Cycling Mallorca:
Your ultimate guide

Mallorca cycle routes

Wondering where to cycle in Mallorca?

The superb road network is heaven for Mallorca road cycling; there are hundreds of potential rides you could do. The difficulty comes when you’ve only got a week and are trying to work out which are the best.

We’ve tried to make it easy.

Below you’ll find our pick of the best cycle routes in Mallorca; our favourite Mallorca cycling climbs and routes. These include some of the island’s most famous rides but also lesser-known gems, so hopefully something for everyone. We’d recommend browsing these, but if you’re really short of time, you might also find our pick of our top three Mallorca cycling routes helpful.

Most of our rides are in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range. This is located north of Palma, between Pollença and Andratx. It’s very distinctive: craggy grey limestone cliffs with Alpine-style hairpins and vertigo-inducing drops down to the turquoise sea. The range is also home to some of the loveliest villages: Sóller, Deià, Valldemossa, Fornalutx… Mallorca bike trips are a bit of a dream.

Tips:

• Don’t miss our essential tips on Mallorca biking.
• Looking for a map of Mallorca cycling routes? See below. 
• Want to plan your Mallorca rides around the best coffee stops? Check out our article on Mallorca’s best cafés! 
• Wondering where to stay to do all these incredible cycling routes Mallorca has to offer?! Don’t miss our article on the best Mallorca towns for cyclists to stay. 
• Want to edit our routes? You might like to look at the Mallorca cycling map produced by the Council of Majorca which indicates the roads its best to avoid on a bike.  Our tips on route planning may also be useful.
• Looking for someone to help organise your Mallorca cycling holiday/a tour of Mallorca? Check out our review of Mallorca cycling tour operators.

Mallorca cycling climbs

Below are some of our favourite climbs on Mallorca. Click the relevant tab on the map below to see the whole route – or you’ll find our in-depth guide to each of these cycle routes in Mallorca just below the map.

Rides

Coll de Soller, Mallorca

7.5km 420m

Ermita de Betlem: an unforgettable Mallorca cycling climb

4km 160m

Port de Valldemossa, Mallorca

6km 380m

Port des Canonge, Mallorca

5km 310m

Puig de Randa, Mallorca

5km 260m

Puig de San Salvador, Mallorca (AKA the Santuari de Sant Salvador Mallorca climb)

5km 350m

Puig de Santa Magdalena climb (AKA Puig de Son Sastre), Mallorca

2km 120m

Puig Major loop, Mallorca

138km 2640m

Sa Batalla climb, Mallorca

8km 430m

Sa Calobra climb

9.5km 670m

Sobremunt, Mallorca: Mallorca’s toughest climb?

7km 580m

Mallorca cycle rides

Below are our pick of the best Mallorca cycling routes. Click the relevant tab on the Mallorca cycling routes map below to see the whole route – or you’ll find our in-depth guide to each route just below the map.

Feeling overwhelmed by choice?! Shortcut your decision process and head to our article that shares three of the best cycling routes on Mallorca!

One of the most challenging cycle routes in Mallorca is known as the “Big Daddy”, which takes in the whole of Mallorca’s northwest coast. Many say this is the best cycle route in Mallorca – but you’ll have to decide that!  The route is accessible even if you don’t have transport, as Mallorca Cycle Shuttle allow you to cycle one way. Then they pick you up and drive you the other direction. You can find an article about this here.

Rides

Andratx to Pollensa cycling route, Mallorca (AKA The Big Daddy Challenge)

62-115km 2430-4100m

Bay of Pollensa cycling route, Mallorca

77km 1480m

Best of the Mallorca 312 route: Andratx-Puigpunyent-Banyalbufar

61km 1450m

Cap de Formentor cycling loop

36km 960m

Coll de Femenia and Sa Batalla loop

66km 950m

Sóller, Deià and Port de Valldemossa loop

61km 1430m

What’s your favourite Mallorca bike route? Let us know in the comments below!

Want some support with your ride? Check out our article comparing 8 of the top Mallorca cycling tour providers.

Easy cycling Mallorca

If you’re less keen on the Puig Majors (AKA “the Pig”) and “Big Daddy” rides and are after some easier Mallorca bike rides, they do exist!

