Cycling
10 great cycling climbs in Mallorca you should have on your bucket list
Heading to the Balearic island for some warm weather cycling? Be sure to attempt some of these famous ascents that professional cyclist Anton Palzer has ridden and recommends for you.
Mallorca has everything a cyclist's heart desires. There's no doubt about that.
This sun-soaked little island in the Mediterranean, long a favourite of English and German summer sun-seekers, has been made famous in the cycling world by pro teams that flock there every winter to train. The fine weather is a major draw for team training camps, giving maximum opportunity for riders to be put through their paces in preparation for their season's main goals.
For serious recreational riders, Mallorca presents the perfect trifecta of good weather, beautiful roads and cheap wintertime accommodation and flights – and the ability to put in some hard miles before tackling the Red Bull Junior Brother Strava segments.
The island is home to some stunning ascents, most notably around the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range that runs along the island's northern coast. Some of these climbs are world famous and can already be found on many riders' bucket lists, while others are more under the radar but just as rewarding to ride. So, if you're planning a break from the drudgery of winter riding to enjoy the riding in Mallorca, here are five well-known routes and five insider tips courtesy of BORA-hansgrohe pro rider Anton Palzer.
01
Sa Calobra
The iconic 270° corner on Sa Caolbra
© Luis Alcantarilla/El Toro Media
Start point: Sa Calobra
End point: Coll dels Reis
Length: 10.2km
Summit altitude: 722m
Height gain: 703m
Maximum gradient: 11.8%
Average gradient: 6.9%
This is the big, famous climb on the island. The one in all the photos. The one with the incredible 270° loop. The one the draws thousands of cyclists to the island every year. Simply put, Sa Calobra is one of the most extraordinary roads in the world and is a well-used training ground for pro cyclists like Palzer – just hope the road's not blocked by tourist coaches and cars when you tackle it.
I often ride intervals on this climb. You start right on the coast and let the incredible panorama take you with it
There's only one way up – and down – Sa Calobra, so soak up the stunning sea views as you ride back down because you’ll be too busy staring at your stem during the ascent with its 6.9 percent average incline to enjoy them very much on the way up.
02
Puig Major
The Puig Major is an icon of road cycling on Mallorca
© Walter Isack/Creative Commons
Start point L’Horta
End point: Túnel de la Serra de Son Torrella
Length: 14.6km
Summit altitude: 864m
Height gain: 860m
Maximum gradient: 8.8%
Average gradient: 5.9%
In Mallorquin, the local variant of Catalan spoken on the island, the name of this iconic climb means 'big peak' and that's pretty much all you need to know.
The tallest mountain on Mallorca can be scaled a couple of different ways, but the route from Soller is the most popular and arguably the most beautiful.
""Very tough races have taken place on this mountain and in training you can also do longer intervals at almost 900 meters in altitude," explains Palzer, who also reminds us that there's not much in the way of refreshments at the summit of this climb and to fill your bidons and pockets before setting off.
03
Coll de Femenia
Start point: MA-10
End point: Mosset
Length: 7.7km
Summit altitude: 532m
Height gain: 420m
Maximum gradient: 15.3%
Average gradient: 5.5%
If you are staying in the popular town of Puerto Pollença on the east side of the island, the Coll de Femenia is a necessity that grants access to the rest of the Tramuntana. That's not to say it’s not a great climb in its own right, though – in fact, it's a really enjoyable daily ritual that’s far from a chore.
The Femenia has a small dips that might throw you off your rhythm or grant a moment's respite, depending on how you look at it, but hold something in reserve because it's a warm up for the bigger beasts to come after all.
Toni Palzer recommends carrying on right along the coast: "On the beautiful coastal roads there are only ups and downs for 70 to 80km."
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04
Coll de Sóller
The Coll de Sóller climb is part of the Mallorca Challenge
© SprintCyclingAgency©2023
Start point: Sóller
End point: Coll de Sóller
Length: 7.5km
Summit altitude: 506m
Höhenmeter: 430m
Height gain: 12.3%
Maximum gradient: 5.7%
The Coll de Sóller consists of seven grandiose kilometers of asphalt, peppered with a endless hairpins. Riding the climb from the north, starting in Sóller, you'll find a whopping 29 serpentine switchbacks before you reach the summit. As a treat, you can descend about 20 more as you head down the south side road.
The incline is humane at five percent, so you can get to the top quickly and then decide whether to head to the Puj Major or towards the coast road
Quick tip: Do not miss the turn of for the Coll de Sóller, otherwise you'll end up in the very much not-suitable-for-bikes tunnel that cuts through the mountains on the road to Palma!
