Cycling and Mountain Biking
Cycling and Mountain Biking
ROAD CYCLING
Mallorca attracts around 150,000 cyclo-tourists each year – a market estimated to be worth approximately €150 million annually.
The warm climate and the variety of routes, from demanding climbs to moderate terrain, mean cyclists of all levels can enjoy the many wonderful scenic routes around the island. Even the professionals take advantage of the challenging landscape, the most notable being Team Sky who choose Mallorca as their training base during the winter season.
Although you can see bikers on the roads all year around, the high season for cycling on Mallorca is from February to May, and between September and October are also popular months.
The cycling season peaks in April when the Mallorca 312 takes place – with 6,500 participants in 2017 it has become one of the most popular sporting events on the island. Mallorca 312 began in 2010 when 199 cyclists set off for a single 312-kilometre lap of the island, and since then the event has grown rapidly.
Depending on your cycling capability you can choose between routes Mallorca 312, Mallorca 225 or Mallorca 167, but don’t worry in advance about which as you can decide on the day. Regardless of the distance you opt for, be prepared to be challenged physically and mentally – pushing yourself to new limits is what makes Mallorca 312 such an amazing cycling experience.
All three routes start and end in Playa de Muro and include a loop of the island that first runs along the northern Tramuntana sierra. The shortest of the routes, Mallorca 167, starts the return journey at Esporles before running through Alaró, Lloseta, Selva, and Campanet on the return to Playa de Muro. The middle option, Mallorca 225, takes a similar route, though extends westward through Banyalbufar and down to Andratx, before looping back via Puigpunyent and Esporles. And the full Mallorca 312 also adds a gruelling extra 87km in the final section that heads south after Sa Pobla and touches as far east as Artá.
The shorter two routes have a 10-hour limit, while 14 hours is allowed for the completion of the full route (professional riders tend to complete the distance well inside 10 hours).
Puerto Pollensa is one of the most popular cycling destination in Mallorca and CIRCE PBC is an ideal base for you and up to 5 friends, and includes underground secure parking for your bikes and equipment. The east of the island is more accessible from here than anywhere: the Formantor peninsula has to be ridden once: it’s a climb with hairpins and steeper ramps that give spectacular views at each turn—the route gets better the further you go, as the cars tend to only go to the first beauty-spot, whereas the road goes down then up again to where the very tip of the island drops into the sea.
Down the coastal road along the Bay of Alcudia you can ride the road where the Sky Sprint Team train and practiced their drills. Being on the east side puts the lovely town of Arta within a days’ ride from Pollenca (or Campanet); the road from Arta to Ermita de Betlem (the Betlem hermitage, or monastery) is one of the loveliest in the whole island: climbing tightly-spaced hairpins up to a little pass then descending seemingly down to the sea, but stopping at the monastery.
SIX 'MUST DO' CYCLING ROUTES
Whether you are an amateur or a professional cyclist, you will want to experience these six 'must do' spectacular cycling routes on Mallorca. Many believe the island is the mecca of European cycling and with the number of cycling tourists now exceeding 150,000 per year, and some professional teams setting up training bases here in winter, there is much evidence to support this claim.
The warm and sunny climate in autumn, winter and spring together with a demanding landscape, well-surfaced roads and a developed infrastructure to cater to the needs of cyclists at all levels, the island has justifiably earned this title.
All over the island cyclists find beautiful quiet country roads calling out to be discovered and explored, some leading to historical castles, mountain top monasteries and lighthouses and remote coves and beaches. Here are the six routes you should not miss if you are visiting the island for a cycling holiday.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
Puerto Pollensa and Pollenca old town are also centres for the mountain biking fraternity, with many guided tours into the dramatic Tramuntana mountains that rise directly from the coast and form the extensive backbone that runs along the whole top of the island. It is always difficult advising someone on the best area for mountain biking in Mallorca as the routes are spread throughout the island. However, one of the great attractions of Mallorca is its compact size and its good road network. This allows all of the areas to be visited from wherever you are staying. All the area’s mentioned have good mountain bike hire companies. Many of them hire quality full suspension mountain bikes. However, it will be worth booking in advance during the busy seasons.
Most areas of the island offer very good mountain biking potential. In particular Sa Comuna near Bunyola & the Soller valley in the west, Cala Millor on the east coast, Pollenca / Alcudia in the north and Peguera in the south west. The west coast is very mountainous with bigger climbs and exciting descents. The east coast is generally flatter but still offers excellent trail opportunities.
For the less experienced biker, one good area is Na Burguesa near Palma which has plenty of forestry roads. Sa Comuna near Bunyola is also a good place to explore with many 4x4 roads in lovely forest comprising Mediterranean Holm Oak and Pine.
Finding the best routes in the past on Mallorca was notoriously difficult. However, a guidebook is now available with up-to-date route descriptions, maps and GPX downloads. The guidebook covers the entire island and is a perfect accompaniment to a mountain biking holiday. It is available as a download or hard copy from Rock and Ride Mallorca. All of the main biking areas are also well served by mountain bike hire shops, some of whom run guided tours.
Access in Mallorca is a contentious issue, with sections of the GR221 currently closed. If you are asked to leave an area for whatever reason, please do so without antagonising the land owner. There is little or no demarcation between walkers and mountain bikers as regards the use of footpaths. If you meet walkers slow down and be courteous, a friendly “Ola” goes a long way. Walkers have the right of way over bikes.
Below is a slide show of some of the spectacular scenery and challenges you can expect. Also see abcMallorca/cycling for other challenging rides across the island and USEFUL CONTACTS/Bike Hire for further information on cycle and bike hire and guided cycle tours in the Pollenca area.
