Ultimate Guide to Cycling in Mallorca
It’s not hard to see why Mallorca is one of the most popular cycling locations in Europe, in a nutshell, it has it all, warm weather, fantastic smooth twisty roads, fun descents, flat rest day options, fantastic food, pretty towns for a cafe stop and plenty of flights to Palma from Leeds, Manchester and other northern airports.
Where to stay
Our recommendation would be to stay in Puerto de Pollensa which makes an excellent base in which to explore the mountains to the north and the flat vine yards to the south as well as plentiful choice of restaurants and cafes.
When should I go?
It’s common for cyclists to travel to Mallorca between March and May as the weather is warm, low 20's and sunny when the British winter weather is still often grey and cold. Although Mallorca has great sunny weather year round. You can expect average temperatures of ten degrees if you choose to go very early season in December, January and February, with a height of 25 degrees seen on average in August.
Must do climbs in Mallorca
Sa Calobra the most famous climb to cycle in Mallorca is a must for every cyclist. Sweeping as high as 682m from sea level at an average gradient 7% and a total distance of 9.4k. Sa Calobra provides an excellent way to test and compare your climbing abilities against others on Strava including many pro cyclists.
Category 1 climb
Elevation gain 656m
Length 9.4km
Average gradient 7%
Sant Salvador
The route to Sant Salvador is mainly flat until you reach the town of Felanitx, from here you start winding your way to the former monastery with panoramic views and a nice cafe.
Category 2 climb
Elevation gain 326m
Length 4.8km
Average gradient 6.7%
View route from Puerto de Pollensa to Sant Salvador on Strava
Other routes to do from Puerto de Pollensa
Cap De Formentor makes for a fantastic and very scenic short ride to a light house to test your bike after setting up after arrival and to get your bearings. This round is about 25 miles and takes roughly 2 hours:
View route from Puerto de Pollensa to Cap De Formentor on Strava
Orient, this route is a ride of two half's, the ride starts going through the Serra de Tramuntana mountains taking in Soller, which comes at an ideal point for a lunch and coffee stop before returning to Puerto de Pollensa on fast flatter roads, this route is approximately 80 miles round trip:
View route from Puerto de Pollensa through the Orient on Strava
Cycling events & sportives in Mallorca to try
Mallorca 312 is a sportive annual event which goes through the Serra Tramuntana mountains and is one of europe's most famous sportives because of it's fabulous location and the benefit of having closed roads for the event.
Bike Prep - your bike, gearing and what to take
While riding in Mallorca is very beautiful, it can be a challenging experience while riding in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains where the mountains reach as high as 1400m double what you will find in Yorkshire. Because of this you should make sure you have adequate gearing to ensure you are not left stranded. We would recommend a 11-28t cassette and maybe a compact 50-34t chainset depending how strong you feel. It can also be handy to have a physical map to help you plan routes. You can purchase a Mallorca map from YBBH here.
If you need to any new equipment or a new cassette we would recommend Wiggle.
Food & Cafes
Recommended visits:
Tolos - To refuel the body after a long ride in the fabulous mountains you should visit Tolo’s located in Puerto de Pollensa. The massive menu suits all food desires and the very large portions ensures you are well fuelled for the day ahead. During the day Tolos is excellent for a beer before retiring to your hotel. Very cycling friendly you won’t look out of place in your cycling kit.
Hotel Llenaire - Visit it’s balcony for its fantastic views of Peuto De Pollenca while lazing around with a coffee and cake and enjoy the splendid views. See picture below.
