Menorca Holiday Health Advice
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER - this information is NOT medical advice - always seek out a medical professional 2025 updates in progress...Emergency contacts in Menorca
- – Medical Emergency & Ambulance : 061
- – General emergency number: 112
- - Main Hospital Mateu Orfila (Mahon): Ronda de Malbúger, 1 | Tel. +34 971 487 000
Can I use my country's own health system cards on Menorca? Official healthcare statement for visitors and directory of public Hospitals and Health Centres ( HOSPITALES Y CENTROS DE SALUD ) in addition there is a private health care network
Uk National
When you travel to Menorca,Spain you should have either:
- a UK-issued Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)
- a UK-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
A GHIC or EHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance. Make sure you have both before you travel.
Medicines Good to Know
Medicines like aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen, antiacid tabs, cough syrup, or mild antihistamine and sleep aids are ONLY sold in Chemists ( Farmacias ) . These medicines don’t need a prescription, they’re over the counter.
Menorca has BOTH public and private Hospitals,health centres and Doctors - be sure you know which is which!
Visual Helpers
Jellyfish
FACTS
- Jellyfish move mainly according to currents and winds and their presence depends on the orientation of beach and any bay.
- Does Menorca get a lot of Jellyfish? - no more than any other island in the mediterranean - natural predators = Sea Turtles and Tuna
Is there a Jellyfish Season?
Typically late spring and warmer months
Is there an App for Jellyfish
Yes. Actual sightings are reported via meduseo.com website and App - by beach on a map of Menorca. Generally if your beach is affected check beaches on opposite side of island.
Menorca's resort beaches all have lifeguards, many of the major natural beaches also have lifeguards. In the event of a sting they have effective medical remedies to hand.
Ibuprofen is the best pain reliefCorrect First Aid for Jellyfish stings if lifeguards not available
- Popular myth : peeing on a jellyfish sting. This will actually make it worse!
- Wash the sting with sea water NOT fresh water (2)
- Remove any visible parts entering the skin with tweezers eg 'stingers/tentacles' (2)
- Visit a pharmacy for Neosayomol Crema = antihistamine for the itching/stinging
Prevention: avoiding jellyfish stings
Check beach conditions: ( Flags , meduseo.com ) Do not touch jellyfish, even on the shoreline: jellyfish can retain their stinging capacity for several hours.Itches and bites
What caused them? It is best to try to identfy them to choose the most effective treatment - visit a pharamacist if possible. Bed bug bites usually occur in a cluster or pattern, such as a line or a zigzag. Mosquito bites are usually more isolated and do not follow a pattern.
Local medicines : Neosayomol Crema = antihistamine
No meds to hand? try a tea-spoon heated in a mug of boiling water and pressed on the bite can bring some relief.
If bed bugs suspected try misting bed sheets with Nenuco Eau de Cologne ( Agua de Colonia ) - from supermarkets
Travel Items
Mosquitoes
Good to Know
Mosquitoes are one of the most emotionalised subjects in holiday Social Media and Forums :-( . Some people are Mosquito Magnets while others get few bites neither is proof of or absence of mosquitoes!!. Sure fire repellents for one person maybe ineffective for others.
- Menorca does not suffer with incessant Mosquitoes - because it has few natural water lakes / pools so less mass breeding grounds for Mossies.
- Refreshing breezes common in summer also help
Repellents basically try to mask the odours that attract Mosquitoes to humans and their effectiveness is down to our own individuallity. Some people are more likely to be bitten. The science : Studies continue but there is sufficient evidence to state the most significant factors why mosquitoes are more attracted to some people are natural body odor and genetics (2). What about blood? Blood type less so.
Mossie Chemical Warfare : Man made Vs Ecological natural remedies
Deets, IR3535 and Picaridin maybe the 'heavy lifters' of man-made repellents but have toxicity and skin-irritation concerns.
Traditional local methods that work for many people: Menorcans have allways reached for lemons and cloves . They are powerful (NON TOXIC to humans) natural insect deterents due to their strong scents and insect-deterring compounds. Cloves contain eugenol, a compound known for its potent insect-repelling properties. Especially combined, they create a powerful yet pleasant-smelling repellent.
Menorca insider tips
Fresh lemons are cheap and readily available to buy. Carry half a lemon around and put it at your feet / on table top when outside - just squeeze it to re-release aromas.
Other mosquito-managing measures include wearing loose clothing so that if mosquitoes bite through the material, they can't reach the skin.
Chemists and Pharmacies
Good to Know
Farmacias in spanish
All medicines can only be purchased in pharmacies ( ie no Asprin in supermarkets ), which are easily identified by a green cross. If you are from an EU country or from a country with a reciprocal agreement with Spain, you are entitled to the same pharmaceutical assistance available to Spanish citizens.
- Pharmacies in Menorca are open from Monday to Friday, with a rota for opening at nights and weekends.
- Pharmacists, as for most european medical professions, often speak very good english
- They might be able to dispense medication if you show them your official prescription
Chemists or Farmacias located in most beach resort (summer) and towns (throughout the year). For emergencies Posted on local chemist's door. Printed in Local paper (menorca.info) in most bars )
Holiday Health Guides
Dietary needs
Special Diets - Gluten Free, Lactose , Diabetics - full guide
Medical and Medicines Help
Emergency Pharmacists - list of who is on duty by location ( spanish )
Holiday Health one pager
Medical travel items to take
With younger children, having items to hand especially in the middle of the night, can make for happier Holidays!
Insect Bite Healer Pen Provides Natural Relief From Itching And Swelling
Wind direction and orientation of the beach are ONLY things that help predict if Jelly fish might make it to a beach near you.
Actual Jelly fish sightings are reported meduseo.com website and App for Jelly fish sightings by beach on Menorca
Travel Insurance
Never skip on Holiday insurance with sufficient medical care. Post Office offer single and multi-trips that cover most pre-existing conditions. No age limit available and free Medical Assistance Plus: 24/7 holiday health support.
Science reveals that a variety of factors might make you more 'tasty' to mosquitoes, from your skin microbiota and carbon dioxide emitted in your breath to the colour of clothing you're wearing.
(1) google 'The Mosquito Twin Test' -see BBC which mosquito repellents are proven to work best
(2) Some jelly fish fire in 'stingers' ( they release the venom ) fresh water activate them! Vinegar is thought to stop stingers activating ( mild acid )