# Mallorca or Menorca: which island suits you

> Mallorca or Menorca: area, population, airports, UNESCO status and the ferry compared side by side, with a clear recommendation for each type of traveller.

Canonical: https://mallorcaplaner.com/mallorca-or-menorca/
Updated on: 2026-10-02

Mallorca and Menorca are neighbours, yet they differ clearly: Mallorca is a good five times larger and has about nine times as many residents. The figures below come from official and encyclopaedic sources, checked on 2 October 2026.

## In short

Mallorca suits you if you want variety: a large city, mountains up to 1,436 metres, big resorts and many flights. Menorca suits you if you want quiet and a smaller scale: the whole island has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1993 and its highest point is 358 metres. If you want both, link the islands by ferry between Alcúdia and Ciutadella.

## Key points

- Mallorca covers about 3,600 square kilometres and Menorca about 696.
- According to Wikidata, Mallorca has 949,047 residents and Menorca 100,323 (both 2024).
- Mallorca has 53 municipalities and Menorca eight.
- UNESCO: the Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca has been World Heritage since 2011, while Menorca has been a biosphere reserve since 1993 and Talayotic Menorca joined the World Heritage List in 2023.
- The fast ferry between Alcúdia and Ciutadella takes about one hour to one hour and 15 minutes for 61 kilometres, according to the operator Baleària.

## Recommendation by traveller type

- First trip to the Balearics, seeing a lot: Mallorca. On one island you find Palma with about 435,000 residents, a mountain range with World Heritage status, long sandy beaches and resorts of every size.
- Mountain hiking: Mallorca. Puig Major reaches 1,436 metres, while the highest point in Menorca, El Toro, is 358 metres. More under [hiking in Mallorca](https://mallorcaplaner.com/hiking/).
- City break and culture: Mallorca, because of [Palma](https://mallorcaplaner.com/palma/). The largest towns in Menorca, Ciutadella and Mahón, each have about 30,000 residents.
- Quiet, nature, small scale: Menorca. The whole island is a biosphere reserve, and with about 100,000 residents on 696 square kilometres it is far less densely populated.
- Prehistory: Menorca. According to UNESCO, Talayotic Menorca comprises nine component parts with structures dating from 1600 BCE to 123 BCE.
- Travelling outside summer: more likely Mallorca. According to Wikipedia, Menorca Airport is used mainly by charter and seasonal flights and is busiest from April to October. See also [best time to visit](https://mallorcaplaner.com/best-time-to-visit/).

These are planning recommendations that we derive from the figures. They do not replace your own taste.

## Size, population and landscape

Mallorca, also spelled Majorca in English, is the largest of the Balearic Islands and, according to Wikipedia, the seventh largest island in the Mediterranean. According to the German-language Wikipedia its area is 3,603.7 square kilometres, and Wikidata gives 949,047 residents for 2024. The island is divided into 53 municipalities. The highest mountain is Puig Major in the Serra de Tramuntana: Wikidata and Wikipedia give 1,436 metres, while other references, including Britannica, give 1,445 metres.
Menorca is the second largest of the Balearic Islands. Wikipedia gives 695.8 square kilometres and Britannica 668. Wikidata gives 100,323 residents for 2024, and the island has eight municipalities. The highest point, El Toro, is a hill in the middle of the island, 358 metres high according to Britannica. The capital is Mahón (Maó in Catalan) at the eastern end, and Ciutadella lies at the western end. The main road, the Me-1, links the two towns. The natural harbour of Mahón is five kilometres long.
The names say it already: Mallorca goes back to the Latin insula maior, the larger island, and Menorca to insula minor. For the spelling, see [Mallorca or Majorca](https://mallorcaplaner.com/mallorca-or-majorca/).

## UNESCO status and protected areas

In Mallorca, the Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana has been on the World Heritage List since 27 June 2011, with a property of 30,745 hectares. Off the south coast there is also the Cabrera Archipelago National Park, created in 1991. Details are on the [Serra de Tramuntana](https://mallorcaplaner.com/tramuntana/) page.
Menorca as a whole was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1993. According to UNESCO the reserve covers 514,485 hectares, of which 69,480 are on land and 445,005 at sea. Since 2023 Talayotic Menorca has also been on the World Heritage List: settlements and burial places built of very large stone blocks without mortar, including talayots, taulas and navetas.

## Airports and getting there

Each island has one commercial airport, and both are operated by Aena. Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) lies about eight kilometres east of Palma and, according to Aena, handled 33,806,427 passengers in 2025. Menorca Airport (MAH) lies 4.5 kilometres south-west of Mahón and handled 4,210,152 passengers in 2025 according to Aena.
For planning, that means about eight times as many passengers travel through Palma as through Menorca. For Menorca, check early whether there are direct flights on your travel dates. We do not quote prices, as they change daily and are published by the airlines.

## Distance and ferry between the islands

The ports of Alcúdia in Mallorca and Ciutadella in Menorca are 61 kilometres apart according to the ferry company Baleària. It states that it links them with several sailings a day, using fast ferries and conventional ships on which you can take a car, motorbike or bicycle. For its fast ferry it gives the crossing time as about one hour to one hour and 15 minutes (checked on 2 October 2026). Timetables and prices are on the operator's site.
That makes it possible to combine both islands in one trip: a base in the [north of Mallorca](https://mallorcaplaner.com/alcudia-pollenca/) and a side trip to Ciutadella from there. It is tight as a day trip, and more relaxed with one or two nights.