Even in the northwest of Mallorca, there are many scenic, flat roads and good cycle paths. Examples of some easy cycle routes in Mallorca include:

S’Albufera Natura Park

12 km paths around the nature reserve: entrance is free, and the paths are obviously traffic free!  Use this map of the park to decide where to go. The Park is located south of Alcúdia, between Alcúdia and Can Picafort. It’s ideal for a more relaxed style of road biking in Mallorca.

Port Pollenca to Alcúdia (or further to La Victória)

A bike path on the sea-side of the road takes you much of the way along the bay road to Alcúdia. You can then head on normal roads to Mal Pas and all the way along the peninsula to La Victória. The highest point is 444 m. Be aware of all the non-cyclists on the bike path: skaters, runners, wind-surfers coming up from the beach… it’s one of the factors making this one different to other Mallorca bike routes.

Port de Pollença – Alcúdia – Sa Pobla – Pollença – Port de Pollença loop

42 kilometres: head around the bay to Alcúdia and then Port d’Alcúdia and Parc Natural de s’Albufera. Head inland, southwest to Sa Pobla and then north again, past the beautiful church of Santa Margalida des Crestatx. You’re soon in old town Pollença, before completing the loop back to Port de Pollença.

Other options

Alternatively, consider the lanes out from Port de Pollensa through Sa Pobla towards Bunyola. Also the roads that take you to the island’s centre, around Sineu are pretty good for a flattish spin, if that’s what you want when cycling in Mallorca, Spain.

If you stay near Palma, there’s easy riding around Palma Bay on a 30km (20 mile) cycle path (out and back). You can cycle from the city to the resort area of Playa de Palma, entirely on cycle paths. It’s one of those bike routes in Mallorca that goes out and back, so you can choose to do as much or as little as you want here.

Cycling around the centre of Palma

Wondering about children’s bike hire in Mallorca? We hired children’s bikes from Nano Bicycles in Palma

Cycling along the seafront near Can Pastilla: great for Mallorca bicycle trips with kids

Mallorca sportives (if you need more excuses to road bike Mallorca…)

Mallorca 312

Mallorca 312 sportive offers a serious challenge for around 6,000 amateur riders each year. It was originally a 312 km ride around the island, but in 2016 it became a closed-road event in the north and west of the island with 167 km, 225 km and of course the famous Mallorca 312 route. If you’re interested in finding out more, don’t miss our in-depth guide to Mallorca 312.

Ironman 70.3 Mallorca

Ironman 70.3 Mallorca is held around Alcúdia and the Tramuntana mountains in May each year. It’s very well known with competitors coming from across the world to swim 1.9km in Alcúdia Bay, bike 90.1km through the Tramuntana mountains and then run a half-marathon through the town. Many who want to go beyond mere biking in Mallorca won’t miss this one.

Vuelta Mallorca

Visit Mallorca to watch the pro Vuelta Mallorca cycling race (aka Cycling Challenge Race or Tour of Majorca) in January each year. It comprises four one day races, with cyclists and teams choosing whether to race each day. Lots of the top pro teams use it as a season warm-up race.

Velodrome riding

Not a sportive, but nevertheless some of the best cycling in Mallorca can be had at the outdoor velodrome!  The municipal velodrome is in the town of Sineu in the middle of the island. This article has all the details.

Cycling Mallorca: Where to stay

Deciding where to stay in Mallorca can be a headache. Not because of the usual issue of whether the hotel is bike-friendly, but because there are so many good Mallorca bike hotels, it’s difficult to work out which is the best for you.

We’ve spent hours researching the best place to stay in Mallorca for cycling.

That research culminated in us staying at Hotel Illa d’Or in Port de Pollença.

For our full list of hotels see our article on where to stay in Mallorca for cyclists (hint: Port de Pollenca is a great option but it’s not the only one!). 

Our choice: Hotel Illa d’Or, Port de Pollença

We loved our stay at Hotel Illa d’Or and would recommend it to friends heading off to sample Mallorca’s cycling delights. Its Port de Pollença location and good looks will appeal to both cyclists and non-cyclists. It’s an excellent option for cyclists that don’t like traditional, vast all-inclusive style cycling hotels. 

