What you can see on the Cala Tirant webcam
The camera looks across the bay from a point above the water. On the left, the white houses of a hillside resort climb the slope; ahead, the sand sweeps round to the back of the bay, where it meets the dunes and the green slopes inland. The sea fills most of the frame, so you can tell at a glance whether it is flat and clear, gently rippled, or lined with breaking waves from one end of the beach to the other. On busy summer days, you can also see how many umbrellas are already on the sand.
Cala Tirant beach and bay
This camera looks across Cala Tirant, a wide sandy bay on Menorca's north coast near Fornells. On the left, the white houses of a hillside resort sit above the water; the bay curves round to the right, where the beach and the dunes behind it meet the green hills inland. The sea takes up most of the frame.
It is the clearest view on the island of what the north wind is doing. On calm days the bay is smooth and you can count the umbrellas on the sand; when the tramuntana blows, lines of white surf roll in from one side of the beach to the other, and that is when surfers head here.
The north coast and the tramuntana
Menorca's north shore is darker and more rugged than the south, and it takes the tramuntana, the north wind that can blow hard for days, mostly between autumn and spring. When it does, Cala Tirant fills with surf and draws Menorca's surfers and bodyboarders, while the south coast stays calm. A stream behind the beach drains a small wetland, and boardwalks cross the dunes to the sand. The Camí de Cavalls, the coastal path that circles the island, passes right by.
When to watch Cala Tirant
Menorca is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland. In summer the bay is usually calm in the morning, with a sea breeze building through the afternoon. From October to April, check the camera before you go: a north wind can turn the bay white in a few hours. The light is softest early and late in the day, when the sun is low over the hills.
Around Cala Tirant
Fornells, under 2 miles (3 km) away as the crow flies, is a harbour village famous for its lobster stew and for the long, sheltered bay that is popular for windsurfing and kayaking. To the north-west, a road leads out to Cap de Cavalleria and its lighthouse, the northernmost point of the island.
Visiting Cala Tirant
The beach is signposted from the road between Es Mercadal and Fornells. Menorca airport is about 14 miles (22 km) away as the crow flies. There is little shade on the sand. On days with waves, check the flags before going in: an open north-facing beach like this one can have strong currents when the surf is up.
