Many of the best places to enjoy a swim in Menorca are only accessible on foot or by sea. Renting a boat to enjoy these coves is a highly recommended option as well as having the opportunity to spend the day swimming, diving and sunbathing on a boat with your friends or family.
In general, there are two options to rent a boat in Menorca
- Drive the boat directly or
- hire a boat with crew
Both options are valid and for certain small and very simple boats, you do not need a special permit. With a small previous class, you will be able to handle your own boat around the island.
Boat rental without driver, without crew and without the need for a permit
Let’s look at some details and tips on self-drive boat rental in Menorca, with a specific focus on those that do not require a license, so you can plan and avoid common mistakes, save a little money, and have the best experience possible.
You can hire the boat and go out on your own, without a guide. It is legal and it is safe to do so. All it involves is knowing how to operate a boat with an engine, steering wheel and some simple pedals/levers, and the briefing before departure takes just 5-10 minutes.
Is it a good option to rent a boat without a captain or crew in Menorca?
Some may prefer to have no stress or worries during the boat trip with another person in charge of driving. The objective is that we can concentrate on swimming and sunbathing, being able to have a few drinks or not having to be aware of the best route or thinking about the times to return to the port.
In that case, you should consider renting your boat in Menorca with a skipper.
In the case of renting with a skipper, you already know that you can completely relax and let yourself go knowing that everything will be in good hands.
Categories of boats for rent
The boats available range from the very elegant to the more traditional.
The smallest and most economical are about four meters long with a 15 horsepower engine. They would be ideal for a couple but, although they can accommodate 4/5 people, they would be a bit cramped for a full group of adults (note that from a price vs. capacity perspective, children count the same as adults). These are the ones we can rent WITHOUT A SKIPPER. The bigger boats, 5/6 people, give a lot more space to hang out and sunbathe, with more seats and a bigger bow or sundeck. In general, these boats CAN ONLY BE RENTED WITH A SKIPPER. The duration of the rental is not conditioned to having or not having an employer. In general, a boat rental in Menorca is done from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can rent the whole day but it all depends on what we have planned. More hours of rental without a SKIPPER require more experience and knowledge of the sea. If you’ve never done it, renting 8 hours can be exhausting.