What we loved

• Elegant and sophisticated 4-star hotel with a dramatic Tramuntana mountain backdrop.
• Pretty location on the Pine Walk (the footpath around the bay); the waters of the bay lap the hotel’s front terrace.
• Bike garage with bike racks for up to 15 bikes, a huge cyclist’s wall map for route planning, track pumps, a work station with tools and lockers.
• This is not an “in your face” cycling hotel. It has great facilities for cyclists, but it’s also a lovely hotel in its own right. The rooms are luxurious and decorated in muted taupes, many with sea views. Or you can stay in one of the apartments with kitchens and balconies.
• Food is a highlight and eating outside on the hotel’s terrace overlooking the bay is a treat you won’t forget. 
• Other facilities include a spa, sauna, Turkish bath, ice fountain, heated pool, smallish gym and speed tennis court (the hotel can supply kit).

Things to know

• Popular with older generations.
• Located on the Cap de Formentor side of town. This means you have to ride through/around Port de Pollença to get to most rides.

Conclusion

If you’re trying to persuade a non-cycling companion that Mallorca is a great place for a holiday, this is the way to do it. (In fact a stay here might just tempt them into trying some of the easy cycling routes in Mallorca for themselves!)

Other Mallorca cycling hotels

We’ve written an in-depth article sharing the best places to stay in Mallorca – read this article for the full lowdown.

Road bike hire Mallorca

Looking to rent a road bike in Mallorca? Good news: cycle hire in Mallorca is easy. The quality of bike rental in Mallorca is generally high – there are plenty of cycle hire shops in all the main resorts and some companies will deliver to you wherever you are staying.

Tip: Not sure whether to rent a bike in Mallorca or not? Read this to help you decide.

Below we list as many road bike hire shops as we could find, to help you with your planning. Please note:

• The only outfit we have used ourselves is Pro Cycle Hire, Port de Pollença. We had a good experience here.
• Many shops also offer services such as Mallorca bike tours. We haven’t tried these out.

Tips:

• Book your Mallorca bike hire in advance, particularly in peak season.
• Remember to bring your pedals, shoes and helmet. This packing list may help!
• Check which way around your brakes are set before you ride away. The front brakes may be on the right hand (as is usual in the UK) or on the left (as is usual elsewhere in Europe).
• Carefully check the Ts and Cs of the hire contract – particularly the insurance.

Undecided on whether to hire a bike or bring your own? Read this.

When to cycle in Mallorca

When’s best to go biking in Mallorca, Spain? The island’s reputation is built on being an awesome place for early season training. But if you want to play it safe, don’t go too early. Snow is possible in January and February. November to the end of February is a quieter period for cycling in Mallorca and many cycling facilities (bike hire shops, hotels etc) may be shut or only open for limited hours during this period.

If cycling around Mallorca is your priority, we’d avoid June to August (especially school holidays) as the roads get pretty clogged up, and the heat can be searing.

We have visited four times, three times in the early season – end of February and March – when we found the skies were blue and the roads blissfully quiet, though the temperatures still required arms and legs to be covered. We also visited at the end of October and had a week of cloudy skies and rain – perhaps bad luck, but statistically October is one of Mallorca’s most rainy months.

While the below should be a good guide, remember that the Tramuntana mountains have a particular microclimate. Also remember to stash that jacket, because at higher altitude, you’ll find temperatures a bit cooler than they were when you left your hotel room!

Getting around Mallorca

You don’t need a car for a cycling holiday in Mallorca – many riders get a hotel transfer and base themselves at their accommodation for their trip. But having a rental car opens lots of options for family, shopping, dining, rest days, a support vehicle, recceing new routes and non-cycling friends/partners.

Tips for cycling Mallorca

Highway code and travel information

As ever, it’s a good idea to check current travel information before you book and travel. For UK visitors, the UK government travel information pages for Spain are here. You should also read and follow Spain’s highway code.

Books about Mallorca

Mallorca guide books

Our favourite general guidebook on Mallorca is Lonely Planet Mallorca. It gives useful general information about the island and is a good guide to Mallorca resorts. The sections on island history, local customs, culture and food are well-written.

If you’re only in Mallorca for a few days, and want something a bit lighter, try the DK Eyewitness Top 10 Mallorca. It gives you the essential places you need to go in a convenient pocket-size, but doesn’t dwell on the details.

It’s also worth reading this article, which offers an excellent personal guide to Mallorca for first time visitors.

