Circumnavigate Menorca by Sea Kayak

I am so pleased I booked the circumnavigation of Menorca with Much Better Adventures. Lucas and the team at Karetta Expeditions who run these kayaking trips in Menorca were simply fantastic. Menorca is a beautiful island and I found I loved sleeping on remote beaches despite never having done this before. I will definitely be booking more trips like this with MBA!!

To sum it up in one word, the trip was special in the most positive way. The crew looked after us as participants in any way imaginable. When weather conditions changed, we were informed about the alternatives to the original plan and included into the decision process of how we continued the trip. Lucas as a guide did an amazing, outstanding job. He happily shared his knowledge about Menorca and kayaking with us and was always approachable for our questions and concerns. Personally I enjoyed the way we discovered some of the caves inside some cliffs with the kayak the most. It was a unique experience that could only be made with a kayak. The kit list included all necessary items to bring for the trip and thus was perfect for travel preparations. In terms of sustainability I think the host is doing their utmost best to preserve the island since it means so much to them personally. When we would come to a beach to stay for the night, our guides not only made sure we were not leaving any waste but they also collected other people's rubbish that was laying around. They are also very much connected with the people of Menorca who serve the island like coast guards etc. Apart from that, we would always kayak with our full equipment which included life jackets, helmets and spray skirts. Both guides would also stay close to us at all times making sure we felt safe and supported throughout the trip. I honestly cannot think of something to improve. The host is doing a remarkable job to provide their participants with a memorable experience of Menorca and we are very grateful to having had the opportunity to be part of their team.

A beautiful way to see Menorca. I would absolutely recommend this trip for anyone wanting to get to know the island well. We kayaked along the south of the island for the first few days, and swam during breaks and then camped on some of the most stunning beaches I've ever been to. Lucas and Emi, our guides made really lovely food each day (quite incredible, as it was all brought on the kayak with them!), and it was so magical waking up with just us there, and the sea a few meters away! The weather turned about half way through our trip, meaning from then on we stayed in a campsite inland, and had a day driving around interesting spots on the island, a day doing kayaking training and a day in a more enclosed inlet. Due to 8 days being a fairly long trip, I get the impression that it's quite likely that some of the days will have to get mixed up like this rather than doing a singe route around the island - especially in September and October, which may mean you do slightly more sightseeing and a bit less kayaking than expected, but definitely still worth it. Having said that, 8 days is a long time to wild camp, so I quite appreciated having a bit of time camping on beaches and a bit of time with access to showers at the campsite! Huge thanks for a wonderful trip.

Amazing trip. A lovely way to see Menorca from a different perspective. The kit was great quality and felt really safe at all times. The group were all very likely minded and lovely, obviously certain people sign up to this sort of trip and we all helped each other through the expedition. The leader, Lucas, and the guide, Emi, were both so lovely, supportive and funny. Adapted to our needs and the weather (bring a waterproof!), making it safe and fun. The looked after us so well too, morning coffee on the beach and nightly top quality meals. Check the requirements before you sign up- would you commit to a challenging cycle trip if you had little to no cycling experience? I was lucky to be in a strong group so felt supported round. I did not need any other entertainment, the leaders, the fabulous group, the sea kayaking and the beaches were more than delightful for a lovely week.

Firstly a massive THANK YOU to Lukas & Emmy (our much-loved guides) and Didac & Isa (our onshore team) who made our trip something really special. We were only able to do the first four days of the expedition due to poor weather conditions half-way through, but those days were just incredible! You really can’t beat warm turquoise seas and sleeping to the sound of waves underneath a tarp, with Lukas and Emmy taking care of your meals and making sure you have enough cookies and haven’t forgot your shoes. It’s an absolute no-brainer. We knew about the weather conditions early on and made the absolute most of the good weather, but when the forecast started changing they did everything possible to keep us safe while also trying to get us back on the water. The alternative accommodation and activities they arranged for us were great and suited the trip, plus provided us with a whole other set of experiences and laughs. I was a solo traveller and was really happy that the group was a good mix of solos/couples, genders, and countries - I think this really helped us gel and it was a little sad to leave my lovely little group on the last day! In terms of the level, the group adapts to the slowest person, so to say, so if you’re a pro kayaker, be aware that you may need to go a little easier than usual, and if you’ve never kayaked, you may find yourself trying to keep up. This wasn’t an issue for us, since we were all pretty fit and could change into the double kayaks if we were tired/not feeling confident/wanted a change, but it’s something to be conscious of. In saying that, we were in good conditions almost all of the time, so maybe the whole trip around the island would be harder than what we had. As Lukas would say: it’s all about adaptation. Long story short, this trip is epic. Book it. Now.

