SeaTV · Spain · Balearic Islands · Menorca · Ciutadella Harbour Marina
Ciutadella Harbour Marina — Club Nàutic Ciutadella · Where to Berth in the Old Capital
Club Nàutic Ciutadella · 296 berths under management (~100 in the main marina pontoons + 116 in Cala en Busquets inner basin · 20 visitor berths) · max LOA 30 m · max draft 2-4 m (depth varies by berth) · concrete fixed piers · 220V power + water + fuel dock + 24h security + showers/heads + maintenance services + bar/restaurant · the visitor’s quay on the south side of the inlet · usually busy in summer. VHF Ch. 9.
+34 971 383 918 · cnciutadella.com · ⚠ Subject to RISSAGA meteotsunami — see our Port de Ciutadella overview page for details
Ciutadella Harbour Marina is the actual berth on the south side of the inlet. The Club Nàutic Ciutadella manages most of the recreational moorings inside Port de Ciutadella’s natural inlet — split between two distinct zones: the visitor pontoons (Pasarela) on the south side of the main harbour basin, where transit yachts go (~100 berths total, of which ~20 are reserved for visitors), and the Cala en Busquets inner basin at the SE end of the inlet (~116 base berths for permanent club members). For visiting cruisers, the Pasarela section is what matters: stern-to or alongside on concrete piers, max 30 m LOA, draft up to 4 m on the outer berths · 220V + water + fuel dock + showers + on-site bar/restaurant · the Club Nàutic clubhouse + maintenance services on the quay. The harbour gives you what no other Menorcan port can: step off your boat and you’re in the medieval city centre in 5 minutes — the stairs from Carrer del Pere Capllonch lead directly up to Plaça des Born and the Cathedral. The trade-offs: the inlet is narrow, summer berths fill weeks ahead, the rissaga risk is real, and reviews of the dock staff are mixed (the harbour is busy and pressured during peak season).
⚠ Reality check before you arrive:
→ ⚠ Visitor berths fill weeks ahead in July-August · book direct via cnciutadella.com or aggregators (marinareservation.com, metarina.com)
→ ⚠ Max LOA 30 m · max draft 2-4 m depending on berth · for >3 m draft confirm berth assignment on VHF Ch. 9 before approach
→ ⚠ RISSAGA meteotsunami · sea-level oscillations 1.5-4 m affect the entire harbour · use double mooring lines + spring lines · check AEMET forecast (see overview page for the science)
→ ⚠ The visitor quay is busy & pressured in summer · ferries + commercial vessels operate · expect tight maneuvering + occasional swell from passing traffic
→ ⚠ Some visitor reviews critical of staff · dock pressure during peak hours can produce friction · be patient on arrival
→ ⚠ Posidonia + Marina Seca debate (2024-2026) · proposed dry-stack expansion at Cala en Busquets has been disputed by local government + environmental groups · check current status if planning long-term works
→ Schengen status: Spain · clear in/out at Palma if from outside EU (Ciutadella is not a designated port of entry)
⚓ Ciutadella Harbour Marina at a Glance
Coordinates
~39°59.7’N · 3°49.4’E (S side of inlet)
Operator
Club Nàutic Ciutadella (CNC)
Berths under CNC
296 total (~100 main marina + 116 Cala en Busquets + Pasarela visitor)
Visitor berths
~20 transit · book ahead
Max LOA
30 m
Max draft
2-4 m (varies by berth)
VHF
Ch. 9 working · Ch. 16 distress
Phone
+34 971 383 918
Website
cnciutadella.com
Pier construction
Concrete fixed piers
Power
220V at all berths
Walking distance · old town
5 min uphill via Firac stairs
Where Exactly to Berth — The Three Zones
Club Nàutic Ciutadella’s berths split across three zones inside the natural inlet · understanding which zone you’re allocated determines walking distance, depth, and exposure.