05
Coll de sa Batalla
Start point: Caimari
End point: Coll de sa Bataia
Length: 7.9km
Summit altitude: 575m
Height gain: 391m
Maximum gradient: 8.5%
Average gradient: 4.9%
The perfect way to access the Tramuntana if you’re coming from the south or centre of the island, at just short of 8km the Coll de sa Batalla is a joyous opportunity to whet your appetite before tackling the meatier climbs of the day. Around five kilometres in there's even a short downhill stretch where you can enjoy the fabulous views briefly.
At the top of the climb there's also an excellent restaurant/ petrol station where you can treat yourself to the obligatory ice cream as a just reward.
06
Puig de Randa
Start point: Camí de ses Voltes
End point: Puig de Randa
Length: 5.5km
Summit altitude: 518m
Height gain: 337m
Maximum gradient: 18.4%
Average gradient: 6.1%
If you think the mountains in Mallorca are limited to the coast, think again. Palzer sees a "very special climb" in the Puig de Randa, which passes through the small village of Randa and offers fantastic views over the south-west coast of the island.
It's a relatively steep climb by Mallorcan standards and boasts a charming monastery at the top that has its own little cafe bar where you can recover. Popular with the INEOS Grenadiers professional squad, it's a good climb when you want to get away from the crowds but still fancy a stern test.
On the way back down, make sure you stay on the main road towards Randa instead turning off on to the 'back road', which has a terrible surface, a lot of sharp stones and some hellish tight curves that make it a real test of nerves.
07
Coll Des Pi
The MA-10 between Valldemossa and Andratx is well worth it if you have time
© Michael Fludkov / Flickr
Start point: Estellencs
End point: MA-10
Length: 2.8km
Summit altitude: 360m
Height gain: 209m
Maximum gradient: 45.2%
Average gradient: 6.6%
This one is a bit of a cheat. Coll Des Pi is actually just one of several short climbs on the stunning east-to-west ride along the MA-10 – one of the most breathtaking roads in the world. This twisting tarmac route hugs the edge of the Tramuntana mountains, which fall steeply down to the sea, making for stunning views. You'll also pass a small, charming fishing village where you can rest and recharge your batteries.
To go all out, you should start in Valldemossa and head to Andratx - but be warned, that part of the route alone adds a full 40kmto any ride you plan.
08
San Salvador
The final slopes of an epic climb
© Herr Olsen/Flickr
Start point: Felanitx
End point: Sant Salvador
Length: 4.9km
Summit altitude: 478m
Height gain: 337m
Maximum gradient: 10.2%
Average gradient: 6.9%
Way down in the south-eastern corner of the Mallorca, you'll find the beautiful climb to the Sanctuary of San Salvador. This tree-lined ascent passes through thick pine tree forest that offers only occasional glimpses of the views that are to come, before opening up to a wonderful vista.
The road is relatively poor by Spanish standards and you'll approach the descent back down with full focus as the road gets narrow places, but nonetheless this is climb worth making a detour for.
09
Formentor lighthouse
Skip the traffic as you spin your way to the top
© Cristian Bortes/Flickr
Start point: Port de Pollença
End point: Formentor lighthouse
Length: 17.7km
Summit altitude: 225m
Height gain: 590m
Average gradient: 0.8%
Maximum gradient: 31.7%
The drive to the Formentor lighthouse is easily accessible for those staying on the eastern side of the island. In fact, it's so close to Puerto Pollença that you can manage it on the morning of your flight home.
The sub-20km ride out to the cape is actually made up of two back-to-back climbs, so the out-and-back ride adds up to four ascents total.
The final climb up to the lighthouse is absolutely beautiful and even if your legs are screaming after a long weekend in the mountains, you're not going to regret making the trip out here. Watch out for the Formentor goats, though. They've been known to eat everything from spare inner tubes to energy gels.
10
Refugi Tossals Verds
Start point: Lloseta
End point: Refugio Tossals Verds
Length: 6.7km
Summit altitude: 478m
Height gain: 322m
Maximum gradient: 20.1%
Average gradient: 4.8%
Tucked away on the south side of the Tramuntana mountains, just a couple of kilometres from the main road that passes over the Puig Major, you will find the Refugi Tossals Verds.
Despite being so close to one of the biggest cycling draws on the island, this guest house for hikers is very isolated indeed and it sits at the top of a gravel climb that pitches up to some extreme inclines which will make you question whether it’s worth the effort.
The first half of the climb from Lloseta is a benign 2-3 percent gradient on asphalt, but the second half of this ascent can only be described as savage. If you can make it up in one go without putting a foot down, you're a definitely a better, fitter cyclist than most.