This was a really fantastic trip!! We had the best time! However, please be aware that only 30% of groups make it all the way around the island. It is treated as a leisurely kayak than a challenge to reach the final location. This was not mentioned on the website. Food was amazing!! Lucas was very health and safety conscious. He has a wealth of knowledge about the island! Anyone with long hair, I cannot advise enough to take a tangle teaser and a tub of thick hair mask to leave in your hair at all times! The salt, wind, sun and snorkelling turns hair into instant dreads locks !

Great guides. Amazing place and the host knows where all the secrets are. Definitely going back and bringing Galway Kayak Club with me. Tc

I have done a few Canoe and Kayak expeditions, with Much Better Adventures and other. I would definitely say that this one was the best organised. I had a few queries before I booked the trip. When I contacted the team they were quick to respond, and gave me detailed and helpful advice. This included a list of recommended places to stay the night before and after the expedition. From when I was picked up outside my hotel, to when I was dropped off, there really was no stress at all, everything was prepared and taken care of, with us only really having to take responsibility for not losing our personal gear. (Easy to do on a multi day expedition). We were taken to their base to organise our kit to get it ready to go into the boats. The gear provided was all quality stuff, boats, paddles, helmets, tarps, air mats etc. were all well know premium brands. We were then taken to our start point, where our guides had already prepared the boats and packed all the other supplies needed into the back. This gave us the rest of the storage areas for our own gear. From the start the guides Lukas and David were friendly, helpful, accommodating and fun. Once loaded up we were ready to go! The paddling days were very enjoyable. The water is clear and warm, the scenery spectacular (Especially the sea caves) there were plenty of breaks to refill water, eat snacks, and have lunch, this included daily "Fruity time!" where we were given fresh fruit, a very welcome treat in the hot weather. The days would finish late in the day to allow the beaches we were camping on to calm down (I went in during peak season), but with the long breaks this was not an issue. Lukas has amazing knowledge of the island and it's coastline, and would tell us about the history, geology and wildlife of the area. He also knows all the great little nooks and coves that only boats can go to, giving you quiet beaches, even at the busiest times. The meals were a much higher standard than I was expecting from a self-supported expedition. Not a freeze dried or boil in the bag meal in sight. This was all cooked expertly by Lukas and David, who made it clear from the beginning that they did not need any help with this, and we should take the time to enjoy the area, rather than feel that we should be helping out. They also plan to have a meal out in a restaurant, which was a really nice way to spend the evening. Lukas also made sure that he was keeping up to date with the most accurate weather and sea condition information, and used this to plan our days to give the best experience that the conditions would allow. We missed out the West coast of the island, as the conditions would have been unsuitable for the group to paddle, but this did not effect our enjoyment as a shuttle was organised for us from South to North coast. You may not see the whole of the coastline, but you will get the best trip that the conditions allow for. Although the guides are great, they can't quite control the weather yet! As well as weather, they cannot control the temperature or sand, so be prepared for this, you are on a wild camping expedition on beaches after all! As I said earlier, considering that this is a wilderness trip, the organisation is such that there really isn't anything that you have to worry about. For me this made it and incredibly relaxing time. Overall I would say that this was a great trip. The team and guides are first rate, and work really hard to give you the best time. Great paddling, good food, amazing company, and a lot of fun. Plus we were all sent a selected 400 of the around 800 photos that Lukas had taken during the week. The only other thing you could ask for is for them to give you a present for going... Oh yeah, they did that too! Thank you so much to Lukas, David, Isa, Didac, and the others for a great week.

Fantastic trip, extremely well run and organised

Unique trip. Beautiful scenery. Excellent local team. Challenging but plenty of time to relax too.