1. Pasarela / S side visitor pontoons (most likely zone for visitors)
→ Location: south side of the main harbour basin · ~halfway between the inlet entrance and the inner basin
→ Capacity: ~100 berths · ~20 reserved for visitors
→ Size range: typical visitor LOA 12-25 m · larger boats sometimes accepted to 30 m on outer berths
→ Depth: outer berths 3-4 m · inner berths 2-3 m
→ Walking distance: 5 min to Plaça des Born via Carrer del Pere Capllonch
2. Moll de Sa Trona (transit visitor quay · public side)
→ Location: south side · slightly W of the Pasarela section
→ Operator: Ports IB direct (not Club Nàutic)
→ Type: short-stay transit only · summer-only · book via portsib.es
→ Use case: overnight stops where you can’t get a CNC berth · the public alternative
3. Cala en Busquets (inner basin · base berths)
→ Location: the SE inner branch of the inlet · the deepest interior point of the harbour
→ Capacity: 116 base berths (long-term club members)
→ For visitors: normally not available unless a base owner is away (CNC has discretion to release temporarily)
→ Notable: the area where the Menorca Shipwreck Project is excavating 5+ historic wrecks (Roman to 18C)
→ Future: proposed dry-stack (“marina seca”) expansion for 120 boats has been opposed by local government + environmental groups (2024-2026 ongoing dispute)
Yacht Services & Facilities
CNC marina services:
→ 220V power + water at all berths
→ Fuel dock (gasoline + diesel)
→ 24-hour security · CCTV
→ Showers + heads · CNC clubhouse facilities
→ Maintenance services on quay
→ Bar / restaurant at the clubhouse
Practical limitations: no travel lift in the harbour itself · for haul-out + major works, head to Maó (the Maó shipyard handles up to 70 ton on the E coast) or sail back across to Alcudiamar (Mallorca · 80 + 150 ton lifts).
Provisioning: the Mercat des Peix (fish market, daily mornings) and Plaça des Born market (Friday + Saturday 8:00-14:30) are 5 min uphill · multiple supermarkets in the old town · best fresh produce on the island.
Practical tip: arrive early in the day (08:00-11:00) to catch berth turnover · the Sa Trona quay sometimes has space when CNC is full · allow extra fenders + bow-line for stern-to with passing traffic.
Rissaga Procedures — When Berthed
⚠ Standard practice for yachts berthed in Ciutadella
The rissaga is the meteotsunami specific to this harbour. Any yacht berthing in Ciutadella between April and September should treat it as a real possibility · not a hypothetical risk.
→ Use double the normal mooring lines · spring lines mandatory · breast lines from both ends
→ Check AEMET forecast daily + Ports IB tide gauge data · the Spanish met service explicitly monitors for Ciutadella rissaga risk
→ If a “moderate” or “extreme” rissaga alert is issued · CNC + Ports IB will broadcast on VHF Ch. 9 · evaluate options:
• Stay put with maximum lines (most owners’ choice in mild events)
• Anchor offshore at Cala en Blanes / Cala Santandría / Cala Forcat (SW of Ciutadella, sheltered from rissaga)
→ For full background on the rissaga mechanism + history · see our overview page
What’s Within 5 Minutes of Your Boat
Walk up the Firac stairs (Carrer del Pere Capllonch) and you’re in the medieval centre:
→ Plaça des Born · the central square · ringed with palaces · obelisk commemorating the 1558 Turkish sack
→ Catedral de Santa Maria (13C-14C Catalan Gothic) · highest point of the city · built on the former mosque
→ Bastió de Sa Font · the surviving 17C bastion overlooking the harbour from above the marina
→ Mercat des Peix · daily fish market · 3 min walk · best fresh catch on Menorca
→ Diocesan Museum · former 17C Augustinian friary · Baroque cloisters
→ Ses Voltes shopping street · arched colonnade · the busiest pedestrian route
Restaurants on the harbour quay (visible from your boat):
→ Cafè Balear · seafood · long-running quayside fixture · Mediterranean fresh fish + traditional dishes
→ S’Amarador · seafood · prime location at the inner end of the quay · prices reflect the view
→ Es Forat · located in the natural cave behind the quay · interior carved into rock · seafaring decor
→ Cas Consol · Plaça des Born above · traditional Mediterranean · reasonable prices
Local specialties to order:
→ Caldereta de langosta · spiny lobster stew · the regional dish of Menorca · expensive but iconic
→ Oliagua amb figues · cold tomato + bread soup with figs · the Menorcan summer classic
→ Mahón cheese · DOP Mahón-Menorca · the protected island cheese · semi-hard cow’s milk
→ Pomada · the local gin (Xoriguer) + lemonade · Menorca’s signature drink (a legacy of the British occupation 1708-1802)
The Festes de Sant Joan — 23-24 June
If you’re berthed for Sant Joan
→ The Festes de Sant Joan (23-24 June) is the most important festival on Menorca · medieval-origin horse parade (“Jaleo”) through the streets of Ciutadella
