Europe's number one cycling destination

As Winter is almost gone and Spring is approaching fast, thousands of cyclist are busy migrating South to warmer weather. One of their most popular places to visit is the island of Mallorca. As part of Spain, you are usually guaranteed good weather on the island, and with its undulating terrain it makes Mallorca a perfect place to do base training. Did I mention it is gorgeous too?

My favourite part of the island is the Tramutana mountain range, situated to the West of the island. From the Northern Point of Cap de Formentor to Port Andratx the distance is more or less 140km. Within the Tramutana range there are different loops you can do, to challenge yourself, whilst soaking up the spectacular sea views. You can easily spend 4 days riding all of the passes from the Coll de Fremia, Coll de Soller, Sa Calobra and many more.

Cap de Formentor is the most Northern Point of the island. (map above) To get there you will need to do an out and back from Port de Pollenca. It is a gorgeous climb over a road rewarding you with spectacular views in every curve. Keep in mind that there are busses taking tourists up to the Lighthouse at the point, thus it is better to get an early start to ignore the traffic on the narrow road. The traffic starts to move around 10am. The old lighthouse was constructed in 1863, with all the materials transported by donkeys pulling carts over the awe-inspiring terrain. Make sure to also look out for the impressive donkey paths as you make your way to the point.

Another route not to miss is the loop taking you from Soller to Port de Pollenca with a distance of 126km (Map above). Make sure to warm up your legs before hitting the steep Col de Soller with its famous 27 switchbacks. The small country roads feels as if they have been made for cyclists, and if you find it too hard you can always cut the route in half by turning left at Selva. Keep a look out for lots of Donkeys spectating next to the road :)

Looping back from Port de Pollenca to Soller is a 20km climb weaving its way to the highest point of the Tramutana Range at 880m, where you will also pass the Monestary of Lluc. Just after you have passed underneath an old Roman bridge you must turn off towards Sa Colabra. It is an out and back ride, but you should not miss this challenging and beyond beautiful climb. At the end of your ride you can also spend time in the town of Soller or Port de Soller for a coffee or freshly squeezed orange juice. Soller has a really nice square boasting with typical Spanish architecture and narrow roads. The harbor of Port de Soller also rewards you by offering beautiful views over the bay lined with yachts.

I have kept my favourite route for last. Running between Soller and Andratx, it is a 118km (map above) ride taking you through mesmerizing roads. Continuing South, by following the signs for Andratx, you will be passing through many more typical Mallorquin towns of which Deia is one of my favourites. Perched on the hilltop you only have to gaze around to understand why so many artists base themselves in Deia. The town of Valldemossa is also quite famous but being a bit touristy. The town of Banyalburfar is built into the slope of the mountain and equally offers beautiful views. The road curves as it hugs the mountain almost all the way to Andratx rewarding you with views of the cliffs, mountains and sea. Continuing back towards Soller and Deia the inland roads are quite small, and very rustic with a few nice climbs. These are definitely a must-try while spending time on the island. If you don’t want to go that far, you can easily cut the route by 40km, and make it much easier by starting in Valldemossa.

Mallorca is the perfect place to head out, and do some base miles, in the early Spring to enjoy some fantastic riding. Below you will find all the GPX files from Strava. You should note that the traffic in Mallorca is extremely cycling friendly with cars keeping a good distance from you. Only from end-July until mid-September the island gets really busy while at the height of its tourist season. This means lots of busses and plenty of traffic in certain places, which is not fun to navigate through, but if you do – look out!

Weather wise the Tramutana range can get snow in January until mid February, and from June until September the Mallorca weather can get really hot.

Cap Formentor route - http://www.strava.com/routes/1206264

Soller to Pollenca route - http://www.strava.com/routes/1206252

Soller to Andratx route - http://www.strava.com/routes/1205990

Happy riding!

Arien