The 5 best cycling routes in Mallorca, from the middle of the island

Mallorca is the best-known cycling island in Europe, and most visitors ride it from the coast. Staying in the middle changes the arithmetic: the flat roads of the Pla begin at the gate, the Tramuntana is 35 minutes away, and the long climbs can be done as a day out rather than a transfer. These are five routes, ordered from easiest to hardest. Distances and gradients are approximate; check the day’s route and the weather before you go.

1. The Pla loop: quiet lanes, almost no traffic

The Pla de Mallorca is the island’s flat farming heartland. From Sencelles, a loop through Costitx, Sineu and Santa Eugènia on small agricultural roads gives 40 to 70 kilometres with very little climbing and almost no traffic. Almond blossom in February, wheat in May, vines gold in October. This is the route for a first morning, for mixed abilities, and for anyone who wants to ride before breakfast and be back at the pool by ten.

2. Randa and the Santuari de Cura: the short, steep one

Randa is a small hill that rises abruptly out of the plain near Algaida, about 30 minutes from the house by car or an hour or so by bike. The road to the Santuari de Cura at the top is short and steep, with a view across the whole island. It is a good test of legs before the bigger climbs, and it fits in a morning.

3. Coll de Sóller via Bunyola: the classic mountain pass

From Santa Maria del Camí the road runs through Bunyola and climbs the old Coll de Sóller road (the Ma-11a) in a long series of hairpins to the pass, about 7.5 kilometres at a steady 5 to 6 percent, then drops to Sóller. It is one of the island’s classic road climbs, with a café stop at the other end. Bikes are not allowed in the tunnel, and the old road is far quieter than the tunnel that carries most of the traffic.

4. Sa Calobra: the one everyone has heard of

About 9.5 kilometres and 670 metres of climbing at an average of roughly 7 percent, with some 26 hairpins and the famous loop that ties itself in a knot halfway down. You descend from the Coll dels Reis to the sea and then climb back, so the effort comes at the end. Go early in spring or autumn; in July and August the heat on the exposed bends is serious, and the coach traffic is heavier. Allow the whole day and carry more water than you think you need.

5. Cap de Formentor: the long coastal ride

From Port de Pollença the road follows the peninsula to the lighthouse, around 18 kilometres each way (about 36 round trip, with roughly 900 metres of climbing in total), with the sea on both sides and several viewpoints. It is rolling rather than steep, but wind and traffic can both be strong in high season. Start at first light and finish before the day trippers arrive.

Practical notes

• Season. October to May is the cyclist’s season. From June to September ride early or not at all.
• Bikes. We do not arrange bike hire or deliveries. Hire in advance from a specialist shop and plan the collection before arrival.
• Safety. Mallorcan roads are well used to cyclists, but descents are fast and gravel collects on bends after rain. Helmets are compulsory outside built-up areas for most riders.
• Our black book. Guests receive our black book of the places we use ourselves: where to stop for coffee on each route, where to eat afterwards, and the itineraries that work around a ride.

The house has a saltwater pool, a long table for the lunch after, and room for twelve adults. Tell us your dates.