→ The caixers (riders in 17C costume) parade their black Menorcan horses · the climax is the horses rearing on hind legs in the crowd at Plaça des Born
→ The harbour itself becomes a venue · boats serve as informal viewing platforms during the firework finale on 24 June
→ ⚠ Rissaga risk peaks at this exact period · the historic name for the local rissaga is “Marea del Pino” because it tends to coincide with the Sant Joan festival period
→ Berths book out 6+ months ahead for Sant Joan · expect premium rates · the city is at maximum capacity
⛵ Day Sails from Ciutadella
Day-trip anchorages within 10 NM:
→ Cala Santandría + Cala Blanca (~2 NM S) · family beaches · easy bus access from town
→ Cala en Brut + Cala Forcat (~3 NM N) · turquoise rock pools · cliff-jumping
→ Son Saura + Cala des Talaier + Cala Turqueta (~5-7 NM SE) · the famous Menorcan turquoise beaches · sand bottoms 5-8 m · pine-fringed
→ Cala Macarella + Cala Macarelleta (~8 NM SE) · most photographed beaches on Menorca
→ Cala Morell (~6 NM N) · wild N-coast cala · prehistoric burial caves (~2000 BC) carved into the cliffs
→ Cala Galdana (~12 NM SE) · sheltered S-coast bay + resort
Longer passages:
→ Maó (Mahón) natural harbour: ~50 NM around the N coast (one of the world’s finest natural harbours)
→ Fornells (~30 NM around N coast) · the windsurfing bay
→ Crossing back to Mallorca: Port de Pollença ~22 NM SW · Alcudiamar ~30 NM SW · Cala Murta (Formentor) ~22 NM SW
→ To Sardinia (E): ~200 NM E · multi-day passage
Emergency & Practical Contacts
Club Nàutic Ciutadella (CNC): +34 971 383 918
Website: cnciutadella.com
Public moorings (Sa Trona): portsib.es
VHF: Ch. 9 working · Ch. 16 distress
Emergency: 112 (national)
Maritime SAR (Salvamento Marítimo): 900 202 202
Hospital Mateu Orfila (Maó): +34 971 487 000 (45 km · the only public hospital on Menorca)
Rissaga forecast: AEMET maritime (aemet.es) + Ports IB tide gauge
Guardia Civil Ciutadella: +34 971 380 787
⛵ Continue Exploring Menorca + the Balearics
→ Port de Ciutadella · Ports IB overview — the natural inlet, 4 port functions, rissaga science, history
→ Cala Murta · Formentor (Mallorca) — 22 NM SW · the closest Mallorcan anchorage
→ Port d’Alcúdia · Alcudiamar (Mallorca) — 30 NM SW · the regular Balearia ferry destination
“Ciutadella Harbour Marina is the actual berth on the south side of the inlet · Club Nàutic Ciutadella manages two hundred ninety six berths total which split across three distinct zones the Pasarela visitor pontoons on the south side of the main basin with about a hundred berths and twenty for visitors the Moll de Sa Trona public transit quay run directly by Ports IB and the Cala en Busquets inner basin with one hundred sixteen base berths for permanent club members · max length thirty meters max draft two to four depending on which berth · concrete fixed piers two twenty volt power and water at all berths fuel dock twenty four hour security showers and heads maintenance services and the bar restaurant at the clubhouse · the harbour gives you what no other Menorcan port can step off your boat and you are in the medieval city centre in five minutes the stairs from Carrer del Pere Capllonch lead directly up to Plaça des Born and the Cathedral · book ahead via cnciutadella.com or the aggregators because visitor berths fill weeks in advance in July and August · use double mooring lines and spring lines because the rissaga is real and oscillates one point five to four meters in ten point five minute cycles primarily April to September with the eighty four event damaging three hundred boats and the two thousand six event destroying about a hundred · the historic name marea del pino comes from the festival of Sant Joan on June twenty third and twenty fourth which is when the rissaga has historically peaked and which is also the most important festival on Menorca with the medieval horse parade through the streets and the harbour itself becomes a venue with the boats as informal viewing platforms during the firework finale · order the caldereta de langosta the spiny lobster stew at Cafè Balear or S’Amarador on the quay or the oliagua amb figues for the cold summer soup and finish with a pomada the local gin and lemonade that is a legacy of the British occupation from seventeen oh eight to eighteen oh two · day sail to Cala Macarella and Cala Turqueta southeast or up the west coast to Cala Morell and the prehistoric burial caves · this is the Menorcan harbour you choose because it is the only place on the island where the medieval city wraps directly around the boat and the door of the cathedral is five minutes uphill.”
— SeaTV · Menorca · Ciutadella Harbour Marina · Club Nàutic Ciutadella
