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Mallorca: Cycling Nirvana?

1,266 views · Published 4 August 2017 · 3:24 · Indexed 27 September 2026

Channel: leonardmlee · 2017 · Sports

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The Water In Majorca: https://youtu.be/Uz9_YfIQaz4


When I was about 18, Mallorca was the place to go if you were a bit of a lad and you wanted two weeks of beering and birding it up in the sun. Now, it seems, it is the number one European cycling destination.

You won’t be cyclist for very long before one of your chums suggests a trip to this beautiful Spanish island. While there are indeed still plenty of boozy bars and nightclubs where you can drink the night away with a group of lady prison officers…I kid you not, Mallorca has just about everything a cyclist could ever want. It has quiet roads with courteous drivers; fantastic scenery; flatlands, mountains, and great weather. I mean what’s not to like?

It’s precisely for these reasons that, traditionally, Mallorca has been the destination for many of the pro teams’ early season training camps. Even now, if you go there in the early spring, its not unusual to be riding alongside the greats, even if its only for a couple of nano seconds as they whizz past you up one of the iconic climbs.

Situated in the Mediterranean, Mallorca is the largest of the Spanish Balleric islands and is about ninety minutes flying time from the UK.  Its capital, Palma is in the south along with its main airport which is one of the busiest in the whole of Spain. While many package tourists head a little further south to Magaluf, cyclists  generally base themselves up north in the quieter resorts of Pollenca and Alcudia. Up here you will find the famous lighthouse at Cap Formentor as well as the classic climbs such as the Coll de Batalia or Lluc, the legendary Sa Colobra and the islands longest climb, the Piug Major or the Pig as many Brits call it.

The climbs themselves are certainly tough enough to make you feel like you have achieved something and to give you a thorough work out but not so tough that you’ll want to get off your bike, curl up in a ditch and cry like a baby. Of course for every climb there is a descent and the 12km downhill from of the Col de Femenia from Lluc to Gotmar has to be experienced to be believed!

Thousands of  cyclists from all over Europe head for the island all year round so most of the hotels are cycle friendly. The road surfaces are generally very smooth and well maintained although, up in the mountains they can be a little less looked after, probably because few cars actually use them.

Without trying to sound over-dramatic, I personally would say that Mallorca is about the closest thing to cycling Nirvana it is possible to get. 

If you would like to follow my efforts on the bike you can follow me on Strava. My profile is here: http://www.strava.com/athletes/515946

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