Novels set in Mallorca

Not cycling related, but if you want to get a feel for Mallorca away from the “Brits boozing it up in Magaluf” cliché, the books by British expat Anna Nicholas are for you – the first in the series is A Lizard in My Luggage.  Part travelogue for the armchair traveller and part practical guide for those that like to get off the beaten track, the books will make you want to get a trip planned as soon as possible.

Peter Kerr’s books offer a more humorous take on life in Mallorca. We love the vivid, spikey descriptions of places, people and local cuisine that make you want to jump on a plane. The first in the series is Thistle Soup, which is the prequel to the Mallorcan based books. The first book based in Mallorca is Snowball Oranges.

Winter in Majorca by George Sand is the classic book about Mallorca. George Sand was Chopin’s lover. They lived in Valdemossa during the winter of 1838-39 while Chopin was suffering from tuberculosis. Sand’s book is an interesting read and shows her love for Mallorcan nature – though she seems to have pretty much hated everything else!

Films about Mallorca

Unsurprisingly, Mallorca’s fine vistas have been used as the backdrop for a number of famous TV series and films. What better way to get into the holiday spirit than via the big screen?!

• 2014 film “A Long Way Down” starring Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette and Aaron Paul.
• 2013 film “Cloud Atlas”, a Hollywood big-budget movie by the Wachowski brothers, featuring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Filming locations included Sa Calobra, Sóller and Formentor. 
• “Mad Dogs”, a British psychological thriller TV series. It aired between 2011 and 2013.

Good to know

Where is Mallorca?

Mallorca is the largest of the Spanish Balearic islands. It is found in the Mediterranean, east of the Spanish mainland.

How do I get to Mallorca?

Though there are ferries to Mallorca from the Spanish mainland (Barcelona and Valencia), most people get to Mallorca aboard an aeroplane.

Thankfully Mallorca is well-served with flights and flight times from the UK are about 2.5 hours. In summer more than 14 flights per day leave London Gatwick alone. There are fewer flights out of season, but it’s still possible to get to Mallorca cheaply since both national carriers, such as BA, and budget airlines, such as Easyjet, Ryanair and Monarch fly to Palma.

Palma de Mallorca Airport is located 11km (6 miles) southeast of Palma.

Mallorca or Majorca?

Is it Majorca or Mallorca? We think Mallorca. “Majorca” is a British invention, needed because they couldn’t get their tongues around the fact that double “ll” is pronounced “y”.

Talking of names, did you know that Alcúdia and Port d’Alcúdia are different places – as are Pollença and Port de Pollença! But some guides talk about Pollença or Alcúdia when they mean the ports – so be careful. You’ll see Port de Pollença also referred to as Porto de Pollenca, Puerto de Pollenca, Porte de Pollenca, Port Pollenca, Porto Pollenca – as well as all of these but with Pollensa or Pollenca instead of Pollença. They’re all the same place!

What’s more, everyone knows the popular climb as Sa Calobra, but its official name is the Col dell Reis.  Sa Calobra is the name of the town at the bottom.

Mallorca’s roads

For a small island, Mallorca has a vast road network which is just perfect for a trip to Mallorca by bike: 1,250km of roads of which 675km are local and secondary roads with an average width of 6.5m.

Sa Calobra was created by the engineer Antonio Paretti in 1932. 31,000 m3 of rock was removed in the course of construction.  The very same Antonio Paretti built the road to Formentor.

The lighthouse at the edge of Formentor was built in 1863 and, before Paretti built the road, it could only be accessed by boat or mule track.

Coffee stops on Mallorca

Last, but not least, one of the most enjoyable parts of road cycling Mallorca is the fact there are loads of great coffee shops and bars to enjoy. Don’t miss our guide to our favourites, here!

Enjoyed our guide?

We hope you’ve enjoyed our Epic Road Rides Mallorca guide. We’d love to hear from you – do share your comments below!

Want more? Don’t miss our guides to the best Mallorca cycling routes, tips on cycling Mallorca and coffee stops for cyclists, plus loads of other articles on Mallorca, below.

Want to check out some other destinations? Search by the month you want to travel or cycling destination you want to visit, here. Also check out our article on the top places in Spain for cycling.

Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels - and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they're there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.