Pont d’en Gil to Punta Nati: The Ultimate Hiking Guide

The coastal walk from Pont d’en Gil to Punta Nati is one of the best day hikes in Menorca. Starting in the nice coastal town of Cala en Blanes, you’ll soon arrive at Pont d’en Gil, which is a superb natural arch bridge. You’ll then walk to Sa Falconera – an incredible coastal vantage point. Then, you’ll continue to Punta Nati, which is a peninsula on the northwest corner of Menorca. There, you’ll see Faro de Punta Nati (Punta Nati Lighthouse) and enjoy the spectacular rugged coastline.

In this travel guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this coastal walk. After describing the trail, we’ll talk about other nearby attractions. Then, we’ll briefly discuss other worthwhile lighthouses to visit in Menorca. Finally, we’ll cover information about Cala en Blanes, which is where the hike starts and is actually the area that Beck and I stayed in during our Menorca trip.

Truth be told, the drone videography at Pont d’en Gil was our favourite aerial footage we captured in Menorca. So, the opening scene of our Menorca hiking video introduction is of Pont d’en Gil!

Pont d’en Gil to Punta Nati Coastal Walk

Near Ciutadella, you’ll find one of Menorca’s best natural attractions – Pont d’en Gil. Indeed, many people visit Pont d’en Gil as a standalone activity. But, we feel as though exploring Pont d’en Gil as part of a coastal walk will help you experience more coastal beauty. To that end, the best coastal walk to do from Pont d’en Gil, near Cala en Blanes, is the one leading north to Punta Nati. Along the way, you’ll enjoy a wonderful coastal viewpoint called Sa Falconera. You’ll also get to explore Faro de Punta Nati, which is one of Menorca’s most famous lighthouses.

FYI – this coastal walk is actually part of Menorca’s famous 184km island loop known as the Camí de Cavalls. In fact, the coastal trail between Punta Nati and Ciutadella is officially known as the Horse Path, which is Stage 10 of the multi-day trail.

Ciutadella meaning: the word ‘Ciutadella’ translates in English to ‘citadel’, meaning a strong fortress that sits high above a city.

For information about other awesome walks in Menorca, read our Cova des Coloms hiking guide

Pont d’en Gil to Punta Nati Details and Map

• Type: Out & Back
• Distance: 13.5km
• Time: 3.25 hours
• Accumulated elevation gain: 255m
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trailhead: Parking Pont D’en Gil or Cala en Blanes street parking
• Map: Wikiloc

Pont d’en Gil to Punta Nati Trail Description

In this trail description, we’ll break down the coastal walk into sections to show you the highlights of this route. In doing so, we’ll focus on Pont d’en Gil, Sa Falconera, Punta Nati and Faro de Punta Nati.

Pont d’en Gil

After finding roadside parking in Cala en Blanes, you’ll follow a dirt path that’s parallel to the coast. After only 500 metres, you’ll reach the incredible Pont d’en Gil landmark. If you like natural arch bridges, this landform will certainly tickle your interest. Once you arrive at this natural attraction, you have two options. You can either observe and admire the natural bridge from afar on the coastal path. Alternatively, you can follow an unofficial trail that takes you on top of Pont d’en Gil.

Hiking Onto Pont d’en Gil

Hiking onto Pont d’en Gil provides a unique perspective of your coastal surroundings. But, of course, from the top of the landmark, you obviously won’t enjoy any particular views of the landform itself. Essentially, there’s no real need to hike onto the natural arch bridge.

Personally, when we visited, the weather was quite awful. So, we didn’t hike on top of the landmark due to safety risks. With that in mind, we don’t recommend hiking on top of the landmark during times of adverse weather because that could be dangerous. But, admittedly, we did re-visit the natural bridge as a standalone activity once the weather had improved. On that occasion, we hiked on top of the landmark as part of filming our Menorca hiking production.

Overall, most people will just follow along the coastal trail and enjoy the landmark from afar. Either way, Pont d’en Gil is the highlight of this coastal walk. Despite this, we recommend that you continue this brilliant coastal walk to Punta Nati. The next major attraction is the viewpoint at Sa Falconera.

