Mallorca early May

spencerpankow

Going on a trip to Mallorca early May with some friends, definitely want to get the most out of it, staying in Porta Pollenca, I know there are some must do climbs, but anyone got any hints or tips if they have been before ?, need to plan the rides in or we'll end up drinking a lot of local beer any hidden gems anyone ?

pblakeney

There are no hidden gems, the place is polluted by cyclists, if you get my drift.
In distance order.
Formentor Lighthouse return.
Campanet, Selva, Lluc loop.
Sa Colabra straight return. Top tips, turn left just before Sa Collabra. An extra climb but a nicer lunch stop at Restaurant Es Verget. Then back up and drop down to Sa Collabra to do the climb proper but before you do, walk through the tunnel. You will need SPD shoes or pocket sandals though. Makes for a proper full day.
Orient, Bunyola, Soller loop.
Soller, Valdemossa, return via Selva, or Orient if you still feel strong.
There are also the monasteries to the south, usually an excuse to go to Petra (edit).
There is also the option of a bus to Andratx and cycle the coast but I haven't tried that.
So many others.....

OnTheRopes

it really depends on the length of the rides you want to do and how hilly.

Here are a few suggestions:
Flat ride 1 - Coast Rd out to Plato de Muro - Sa Pobla - Llubi - Sineu - Cafe at Petra - CAn Picafort - Pollenca

Flat ride 2 - Out through lanes the Selva - Binissalem - cafe at Sineu - Muro-Sa Pobla

Ride 3 - Col de Femenia - Luc - Sa Pobla (Cafe at Lluc petrol station)

Ride 4 - Ride to Arta along the coast then return via manacor - Petra - Muro - Sa Pobla

San Salvador Monastary is a good long flat ride.

A good route (hily out/flat return) is Soller anticlockwise - Col de Femenia - Puig Major - Soller - Banyola (Cafe) - Santa Maria del Cami - Binissalem - Inca - Sa Pobla - Pollenca

For a really hard ride go out to Campanet, climb over the Orient climb, then Soller then Puig major

joe_totale-2

Just returning from a week of dodgy weather in Mallorca :roll:

Bus to Andratx and riding back is definitely worth it and amazing.

Yesterday I rode from Pollenca up Coll de Fermania, Sa Calobra, Puig Major, Coll de Soller (great café on the top) and back through Honor and Orient. Great ride with over 3000m of climb but my legs are feeling it today!

backo

PBlakeney wrote:

There are no hidden gems, the place is polluted by cyclists, if you get my drift.
In distance order.
Formentor Lighthouse return.
Selva, Lluc return.
Sa Colabra straight return. Top tips, turn left just before Sa Collabra. An extra climb but a nicer lunch stop at Restaurant Es Verget. Then back up and drop down to Sa Collabra to do the climb proper but before you do, walk through the tunnel. You will need SPD shoes or pocket sandals though. Makes for a proper full day.
Orient, Bunyola, Soller return.
Soller, Valdemossa, return via Selva, or Orient if you still feel strong.
There are also the monasteries to the south, usually an excuse to go to Petra (edit).
There is also the option of a bus to Andratx and cycle the coast but I haven't tried that.
So many others.....

Couldn't agree more...the food and view from this restaurant is excellent...well worth taking the left turn

dazz_ni45

Joe Totale wrote:

Just returning from a week of dodgy weather in Mallorca :roll:

Bus to Andratx and riding back is definitely worth it and amazing.

Yesterday I rode from Pollenca up Coll de Fermania, Sa Calobra, Puig Major, Coll de Soller (great café on the top) and back through Honor and Orient. Great ride with over 3000m of climb but my legs are feeling it today!

Would you happen to have the GPX route as I was about to plot something the same for an upcoming trip in May.



Would anyone have any decent monastery loop route from Puerto Pollensa?

Also is the Ermita de Betlem climb worth doing? I had heard mixed reports about the road surface.

pblakeney

dazz_ni45 wrote:

Joe Totale wrote:

Just returning from a week of dodgy weather in Mallorca :roll:

Bus to Andratx and riding back is definitely worth it and amazing.

Yesterday I rode from Pollenca up Coll de Fermania, Sa Calobra, Puig Major, Coll de Soller (great café on the top) and back through Honor and Orient. Great ride with over 3000m of climb but my legs are feeling it today!

Would you happen to have the GPX route as I was about to plot something the same for an upcoming trip in May.



Would anyone have any decent monastery loop route from Puerto Pollensa?

Also is the Ermita de Betlem climb worth doing? I had heard mixed reports about the road surface.

