Whether you are an amateur or professional cyclist, you will want to experience the sensation of riding these spectacular bicycle routes through Mallorca. Many consider the island as the mecca of cycling in Europe and this statement is reinforced both by the number of cyclists who visit the island (which today already exceeds 150,000 a year) and by the fact that some professional teams establish your winter training bases here, mostly in the Playa de Muro and Puerto de Alcúdia area.
Other reasons that make Mallorca an ideal place for cycling are: the prevalence of a warm and sunny climate in autumn, winter and spring; the abundance of magnificent landscapes, well paved roads and an infrastructure developed to meet the needs of cyclists at all levels.
And there are many places on the island where cyclists can find beautiful and quiet rural roads or secondary roads that invite to be discovered and explored. Some of them even lead to historic castles, mountaintop monasteries, and lighthouses. Here we present the routes that you should not miss if you want to cycle tourism in Mallorca.
We also collaborate with Rad-Salon PRO Rent Mallorca, where you can buy or rent your bike as well as other equipment from BMC, TUNE, Castelli, POC, EVOC and a lot more. They offer bikes for all budgets and a professional service. Their shops are located in Playa de Muro (headquarters), Puerto de Alcúdia, Ca’n Picafort, Ca’n Pastilla and Playa de Palma. We will be delighted to help you with anything you might need during your stay.
Cap de Formentor
The Formentor peninsula is one of the most famous cycling routes in Mallorca. The 20 km that separate the picturesque town of Port de Pollença, located in the north, and the Cap Formentor lighthouse offer some of the most spectacular views of the island.
Before this road used to be filled with rental cars and tourist buses in high season, but since access to cars and motorcycles for private use was prohibited between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. every day of July and August, it is a safer place for cyclists.
Tramuntana’s coastal road
The 110 km route that runs along the west coast linking Pollença, in the north, with Andratx, located in the south, is probably the most spectacular in Mallorca. It climbs 2,520 meters and crosses the Coll de Femenia, Puig Major (the highest point on the island), Can Costa, Cap des Bosquet, es Grau and the Coll de sa Gramola to finish in Andratx. In Puig Major you can find the road located at the highest point in Mallorca. It is 13.7 km long, has a vertical drop of 818 meters and an average slope of 6%.
You will cross some of the most beautiful mountain villages, including the Sóller valley, known as the “valley of oranges”, the famous city of Deià, the city of Valldemossa, dominated by its monastery, or the coastal towns from Banyalbufar and Estellences (ideal to have a coffee and savor the typical Gató de Almendra). Descending the slope you will reach Andratx.
Sa Calobra
The small fishing village of Sa Calobra is famous for its imposing views, its hairpin bends and the difficulty of the ascent route. It is 10 kilometers long and has an average slope of 7%, although towards the end you will find some sections with a slope of 12%.
Sa Calobra is small but well known. Located in a remote place while being unique makes it one of the best places on the island.
Coll de Sóller
In 1997 the Sóller Tunnel was inaugurated. It concentrates almost all motorized traffic, since drivers avoid driving on mountain roads. This circumstance explains why the old road has become a paradise for cyclists. The Coll de Sóller route is quite steep in both directions, but it is more complicated if you move south.
Orient and the central region
In the central region of Mallorca the terrain is predominantly flat and passes through very picturesque towns, such as Santa María or Bunyola. You can climb the Coll d’Honor to reach Orient (the slope is quite steep), descend to Alaró and return to your point of origin or go to Lloseta, Selva and Caimari. You can also go circular routes to better explore the island. The main difficulty of this route is the Coll d’Orient (category 3, distance of 5.2 km, average slope of 5.1%, ascent difference 258 meters). After a steady climb on this well-paved road, a spectacular descent awaits you.
Protected cycling routes
In July 2017, the Spanish General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) presented its “protected cycling routes” throughout Spain.
Three of these routes are located on the island of Mallorca and go from Llucmajor to Porreres, from Lluc to Valldemossa via Soller and from Tolleric to the junction MA6014 / 6040 south of Campos, covering a total of 94km of roads.
The protected sections will have more signaling and patrols (up to three thousand in the period between July and August), lower speed limits, more alcohol and drug controls, and the addition of the routes to the DGT helicopter patrols .