Sa Falconera

After 1.9km, you’ll reach Sa Falconera. From here, you’ll enjoy splendid coastal views both southward and northward. Around Sa Falconera, you’ll walk close to the cliff’s edge. The trail nearing the edge of the cliff walls at Sa Falconera is rugged, wild and gnarly. As always, take care near the cliff’s edge! After enjoying the views at Sa Falconera, you’ll continue north towards Punta Nati.

Punta Nati

At around 5.7km, you’ll arrive at a road leading to Faro de Punta Nati. Follow this road northwards to access the Punta Nati peninsula. Certainly, Punta Nati in Menorca is a stellar coastal spot. The coastal area there feels wild and untouched. Indeed, many people will visit Punta Nati to see Faro de Punta Nati. But, not many will explore the surrounding coastal areas around the lighthouse. As part of this coastal walk, we recommend a little exploration beyond Faro de Punta Nati. You’ll find other spectacular natural rock formations just northeast of the lighthouse.

Faro de Punta Nati (Punta Nati Lighthouse)

At Punta Nati, you’ll find Faro de Punta Nati. Collectively, Faro de Punta Nati consists of two detached rectangular buildings. Also known as Phare de Punta Nati and Phare Punta Nati, the Punta Nati Lighthouse in Menorca is a worthwhile attraction to visit. Set on the unique Punta Nati landscape, the terrain can become quite arid and barren during the warmer months. It’s one of the reasons why Punta Nati is referred to as ‘dry Menorca’. Despite the apparent lack of life in the summer, Faro de Punta Nati is a popular spot to watch sunset on the island.

Close to the Punta Nati Lighthouse, you’ll see a few shelters with stone walls. You can actually enter these shelters, which is interesting. But, in the same token, they were filled with rubbish, which wasn’t a pretty sight. Thankfully, the surrounding unique coastal landscape at Punta Nati is rubbish-free and beautiful.

Once you’ve finished exploring Faro de Punta Nati, it’s time to retrace your steps to finish the walk.

Other Attractions and Surroundings near Pont d’en Gil and Punta Nati

The Pont d’en Gil to Punta Nati coastal walk has many attractions in its own right. Of course, there are other attractions to enjoy near this coastal path. Let’s look at some of the nearby best attractions and surroundings.

Sa Cigonya Cave

Sa Cigonya Cave is actually found next to Pont d’en Gil. Essentially, next to the natural arch bridge, there’s an approx. 200m underwater cave called Sa Cigonya Cave. Indeed, this underwater cave is a popular diving spot.

Cala Algaiarens

Not far from Ciutadella are some of Menorca’s finest beaches. Positioned on the north coast, Cala Algaiarens consists of two gorgeous golden-sand ‘virgin beaches‘. These ‘virgin beaches’ are considered the most pristine and secluded beaches in Menorca. Personally, Beck and I visited Cala Algaiarens as part of a coastal walk from Cala Morell. We highly recommend doing this epic day hike.

Read more: Cala Morell to Cala Algaiarens – An Excellent Coastal Walk

Arenal de Son Saura

Located on the south coast of Menorca not far from Ciutadella, you’ll find Arenal de Son Saura. Similar to Cala Algaiarens, Arenal de Son Saura is one of the most picturesque beaches in Menorca. Personally, Beck and I visited Arenal de Son Saura as part of the coastal walk from Cala n Bosch to Cala Turqeta.

Read more: Cala n Bosch to Cala Turqeta – The Complete Hiking Guide

Sant Joan de Missa

Sant Joan de Missa is a small church located in Ciutadella, which is also known as Hermitage Sant Joan de Missa. This historical church is heavily linked with the festival of Sant Joan, which is a solstice festival held annually on the 23rd of June. Sant Joan’s Day is one of the biggest festival events on the Menorca calendar. Visiting the charming church is certainly a worthwhile trip, even if it doesn’t fall on or around the day of celebrations.

Son Catlar

Around 7km southeast of Ciutadella, you’ll find Son Catlar, also known as Poblat de Son Catlar. This site is the largest Talayotic settlement in the entire Balearic Islands. The 0.06 square kilometre area has five talayots, which are impressively preserved dwelling ruins. As well as natural beauty, Menorca is full of historical attractions like this. Certainly, Son Catlar is a must-see attraction, similar to Faro de Punta Nati.

