Port De Soller?

triban

I'm planning my first trip to Mallorca this year, thinking late october. i had originally planned staying in Pollensa, but after reading a comment in another thread from a local questioning why brits always go to Pollensa, i've been looking at other locations to stay - preferably on the coast.

Port de Soller looks really nice, but involves some big climbs at the start of each days riding. has anyone based themselves there? would you recommened it? :?:

we do plan on climbing rather than hitting the flats, but could this be too much climbing too soon into the ride?

thanks for your thoughts!

sloppyschleckonds

Fantastic, another Majorca thread.

4kicks

Everything is cycleable!
Look, it wouldn't be my first choice as a cycling base (but then again nor would port de Pollenca!) ;Col de Monnaber - The climb to get out to the NE of Soller, the way you have to go to do La Calobra, is long (14kms) and although never very steep has long pitches of 7%. Col de Soller is fun to do once but its quite hairpinny, and the route out to Deia is pretty technically difficult with lots of rental cars in the summer. Really depends on what time of year, if you are in high season the combination of heat and traffic would make it pretty tough.
However, cycling holidays are often a compromise with what the rest of the family wants, Pto Soller is great for that, and like I said, all is cycleable on the island....if you are just cycling, frankly Id base myself the other side of the mountains, eg Alaro, sta Maria, even Son Brull, as that way there are many more ride options open to you.
But thats just me. I only live here. there are many more experts who spend a week a year here and know everything.

triban

Thanks 4kicks, i'll take a look at those towns as well - we are just going to cycle, the family are staying at home!

markhewitt1978

Söller is a nice place but probably only if you're going for just a cycling holiday otherwise it's rather cut off. Surrounded by high mountains. There is the tunnel but bicycles aren't allowed there.

durhamwasp

Better off near Pollensa and Alcudia IMO. Soller is fine mind, but North is better located.

mallorcajeff

As above and as 4kicks said. Loved there for nearly 7 years and ridden every inch of the island many times. Base yourself north west and nowhere is far really.

bernithebiker

Nothing wrong with being in the NW (Pollensa et al), but it does put you a long way from Deia, Calvia, Puigpuinyent Orient, Bunyola, Soller, Valdemossa, Palma, and all the Southern Coast rides, eg. Cala Pi.

triban

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

it looks like there are a couple of tunnels on the ma-10 from soller heading towards Sa Calobra... are bikes allowed through there?

cheers.

pippi_langsamer-2

triban wrote:

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

it looks like there are a couple of tunnels on the ma-10 from soller heading towards Sa Calobra... are bikes allowed through there?

cheers.

yep

janesy

I don't understand why people don't like the idea of riding from Soller.
Its in the middle of the mountain range. Go north or south. In my opinion its the best place to stay.

Yes you will have big mileage days with tons of mountains. But that's why most people go right?
I went in 2013 and loved it. Going back this year for sure.

janwal

Ww go every year in October and prefer to stay in C'an Pastilla between Palma and Arenal.You can cover everywhere,north,east or west.Just pick what climbs you want,all are within reach and you get a good gentler ride back to the coast each day after a hard days climbing!A nice cold drink of german lager in Arenal is always welcome on the way back!

rodgers73

If the place you stay in is surrounded by mountains good luck doing a recovery ride!

JackPozzi

There's always the train option if you really can't face going over the mountain first thing in the morning!

t4tomo

I ve used Paguera near Prt Andrax as a base, which is pretty good, Less Brits but lots of Germans, but you have beaches and decent night life and the southern end of the mountains and always a downhill finish of an evening.

Sa Calobra is best accessed via a drive before riding from there though, unless you want an absolute mamouth mileage and climbing fest.

thegreatdivide

JackPozzi wrote:

There's always the train option if you really can't face going over the mountain first thing in the morning!

It's a toy train!

Port De Soller is OK. It's next to the sea (obvioulsy) but IMO Soller is much nicer. My ex's father owned a restaurant a wee bit higher up the mountains in Fornalutx which is a postcard perfect village. That area is IMO the best part of Mallorca - it's stunning. Sadly we went there during my offroad years :-(

bernithebiker

thegreatdivide wrote:

JackPozzi wrote:

There's always the train option if you really can't face going over the mountain first thing in the morning!

It's a toy train!

Port De Soller is OK. It's next to the sea (obvioulsy) but IMO Soller is much nicer. My ex's father owned a restaurant a wee bit higher up the mountains in Fornalutx which is a postcard perfect village. That area is IMO the best part of Mallorca - it's stunning. Sadly we went there during my offroad years :-(

+1

As for the train, it's very slow, very crowded (even out of season), very expensive and very boring.

triban

janesy wrote:

I don't understand why people don't like the idea of riding from Soller.
Its in the middle of the mountain range. Go north or south. In my opinion its the best place to stay.