Nice quiet road with wonderful views at the top. A nice change from the normal routes. The descent to the monastery is rough though and it is a dead end.
The Lluc loop I mentioned above is nice and has that monastery. 40 odd miles with hairpin climbs and sweeping smooth descents. My favourite pre lunch loop if I am with the wife.

crescent

The Betlem climb from Arta is a nice ride if you're in the area. As above, the surface is ok in the main - a bit rough on the descent to the monastery itself but nice views over to Cap Formentor. The biggest issue is how narrow it is, there is a centre line on the road but you have to wonder why because it is only about 2m wide in places. It's like cycling on a Scalextric track and can be a bit tricky if there are any cars around. Having said that it's possibly closer to a "hidden gem" than some of the other routes, but the island is so popular as a cycling destination that there are few, if any, unexplored routes suitable for a road bike.
The Formentor lighthouse and Col de Femenia to Lluc are on the doorstep of Puerto Pollensa and both are nice "out and back" runs of a couple of hours or so. Sa Calobra is about 60miles round trip from PP.
If you fancy something a bit longer/different then you could cycle out to Port de Soller and get the boat round to Sa Calobra and cycle back to PdP. More of a day out though and you need to check the boat times first. Soller and Port de Soller are worth a visit but again probably looking at a day out rather than a few hours ride. Both would make an ideal lunch stop on a round trip from PdP.

mrb123

Best half day from PdP is probably the LLuc loop. I recommend doing the Col de sa Batalla first and then down the Femenia. Doing it that way you get the easier climb up and more exciting descent.

The lighthouse ride must be done but best to do it early morning or late evening as the road can get very busy. From the top of the first col you can turn right up a little road to a higher viewpoint although it's just an out and back and the surface isn't brilliant from memory.

pblakeney

The “Pepperpot” is best done as an addition if you get home early and have fresh legs or on return from the lighthouse. Go slow, the surface is atrocious and take footwear suitable for walking to the top and you are rewarded with the best views on the island.

veryslowtwitch

The local bike shops stock an excellent water(sweat)/proof map with all the good,safest cycling roads highlighted ,complete with distances. It also includes some of the classic routes listed above. It costs a few euros and is invaluable. It takes you off the main roads. The best routes are obvious and easy to follow using this. Enjoy.

First.Aspect

backo wrote:

PBlakeney wrote:

There are no hidden gems, the place is polluted by cyclists, if you get my drift.
In distance order.
Formentor Lighthouse return.
Selva, Lluc return.
Sa Colabra straight return. Top tips, turn left just before Sa Collabra. An extra climb but a nicer lunch stop at Restaurant Es Verget. Then back up and drop down to Sa Collabra to do the climb proper but before you do, walk through the tunnel. You will need SPD shoes or pocket sandals though. Makes for a proper full day.
Orient, Bunyola, Soller return.
Soller, Valdemossa, return via Selva, or Orient if you still feel strong.
There are also the monasteries to the south, usually an excuse to go to Petra (edit).
There is also the option of a bus to Andratx and cycle the coast but I haven't tried that.
So many others.....

Couldn't agree more...the food and view from this restaurant is excellent...well worth taking the left turn

:? Over hyped and food far too oily for me, particularly if it is a warm day. The walk up to the castle from there is worth it though.

For cycling the road isn't good though. Very poor condition indeed when I was there in September. You could probably pick your way up it on a road bike okay, but coming back down would be sketchy, particularly if you meet a tit in a trance driving up.

pblakeney

Was good in 2015. :oops:

joe_totale-2

dazz_ni45 wrote:

Joe Totale wrote:

Just returning from a week of dodgy weather in Mallorca :roll:

Bus to Andratx and riding back is definitely worth it and amazing.

Yesterday I rode from Pollenca up Coll de Fermania, Sa Calobra, Puig Major, Coll de Soller (great café on the top) and back through Honor and Orient. Great ride with over 3000m of climb but my legs are feeling it today!

Would you happen to have the GPX route as I was about to plot something the same for an upcoming trip in May.



Would anyone have any decent monastery loop route from Puerto Pollensa?

Also is the Ermita de Betlem climb worth doing? I had heard mixed reports about the road surface.

Here's a route for the ride I mentioned, the cafe on the top of Coll de Soller makes a great first stop and it also routes to Alaro where there's a great bike shop/cafe called Cycling Planet.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29812121

In terms of monasteries try riding down to Sant Salvador, it's a great climb with a fantastic view at the top. Pretty flat ride all the way there, on the way back you can cycle along the coast from Can Picafort to Puerto Pollenca,

dazz_ni45

Joe Totale wrote:

dazz_ni45 wrote:

Joe Totale wrote:

Just returning from a week of dodgy weather in Mallorca :roll:

Bus to Andratx and riding back is definitely worth it and amazing.

Yesterday I rode from Pollenca up Coll de Fermania, Sa Calobra, Puig Major, Coll de Soller (great café on the top) and back through Honor and Orient. Great ride with over 3000m of climb but my legs are feeling it today!

Would you happen to have the GPX route as I was about to plot something the same for an upcoming trip in May.



Would anyone have any decent monastery loop route from Puerto Pollensa?

Also is the Ermita de Betlem climb worth doing? I had heard mixed reports about the road surface.

Here's a route for the ride I mentioned, the cafe on the top of Coll de Soller makes a great first stop and it also routes to Alaro where there's a great bike shop/cafe called Cycling Planet.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29812121

In terms of monasteries try riding down to Sant Salvador, it's a great climb with a fantastic view at the top. Pretty flat ride all the way there, on the way back you can cycle along the coast from Can Picafort to Puerto Pollenca,

That's super. Thank you

mrb123

veryslowtwitch wrote:

The local bike shops stock an excellent water(sweat)/proof map with all the good,safest cycling roads highlighted ,complete with distances. It also includes some of the classic routes listed above. It costs a few euros and is invaluable. It takes you off the main roads. The best routes are obvious and easy to follow using this. Enjoy.

Majorca bicycle map wp https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/8480903635/ ... WCbM0V2SHC

This is the one.