Cycling Mallorca: why Port de Pollença is the mecca

Every spring, the north of Mallorca becomes the training ground for half the European professional peloton. It is no accident: within a 40 km radius of Port de Pollença you'll find some of the best cycling roads on the continent — immaculate tarmac, textbook hairpins, respectful traffic and a climate that lets you ride all year round.

The three rides that explain it all

Cap de Formentor (35 km return, 600 m+)

The postcard. From the Port to the lighthouse along the cape road: the Colomer viewpoint, the corniche bends above the sea, the tunnel, the lighthouse. In summer, daytime car access is restricted and the road belongs almost entirely to cyclists — the final climb to the lighthouse with sea on both sides justifies the whole trip. The rest of the cape is in our Formentor guide.

Sa Calobra (from the villa and back: ~110 km, 2,400 m+)

The island's most famous climb: 9.4 km at an average 7 %, drawn like a knot of tarmac unravelling down the mountain. You descend first and climb after — there is no other way out — with the Coll dels Reis waiting at the top. It is the exam of any Mallorca cycling week.

The Lluc loop and Puig Major

The long Serra ride: Pollença, Lluc, the Cúber reservoir, the Puig Major tunnel and back. High-mountain scenery — a World Heritage landscape — an hour from home.

When to come

• February–May: the big season. Pro teams, sportives and roads full of jerseys.
• September–November: the same weather, half the people. Our favourite.
• Summer: early mornings only; from 11 am the heat takes over.

Logistics from the villa

Villa Pontarró is 10 minutes from Port de Pollença, where the high-end road bike rental shops are concentrated (book weeks ahead in season). The villa has plenty of room to store bikes, and the pool and garden do the "active recovery" job better than any hotel. The riding half of the group leaves at dawn; the other half has the rest of the north's plans at hand.

Planning a spring or autumn cycling week with your own base? Ask about low-season dates and rates — it is when both the villa and the roads are at their best.