about with a child who can't yet swim. If that gives you pause, a Private Garden Suite or a standard suite keeps the water a short walk away, and the standard suite or a Pool View costs less for the same room inside.
Can under-fours use the pirate pool and the slides?
Yes. No pool at Zafiro has an age limit, so a toddler can use the children's pirate pool, the slides and the main pool as long as an adult is with them. The age-four rule you may see only covers being left at the Mini Club without a parent, which is a separate thing from the pools.
Is there any childcare if our child is under four?
Not on a drop-off basis. There's no crèche, and while under-4s can go into the Mini Club a parent has to stay with them throughout. Children aged four and over can be left with the monitors, but only with written permission arranged in advance, and that generally stops after 1pm. For an evening out, ask reception early, since the hotel can put you in touch with an outside babysitting firm and help you book one.
Should we book direct with Zafiro or through an agent?
Booking direct on the Zafiro website makes the cot and high chair free, where booking elsewhere puts them at about €4 a day each (last checked July 2026). The Baby Pack that adds a pushchair is €8 a day either way. Weigh that against any saving a package deal gives you, and add the baby kit to the booking whichever route you take.
Will bed guards be there for a toddler?
Don't count on one. Bring a travel bed guard if your child could roll out, or ask for a cot instead, then check with the hotel before you travel.
Do we need to hire a car?
Not for the everyday. The resort centre and the beach are both a short flat walk, and Ciutadella is about 15 minutes by car or taxi. A car mainly helps for the wilder coves and the days out further across the island, like the north-coast lighthouse or the wetland reserve.
When does the resort open and close?
Roughly the start of May to early November. The restaurants are confirmed closed from 2 November to 30 April, and the exact opening and closing dates shift a little year to year. The indoor heated pool is only warm in May and October, not through the summer, so don't plan a winter or a mid-summer indoor swim around it.
Is the long transfer worth worrying about?
It's worth planning for. Mahon Airport is about 50 minutes away by road, among the longest runs on the island, so book a private transfer with a child seat in advance rather than relying on an airport taxi. If a short transfer is the thing that decides it for you, hotels over at Punta Prima are about 10 minutes from the airport instead.
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Useful links
- Zafiro Menorca: the hotel's own site for the apartments, board, pools and children's clubs.
- GOV.UK Spain travel advice: entry rules and safety updates before you travel.
- Menorca with little ones: our guide to the wider island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 17 July 2026.
