Peddle Power From Palma To Pollensa: Cycling In Mallorca

One of the great things about Mallorca as a holiday destination is its versatility – the Mediterranean island really does have something for everybody. Its cycling opportunities are particularly good; the island offers services and routes for casual users, but the real pay-off is for those of an intermediate or advanced fitness level. The breadth of route type for such a small island may well surprise you.

After reading this you’ll be so desperate to get into the saddle that you won’t even need a Mallorca airport taxi to disembark – you’ll be peddling straight off the plane.

Tramuntana Coastal Road

The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range runs diagonally from north to the west of Mallorca. Granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2011, it is littered with an array of stunning mountain roads that put the zest in holiday cycling.

The Ma-10 coastal road runs the length of Tramuntana; it’s the perfect way to see everything the range has to offer (which is quite a lot). At full length it is 114 kilometres (70 miles) from Pollença to Andratx, taking in peaceful forests in the west and famous local climbs like Coll Major at the other end. There is freedom to choose certain segments of course, but if you’re really keen – and up to the challenge – the coastal road can be completed in a day of hard riding.

Coll de Soller

Unlike the versatility of Ma-10, the Coll de Soller route has only one selling point: its hairpin bends. In the short space of a 10-kilometre climb and descent, there are 50 tight hairpins to negotiate. Fifty! Another boon is the absence of traffic: cars mostly use a bypass carved underneath the Coll de Soller. This short, technical road is an absolute must for cyclists looking to nail down their handling skills.

Formentor Peninsula

The Formentor Peninsula is the most famous cycling road in Mallorca, stretching to the north-eastern tip of the island overlooking the Bay of Pollença. The route is 19 kilometres over flowing terrain with the sea a constant companion. For those reasons the way is usually quite busy with car and bike traffic; but if you leave early enough or travel in the off-season months, the course can still be thoroughly rewarding.

Santuari de Cura

Further south and away from the Tramuntana is the Santuari de Cura. The climb up this hill is quite steep (with a gradient that touches beyond 10%), but short. Adorned with a monastery on the way up and a pretty hotel at the crown, the views at the top are genuinely staggering. Santuari de Cura’s geographic location right in the centre of Mallorca allows you to see with amazing clarity for 360 degrees.

How to Get There

Palma airport is a popular destination from the UK, so there are regular flights every day across Britain. Time in the sky is around the 2 and a half hour mark from London, and naturally a little more the further north you travel from. You can pre-book a Mallorca airport taxi before departure making it even easier to reach the hotel and get back on the bike. Be sure to choose a carrier who will be able to transport your wheels free of charge!

Author Plate

Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct, the number one provider of shared and private airport transfers all over Europe and northern Africa. If you’re looking for an affordable Mallorca airport taxi Lukas and his colleagues can make sure that you and your luggage get to and from the airport swiftly and safely.