Yes you will have big mileage days with tons of mountains. But that's why most people go right?
I went in 2013 and loved it. Going back this year for sure.

this is the reason it caught my eye in the first place... it looks like from Pollenca you use 50km+ of your day just getting to the good bit.

thegreatdivide

I forgot to say that the smell in that area is amazing too. A real citrus burst :-)

janwal

You CANNOT take the bike on the train,they don't allow them.So you cycle out via Col Soller or Pug Major or around the peninsula via Deia to Valdermossa a very up and down route but still a lot of climbing.And to get back you would also still have to climb back over any of them again! You'll need to have good legs !!

bikergirl17

I also stay in peguera. The ride to puig major up / back over soler & three other climbs is very doable -- I think about 2000m or so in 140 km. and you are also right on all the coastal rides -- I also take the coast up to soler via deia. Again under 2000m and a little over 100 km round trip. There are flatter routes but quite boring.

itboffin

Agree with the comments about being somewhat stranded if you base yourself in either ports, if you really want flexibility then why not try somewhere totally out of the way halfway between the mountains like Inca, Alaró or there about, plenty of options including pan flat routes out toward cala d'or

I lived in Mallorca in the 90s well before I started cycling I'm just discovering now what a great place it is to ride.

Rodrego Hernandez

Just take a look at how many pro teams base themselves in Soller versus other areas such as Playa de Palma, Alcudia, Puerto Pollenca etc.

For a holiday, stay anywhere but to train you need to look at the suitability of the town for training and Soller, being positioned where it is. just isn't suitable for training.

markhewitt1978

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

For a holiday, stay anywhere but to train you need to look at the suitability of the town for training and Soller, being positioned where it is. just isn't suitable for training.

On the other hand, if you're time available on holiday is short, and you want to get up early, bang in an HC climb and be back with the family in time for breakfast it's pretty much spot on?

Rodrego Hernandez

I didn't see in the original post that he was going to be pressed for time and wanted an early climb before breakfast.

Puerto Pollenca has 2 long climbs of varying length on its doorstep so probably beats Soller on that too.

triban

i'm not pressed for time at all, although is it daylight for long in october?

there's a lot of good tips here, thank you everyone. i'm still completely undecided though! haha!

Rodrego Hernandez

triban wrote:

i'm not pressed for time at all, although is it daylight for long in october?

there's a lot of good tips here, thank you everyone. i'm still completely undecided though! haha!

You'll get decent light from early morning until at least 6pm. Take a look at the Majorca masters cycling week - if not to compete it is definitely worth making the effort to see some of the racing.

Grill

Now that the road to Formentor has been repaved, there is no reason not to stay in the North West.

itboffin

I'll be there in April I'll report back

tramuntanacycling

itboffin wrote:

I'll be there in April I'll report back

I agree with much that has been said - My 5c worth..

Depending on your goals for your stay, you may actually want each day to start with an uphill to get up and running.

Don't forget what is more on your doorstep staying in Port Soller - the Orient Valley; the coastal routes towards Estellencs, Deiá and Andratx; the cycle routes of the South West plus the climbs of Coll de Sóller; Puig Major and Sa Calobra are within easy reach.

If you base yourself in Port Sóller, the newly resurfaced Cap Formentor route is further away, but just imagine for a moment doing the following amazing route to include it: Port Sóller - Sóller - Fornalutx - Puig Major - (down to Sa Calobra if you have the legs and the time) - Lluc - Coll de Femenia - Pollenca - Port Pollenca - Cap Formentor - Talaia d'Albertux - Port Pollenca - then back via Campanet - Moscari - Selva - Caimari - Coll de Sa Batalla - Lluc - Puig Major - Sóller - Port Sóller. Whew - 175km with 4000m of climbing (200km with nearly 5000m of climbing if you add the "little" Sa Calobra detour!). Memories are made on days like this :-)

In April you will find that after a day out on the bike you return to Port Soller and are able to relax on the beachfront in the warm sun if you choose with a nice cool drink. The same goes for Port Alcudia. In Port Pollenca however the sun has already started to go behind the hills, leaving it shady and maybe changing your choice of refreshment!

In the mornings, the reverse obviously happens with the sun. Its crisp and bright out of the sea in PP ready fr great photographs, whilst hiding for longer behind the mountains in PS.

Wherever you stay, I am sure you will have a great time. Enjoy!

markhewitt1978

You paint a lovely picture! Can't wait to go back in May