Son Bou, Minorca
Coordinates: 39°53′57″N 4°04′43″E / 39.899283°N 4.078557°E Son Bou is a village in the Alaior region of Minorca, a small island in the Balearics. It is split into three districts: Son Bou (mostly shops, restaurants and two large hotels), San Jaime (Villas and Garden apartments) and Torre Soli Nou (Private villas and apartment complexes). It is a start/arrival point for two stages of the GR 223 - Camí de Cavalls.[1]
Geography
In all there are four hotels: two in Son Bou, one in San Jaime and one in Torre Soli Nou. For those who prefer a more basic holiday, there is a campsite (Camping Son Bou) about 2 miles away, along the back road from Torre Soli Nou.
The beach at Son Bou is the longest on the island - some 3 km of golden sands. The government have recently put up rope fencing around the dunes to deter access, as part of their dune regeneration programme. There are three beach bars, which serve food and drinks, including the popular Spanish dish, originally from Valencia: Paella.
The sandy, safe bathing beach is very popular with naturists of all ages and nationalities, who mix comfortably with 'textile' beach users. Naturists generally use the beach section away from that most accessible from the resort, but this is still the greater part of the beach running west towards the smaller resort of San Tomas. It is also the quieter part of the beach, although much of it does not benefit from the presence of a lifeguard.
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Behind the beach is an extensive area of wetland, comprising open water and reed beds. This is a protected nature reserve containing many species of birds, amphibians and insects. Unfortunately, the latter include mosquitoes, which can be a minor annoyance in the evenings.
There are many Bars and Restaurants in Son Bou, several of which have adopted a British style, others choosing international cuisine, including Chinese. There is a restaurant to suit everyones pocket in Son Bou. There are of course a range of Spanish and Menorquin restaurants, which serve quality dishes.
Son Bou has many attractions, including the Basilica Paleocristiana de Son Bou (a early Christian church of the 5th century, whose remains were discovered in 1951). Every year, thousands of tourists visit the island and many people choose to stay in Son Bou. During the six months of the holiday season most nights you can find shows in most bars and clubs and on other nights there are quizzes and karaoke.
Outside of the holiday season, the Son Bou resort is very quiet as most facilities are shut down during the winter months.
References
- ↑ Phil Lee The Rough Guide to Menorca 2001 Page 143 "West of Alaior on the C721, take the Son Bou turning for the beaches of the south coast..."