Faro de Punta Nati History

The French General Chanzy ship sank in 1910 near Punta Nati. As a result, Faro de Punta Nati was built and opened in 1913. Indeed, the lighthouse was built quickly in response to pressure from the French government. Subsequently, other lighthouses in Menorca, particularly on the north coast, were built.

Other Lighthouses in Menorca

Other lighthouses along the north coast of Menorca were built after Faro de Punta Nati was erected. These included the Cavalleria Lighthouse (AKA Cape Cavalleria Lighthouse and Faro de Cavalleria) and Favaritx Lighthouse (AKA Faro d’Artrutx and Far de Favaritx). Personally, Beck and I explored Favaritx Lighthouse on the coastal walk from Es Grau.

Of course, there are many nice lighthouses in Menorca to check out. Some of these include the Sant Carles, Sa Farola and Illa de l’Aire lighthouses. Another lighthouse worth seeing is Artrutx Lighthouse (AKA Faro d’Artrutx). This lighthouse can be seen as an outright activity or at the start of the coastal walk from Cap d’Artrutx to Cala Turqeta.

How to Get to Pont d’en Gil

It’s possible to get to Cala en Blanes using public transport. From this bus stop in Ciutadella, you can catch the approx. 25 minute Line 61 bus to Cala en Blanes. We recommend alighting at this bus stop in Cala en Blanes. From this bus stop, it’s only an 800 metre walk to Parking Pont d’en Gil – the usual trailhead for the walk to Punta Nati. The journey will cost around €1.70 ($1.70USD) per person one-way. Buses run less regularly in Menorca between September and May. Check this website for the latest timetable.

Of course, the easiest and simplest way to get to Pont d’en Gil is by driving there yourself. Given the reduced bus service outside of peak season, you may want to consider a car hire if you visit between September and May. We hired an automatic car from Menorca Airport for only €13/day.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Cala en Blanes, Menorca

Cala en Blanes (AKA Cala’n Blanes or Cala Blanes) is a small coastal town near Ciutadella. There are lots of beautiful coastal areas near Cala en Blanes. In addition, it has some of the best value for money stays on the island. To that end, let’s look at things to do in the area as well as where to stay and eat.

Things to do in Cala en Blanes: explore Platja Cala en Blanes, Cala en Brut and Platja de Cales Piques. These are all small spectacular coves.

Where to stay in Cala en Blanes: Menorca is a popular holiday destination, so the island doesn’t have much in the way of budget accommodation. The best-valued accommodation we could find was at Apartments California. We really enjoyed staying at this well-established holiday apartment. The apartments are highly-rated, spacious, well-equipped, quiet and feature a pool.

Where to eat in Cala en Blanes: there are many nice restaurants in the area. Given we stayed in an apartment, we did our own cooking. We recommend shopping at Lidl in Ciutadella for well-priced groceries.

Gear Essentials

These are our five hiking gear essentials for this coastal walk.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

You should also take water, snacks, lunch, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat.

Bonus Tips

• Explore Ciutdealla: this coastal town isn’t far from Pont d’en Gil. Ciutadella is considered ‘the old capital of Menorca’ and is one of those places you’ll have to visit during your Menorca trip. There are plenty of awesome things to do in Ciutadella. You’ll want to explore Ciutadella Port. In addition, we recommend doing a boat tour around the gorgeous coastal area near the town. GetYourGuide offers two amazing tours – Natural Coves and Beaches Boat Trip and Full Day Boat Tour. Both tours are highly-rated and include a delicious paella lunch.
• Other things to do in Menorca: other than seeing the old capital of Menorca, you should visit Mahón (AKA Maó) which is the island’s current capital.
• Best Menorca beach walks: Binimel·là to Cala Pilar, Cala Mitjana to Cala Turqeta (via Cala Galdana) and Arenal d’en Castell to Cala Pudent.

For other awesome hikes in the Balearic Islands in Spain, check out our Mallorca hiking guide, where we talk about the nine best hikes on the island.