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Deep Water Soloing in Menorca – Backpacking Europe
What is deep water soloing?
First off, I had never heard of the term “deep water soloing” until this day. But let me tell you, it is freakin’ awesome. Basically, deep water soloing is like normal rock climbing, except it’s done above water. This way, you can essentially free climb and use the water below as a safety net. It can allow for some exploration of more difficult routes with a lower risk of injury. Needless to say, the Menorca deep water solo excursion was well worth it. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, keep reading! I’ll talk about where we went and what to bring.
Fun Fact
Deep water soloing is also referred to as psicobloc, FYI. Pretty gnarly word.
About Menorca
Menorca is a Spanish island off of the east side of Spain and the rightmost next to Mallorca (Palma) and Ibiza. It’s a smaller island, and I would consider it less touristy than the other two. For size reference, you can easily get from one side to the other by scooter in less than an hour. I’ll talk more about that in a future post.
Mahón Takeaway
To sum it up, Mahón gives off a leisure town vibe. The port has one main street where all the main restaurants and bars are located. The port itself is an endless dock full of llauts and yachts. Almost
everything is within walking distance. Though, renting a scooter makes getting around easier!
The island has two main towns on opposite sides: Mahón (Maó) and Ciutadella de Menorca. We stayed in Mahón at Hostal Jume. The hostel was smack in the middle of town with easy access to the market, bus shuttles and all the restaurants lining the main street. Additionally, the room was clean and the amenities were as expected. You don’t need much more than a hot shower and a bed after an exhausting day of deep water soloing! Overall, Jume was a perfect place to stay for the 2-3 days on the island.
The llaut excursion to Menorca's southern coast
On the morning of our deep water soloing adventure, we hit up Mercat des Claustre – the main market in Mahón. The market is a square plaza where you can pick up snacks for the day. They also hold events and concerts here too! With a bag full of blueberry muffins, we headed down to the port where our excursion guide, Jordi, would meet us at the llaut. For those unfamiliar with a “llaut,” the picture below gives a good idea of what it is. The good ‘ol llaut – a traditional Mediterranean boat, and the vessel of choice for deep water soloing in Meorca.
I also have to give a shout out to Jordi. He runs Menorca en Llaut and is El Capitan. Check out the site! Deep water soloing was one of many package deals you can choose from. If you are planning a trip to Menorca, sailing around the island is a great way to take in the views. Plus, you will feel like an absolute baller sunbathing on the front of a llaut with a beverage in hand.
Once everything was situated on the llaut and the muffins were safe, we undocked and began the trip to the island’s southern cliffs. The journey over didn’t take too long, from what I can remember. Maybe 20-30 minutes? I was too caught up in the scenic route as I got some shots on the cameras. However, soon enough, we were at the climbing spot and ready to go.
Let the climbing begin!
Before anchoring at the coast’s inlet, there was a small cavern in the cliffside that Jordi took the llaut in. You could almost touch the cave’s ceiling as we squeezed our way in. It was crazy how clear blue the water was, even with only a little light hitting the surface. I’ll tell you one thing though – as beautiful as the water was, it was certainly NOT warm!
After backing out of the cavern and anchoring, we took some paddle boards to the starting location on the cliff. The climb, in total, I’d guesstimate to be about 50 yards horizontally. That’s about half of a football field. As a disclaimer, I do not even climb recreational often, so I had no clue what to expect or the level of difficulty. All I remember thinking when I began was, “don’t fall into the freezing water, don’t fall into the freezing water.”
Needless to say, those fears were quickly put behind once I did fall. The plunge wakes you the hell up, but also makes you want to get back on that cliff and continue. After you fall a few more times, the water becomes more refreshing, helping you reset and attempt the route again. Deep water soloing is challenging yet addictively fun. If you’re a person who enjoys outdoor sports and getting a good workout in, this ranks high on both scales.
Reaching the top to take the jump
Eventually, my arms were feeling like jelly. Hanging on the side of the cliff, maybe 30 feet up, I could see the finish line. Working past the physical exhaustion, the remainder of the climb was all mental. It was “turn off the brain and focus” time. Gripping on to jagged, porous rock with a long fall below is a great motivator. Finally, the end was reached! Personally, this was the most satisfying part, not because of reaching the top, but we now had a chance to jump from the cliff.
The jumping spot was roughly 45 feet up in the side of the cliff. After all the adrenaline built up from the climb, I was ready to throw a backflip off this cliff! Looking down at the water, it was definitely going to be my highest jump attempting a flip. I gave two straight jumps to get used to the timing. Platform: solid. Hang-time: perfect. Ok, it was now or never.
It always feels like slow-motion when you jump off something going inverted in the air. Looking at the water while floating in the air for a split second is… liberating. It’s probably not the best word, but I don’t really know how to explain it. Nevertheless, it’s a feeling worth experiencing at least once.
A surprising fact!
After a few more jumps and a quick snorkel around the inlet, we pulled up the anchor and headed back to port. In total, the excursion was about 4 hours and more than enough time. I didn’t realize how much energy deep water soloing would require. That combined with the sun made the journey back consist of me eating watermelon half awake while tanning.
However, I have yet to mention the best part. While talking to Jordi about his business and what he does, we discovered that we were his first deep water soloing customers! Essentially, we were the guinea pigs! It was pretty funny, because I don’t think anyone would have expected it. Jordi maintained the El Capitan aura throughout the deep water soloing adventure. What a pro! Overall, the experience was flawless. We would have never guessed had he not said anything.
What to bring for deep water soloing
For the most part, you will not need to bring much. Jordi did provide some things such as snorkel masks, paddle boards and snacks. This also included his homemade liquid climbing chalk which worked wonders while climbing. Regardless, here is the short list of the essentials:
- Sunscreen
- Towel
- Sandals
- Rock climbing shoes (If you do not have any, I used these cheap water shoes as an alternative, and they worked perfectly)
- Food (Jordi provided some appetizers, but feel free to bring along more)
- Sunglasses / hat
- Water
- Blueberry muffins (personal preference)
- Anything else you’d normally bring on a boat
To wrap it up, the first day in Menorca had already been one of the best travel days I’ve ever had. Furthermore, the day was only half over. Arriving at the port, the remainder of the day would be spent travelling to the opposite side of the island on scooters. It was a great decision at first, until bad decisions were made. Find out how it turned out in the next post!
Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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