## Mallorca and Menorca compared (sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, UNESCO, Britannica and Aena, checked on 2 October 2026)

| Feature | Mallorca | Menorca |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 3,603.7 km² | 695.8 km² |
| Population | 949,047 (2024, Wikidata) | 100,323 (2024, Wikidata) |
| Municipalities | 53 | 8 |
| Highest point | Puig Major, 1,436 m (Wikidata), other sources 1,445 m | El Toro, 358 m (Britannica) |
| Capital | Palma | Mahón (Maó) |
| Airport | Palma de Mallorca (PMI), about 8 km east of Palma | Menorca (MAH), 4.5 km south-west of Mahón |
| Passengers | 33.8 million (2025, Aena) | 4.2 million (2025, Aena) |
| UNESCO World Heritage | Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana (2011) | Talayotic Menorca (2023) |
| Biosphere reserve | no | whole island since 1993 |

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mallorca or Menorca bigger?

Mallorca is much bigger. According to Wikipedia the island covers 3,603.7 square kilometres and Menorca 695.8. Mallorca therefore has a good five times the area and, according to Wikidata, with 949,047 residents about nine times the population of Menorca, which has 100,323 (both 2024).

### How do you get from Mallorca to Menorca?

By ferry between Alcúdia in the north of Mallorca and Ciutadella on the west coast of Menorca. The ferry company Baleària gives a crossing time of about one hour to one hour and 15 minutes for its fast ferry and carries vehicles. Timetables and prices are on the operator's site.

### How far is Menorca from Mallorca?

The ferry company Baleària gives the route between the port of Alcúdia in Mallorca and the port of Ciutadella in Menorca as 61 kilometres. It states that its fast ferry takes about one hour to one hour and 15 minutes.

### What UNESCO status do Mallorca and Menorca have?

In Mallorca, the Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana has been World Heritage since 2011. Menorca has been a biosphere reserve as a whole island since 1993, and Talayotic Menorca, with its prehistoric stone structures, has been on the World Heritage List since 2023.

### Is Menorca quieter than Mallorca?

The figures suggest so: Menorca has about 100,000 residents (2024) and an airport with 4.2 million passengers in 2025, while Mallorca has about 949,000 residents (2024) and, according to Aena, 33.8 million passengers in 2025. How quiet a place feels also depends on season and location.

### Does Menorca have its own airport, or do you fly via Mallorca?

Menorca has its own airport (MAH), 4.5 kilometres south-west of Mahón. According to Wikipedia it is used mainly by charter and seasonal flights and is busiest from April to October. You do not necessarily need to travel via Mallorca.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (EN): Mallorca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallorca), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (EN): Menorca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menorca), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica: Majorca](https://www.britannica.com/place/Majorca), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica: Minorca](https://www.britannica.com/place/Minorca), checked on 2026-10-02
- [UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1371), checked on 2026-10-02
- [UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Talayotic Menorca](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1528), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (ES): Menorca talayótica](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menorca_talay%C3%B3tica), checked on 2026-10-02
- [UNESCO, Man and the Biosphere Programme: Menorca](https://www.unesco.org/en/mab/menorca), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (EN): Palma de Mallorca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palma_de_Mallorca), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (EN): Palma de Mallorca Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palma_de_Mallorca_Airport), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (EN): Menorca Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menorca_Airport), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Aena: Aeropuerto de Menorca](https://www.aena.es/en/menorca.html), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (EN): Mahón](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah%C3%B3n), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikidata: Einwohner und Fläche der Gemeinden (Abfrage der Einträge am Prüfdatum)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8828), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (EN): Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabrera_Archipelago_Maritime-Terrestrial_National_Park), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Baleària: Fähre Mallorca nach Menorca (Alcúdia und Ciutadella)](https://www.balearia.com/en/routes-timetables/ferry-mallorca-menorca), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (EN): Port d'Alcúdia (Koordinaten für die Luftlinie)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_d%27Alc%C3%BAdia), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (EN): Ciutadella de Menorca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciutadella_de_Menorca), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Aena: El Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca cierra 2025 con 33,8 millones de pasajeros](https://www.aena.es/es/prensa/el-aeropuerto-de-palma-de-mallorca-cierra-2025-con-338-millones-de---pasajeros.html), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Aena: El Aeropuerto de Menorca cierra 2025 con 4,2 millones de pasajeros](https://www.aena.es/es/prensa/el-aeropuerto-de-menorca-cierra-2025-con-42-millones-de-pasajeros.html), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikidata: Mallorca (Q8828), Einwohner 2024 (P1082)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8828), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikidata: Menorca (Q52636), Einwohner 2024 (P1082)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q52636), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikidata: Palma (Q8826), Einwohner am 1. Januar 2025 (P1082)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8826), checked on 2026-10-02
- [Wikipedia (DE): Mallorca (Fläche der Hauptinsel 3.603,7155 km²)](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallorca), checked on 2026-10-02