San Jaime Complex

I am probably biased as our family has owned an apartment in Son Bou for 25 years! I love Menorca and since my first visit as a teenager I have seen the Son Bou resort grow into a place I now enjoy holidaying at with my own children.
Yes the apartments are basic, and yes the food in the poolside restaurants comes mostly with chips, but you are on holiday so explore.
Casa Andres restaurant is fabulous with friendly staff, there is always a queue of people who haven’t booked a table waiting hopefully to be seated.
Boni's is another favourite with some different dishes on the menu and Boni (the owner) offers recommendations which are worth taking.
Facilities for children (ours are 11 and 14 now) are great, the maze draws them every year. There is an internet cafe so they need never be off MSN if that's their thing. The waterslides on the complex are cheap enough and not too daunting for under 10's and over 40's!!
The beach is beautiful, go there at 7pm, swim for an hour or so (or just people watch), then get a bite to eat at one of the beach bars and watch the sunset.
The marshland in between the apartments and the beach is a haven for wildlife, any twitchers out there take your binoculars.
The numerous festivals throughout July and August are worth visiting, horses running through the streets etc so not for the faint hearted, its probably worth booking an excursion as finding your own parking place can be hard.
We will be going again next year, whether its your 1st or your 21st visit, enjoy it.

Have just returned from two great weeks at the San Jaime Complex! My husband, myself and our three children all decided that it was our best holiday to date. There was something for everyone, all our children, aged 12, 9,7,had an absolute ball!!
We were based in Zone 5, which was very convenient for the swimming pools, maze, water slides and the Supermercado! However as our middle child has Downs syndrome we did find the walk to the beach a little arduous in the heat of the day.
We hired a car for four days so we were able to explore some of the many beautiful beaches and other sites that Menorca has to offer. The apartment was adequate considering the amount of time we spent indoors, it was very clean and the maid service was very reliable, every other day.
The whole atmosphere was very relaxed and felt very safe for the children, our son with Downs has never had so much independence. We were all a bit glum when it was time to come back home to England and the rain-we will definitely return!

Menorca is great, you can go on loads of trips, a coast to coast trip – you go around looking at all the coast of Menorca and see some fantastic sites.
You can also go to an aqua park where there are water slides a Jacuzzi and a pool. You can also see the dancing horses which are really good. There is a market in Mahon Town that you can go to and you can also go on some boat trips.
The holiday reps are really great, they make you feel really welcome and they make sure you have a good time. Our room is really nice there was nothing wrong with it.
There are some good swimming pools and there is a beach which is lovely. When you are swimming in the beach you can see little fish swimming with you.
The restaurants around here are really great they do a variety of foods. The bar buy the flumes is good because every night they have entertainment going on. I can´t wait to come back next year.

Just got back from such a fantastic holiday in the San Jamie complex yesterday and I’m already persuading my mum and dad to take us back next year, although they won’t need much persuading because we loved it so much!
We went for 2 weeks and stayed in an apartment in Zone 4 which was very close to the maze, pool, bar/restaurant supermarket and everything we needed and only a short walk to other restaurants, shops and beautiful beach!
Even though I've just turned 14 and just enjoyed my birthday on holiday, I absolutely loved the maze which was on every night and it wasn't just me other people my age were there too along with younger children.
Also, the entertainment at night was really good with the best tribute band there - The Temptations! The 'Four Tops' were also good and Freddy Mercury was also on and had everyone in fits of laughter when he was dressed as a women and his wig fell off.
Waiters and staff in restaurants are very friendly especially in the Zone 4 bar/restaurant and especially our waiter Hoolio! We loved him to bits! My mum even got a free Hoolio special bacardi and coke from him for helping him out about this family going somewhere without paying or something. I was soo jealous!
Anyway if you’re planning on going you’ll really enjoy it even if you’ve got kids my age. I was a bit worried bout going and being bored because everyone was saying it was for children under 10 but Imet loads of people my age and we all had a great time!
Overall a brilliant holiday and hopefully going back next year!!

Decided to stay at san Jaime again this year after a lovely holiday in June 2004. 2 adults and 3 children aged between 4-10 years. Nothing has really changed.
Apartments really need an upgrade, not even air conditioned, even though Menorca is having an extremely hot July. Entertainment was lousy, one act appeared at least twice in one week, he being a Spanish guitarist called Javi, 2 other acts were here the last time we came. Very expensive to eat out this year, and if you don’t want chips every day, you may go hungry. Us English must have chips even with our breakfast.
Staff reluctant to untie the sun beds until well after 9am thus causing a riot between guests. Had to hire car this time as we felt we had outgrown Son Bou. Ok for a cheap break but we paid £2500 for 11 nights. Far too overpriced.

