A couple of kilometres east of Inca, in the middle of Mallorca, is an unbelievably cute little climb known as Puig de Santa Magdalena (it’s also sometimes called Puig d’Inca or Puig de Son Sastre, but here we’ll stick with Puig de Santa Magdalena!).
The climb takes you up to a monastery at the top, the Ermita Santa Magdalena, which has 13th Century origins. It is traditional in Mallorca to walk up to this chapel on Angel Sunday, the week after Easter Sunday.
Think of this ride as half of a Puig de Randa: this climb is much shorter but they are similar as they both have good café/restaurant in a great setting at the top.
All metrics in this article are approximate.
Highlights
We loved the extraordinary views from this climb. It’s a lovely, relaxed climb and the café at the top is the cherry on the cake.
View to the Santa Magdalena climb in the foreground and Serra Tramuntana behind
View west from the summit of Puig de Santa Magdalena
The outside café at Santa Magdalena has awesome views west towards Palma and north towards the Serra de Tramuntana rangeRoute notes
The average gradient on this short climb is roughly 5% and it’s a gentle climb by Mallorca standards. There are a few turns/switchbacks giving you ample time to take in the gorgeous views of the mountains on the way up.
The road is mainly a “double” with a white line down the middle giving plenty of room for cyclists, pilgrims on foot and cars.
A few hundred metres before the top is a flat section in the woods where it is traditional for locals to have BBQs on the weekend, so if you arrive on a Saturday or Sunday expect to find lots of parked cars and lovely BBQ smells. Continue past this melee and go up to the Ermita Santa Magdalena where you’ll find a delightful old building with a really good café and a gorgeous restaurant with panoramic views.
Café stops
The café/restaurant at the top is great. The outside terrace has awesome views west towards Palma and north towards the Serra de Tramuntana range.
Inside the Ermita Santa Magdalena is a smart restaurant with panoramic views behind glass towards the west and north; we imagine this view would be very romantic at night.
Picnic spot just before the Santa Magdalena summit
Outside of the Puig de Santa Magdalena restaurant
Inside the Puig de Santa Magdalena restaurantAccommodation
As this climb has a nice central position on the island, it’s accessible from most of the places cyclists tend to stay.
Take a look at our suggestions for cycling-friendly hotels in our ultimate guide to Mallorca for cyclists. You may also find our article on the best towns for cyclists helpful.
Tips
Read our tips for cycling in Mallorca before you set out.
Click here for our complete guide to planning a cycling holiday in Mallorca.
Done this ride?
We’d love to hear from you – tell us what you think of our guide in the comments below!
If you liked this guide, you might like to check out our other Mallorca guides. Our ultimate guide to cycling Mallorca contains links to our 18 route guides and lots of other articles too – or you can find a selection of them below.
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John Maskell is a roving reporter whose mission in life is to find the best coffee stop on any given ride.
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Hi Guys, I know Sta Magdalena well and a good circuit from Port de Pollensa is to pair it with a jaunt up Sta Llucia at Mancor La Vall (follow to route to Caimari as though heading for Sa Batella but then to head from Caimari across to Mancor La Vall). You can see Sta Magdalena from the monastery at Sta Llucia and head through Inca to get there. Then maybe via Sa Pobla and Alcudia back to the Port. Not a long route but great scenery and a couple of climbs to make it just a bit of a challenge! Love the site BTW.
Awesome – thanks for the route tip and the kind words. Much appreciated! Best wishes, Clare