The charming outward appearance of the San Jaime complex hides what was for us a rather shabby ( but acceptably clean)apartment. As this was a last minute deal we accepted the rusty plugholes, damaged toilet seat and chipped tiles, but if we had had to pay the full price I would have been disappointed.
The complex itself is ideal for young families - we took our five year old, who found most of the kids too much - loud uncontrollable kids jumping in the pool constantly and communicating in screams and shouts - yes they are on holiday, but 12 year olds jumping into the toddler pool with no apparent parental control is spoiling it for other holiday makers. The bar area supplied what could be described as food, but not in my vocabulary - if chicken nuggets , fried breakfast and hotdogs are your favoured dish you will be in heaven.
The only redeeming point was the location - five minutes easy walk to a truly magnificent beach with safe swimming and a couple of beach bars that served delicious salads and ice creams. This made the holiday. Eating out was expensive if you wanted to rise above the all day breakfasts - a plate of mixed grilled seafood and fish 22 Euro per person - most of our evening meals came to around 80 euros with ( hardly drinkable) wine.
In conclusion, if you are a young family looking for a cheap and cheerful week with guaranteed sun and sangria this should hit the spot - if you are a thirty something couple or a silver surfer looking for authentic Spanish culture and night life - steer clear - the kids will drive you potty ;-)

My husband, myself and two children came here in June 2004 and June 2005. The 1st year, the kids were aged 2and half and nearly 4. We loved it. When we arrived, there was a bottle of wine in our room, which was disgusting I must admit, but it's the thought that counts!!!
The beach was lovely and not too far to walk to get to it.
The pool was really nice, I think there are 3 pools altogether, but we only went to 2 of them. The one near the children’s play area was the nicest, because it was small, you could always see where your children were and it wasn't too crowded.
The apartments themselves were basic, but comfortable and well equipped. The place is too nice to be sat inside checking if it needs another lick of paint or not!!!
The maids came in every other day and changed the towels and made beds and the beds were made up with clean sheets twice in a week.
The grounds were very well kept and looked beautiful.
The hotel staff were very helpful and would do whatever to make your stay better.
We personally never saw any of the evening entertainment because my kids were still young and wanting to be in bed by 7.30-8.00, but I did hear from others it was good.
The maze is a must do!! We didn't do it the first year, but the 2nd year we did, and it was great fun. It was quite cheap to get in, but you also got a discount voucher to use for the rest of your stay, typically we found it the day before we came home!!
There are 2 water parks on the island, they are both brilliant days out, but 1 was a bit better than the other.
There are a few bars and restaurants nearby, 'Las Dunas' is absolutely excellent, the waiters at all the restaurants were locals and would go out of their way to make you feel welcome and they loved entertaining the kids, while you were waiting for your meal to come.
I wanted to go back in June 06 but my husband said we ought to have a change, big mistake, I wish we had gone back there. We'll definitely be going June 07!!!
Another bonus, it's only a 2 and half hour flight and about a 20 minute transfer.

Myself, my wife, and my 4 year old daughter, went back to San Jaime for the 3rd time in a row this year. Yes - it really is THAT good for small kids. The combination of swimming pools for kids, plus we're only a short walk away from the longest beach in Minorca, make it an irresistible place to visit.
An open air kiddie disco is on each evening in the complex, which my daughter loves to go to. And there’s face painting once a week too for them. The tribute band shows for the adults (Abba, Bee Gees, Rod Stewart) are a great laugh (if you keep your tongue in cheek) , and the kids love them too. My daughter ending up bopping around to "Dancing Queen" with a big gang of kids her own age. Great fun for her.
And if you want to explore the island, rent a car and drive around. The roads are very quiet, and you can easily reach any of the other resorts, as the island is quite small. Minorca has escaped the high rise hell of the Costa’s, and has retained it own Minorca charm.
But one of the biggest draws for me anyway, is that all of the local restaurants/bars are run by locals. And very friendly and welcoming they are too. It's only our third time, and even we're getting recognised by them - "hello again!", "welcome back" - which says a lot, considering how many people visit each year.
If you have a young kid, like I do, I can’t recommend it highly enough. I'm hoping to go back again in August, and again next year - in both cases to the San Jaime complex. It’s a lovely bit of chilled out heaven.
Word of warning about other complexes in Son Bou - some are located on the hills further back, and they are some way from the beach - San Jaime is in a perfect location. Easy walk to Son Bou beach and the restaurants/bars surrounding it - so you aren’t confined to the complex every day.

Just returned from a very relaxing week in Son Bou, overall a good time was had by all, although due time year the resort was very quiet. Most bars and restaurants had closed for the season and those that remained open were poor quality and value, we ended up having to cater for ourselves most evenings which also proved a struggle as the supermarkets had very limited stock.
The apartment was comfortable but by no means luxurious and would benefit from modernising.
Ants and flies were in abundance throughout the complex and had to be tackled with heavy duty sprays!!!
Son Bou beach is one of the best on the island but be prepared for the nudist factor which we were unaware of.
Car hire was essential as the resort offers very little apart from the beach and local bus service was limited. Getting around the island was no problem by car as all roads very quiet.
The weather was superb which made our holiday as we were able to sit out on balcony every evening watching sunset over the sea.
Returning to Menorca next year but have selected a more lively resort and going slightly earlier.

The San Jaime complex is brilliant!
It is situated in what I would say is the nicest part of the Island, of which I have seen most of it. The restaurants, bars etc are all run by locals, unlike the Cuidadela end resorts which are generally run by the 'British'. Personally I do not go on holiday to go to British run places!
I have been going to the San Jaime complex for 12 years, and still love it. The staff there are very friendly and welcoming, always remembering us each year.

Every evening there is a 'show' on, ranging from tribute groups, to magic shows. These vary in quality, however the bad ones are normally so funny you can laugh at them!!!
This complex is particularly great for families but hey I have no kids yet love it! There is also a maze and waterslides on the complex and these are accessible for a small cost
If your looking for a buzzing nightlife, this is not the place for you. It has some lively bars and a couple of discos, but if your wanting a chilled beach holiday- well this is for you!