Every spring, Palma airport fills with bike boxes. The island has the climbs, the coffee stops and the hotels built around riders, and a few things that catch first-timers out. What you need to know before you land.
Six things to sort before the first ride: when to come, how the island is laid out, the wind, the rules of the road, and what to do when the mountains close in.
Mallorca's cycling season runs from February to May, then again from September to November. March and April are peak: warm afternoons, cold mornings in the mountains, and busy roads on the famous climbs. Summer is too hot for long mountain days. If you go in July or August, be off the bike by midday.
Two islands in one. The Serra de Tramuntana runs along the northwest coast and holds every serious climb. The central plain is flat farmland, laced with quiet lanes between old market towns. A good week mixes both: mountain days and plain days, often in the same ride.
Wind shapes the riding here more than gradient does. Northerlies hit Cap de Formentor and the north coast hardest, while the mountains shelter the plain. Check the forecast the night before and pick the route to match: ride into the wind first and let it bring you home.
Helmets are compulsory outside towns in Spain, and drivers must leave 1.5 metres when overtaking. Riding two abreast is legal, but single out on narrow mountain roads and when traffic builds behind you. The main Sóller road tunnel is closed to bikes: ride the old road over the Coll de Sóller instead.
The main routes are well signposted, but phone signal drops in the Tramuntana, sometimes for long stretches. Load your routes and offline maps before you leave the hotel, and carry enough food and water to reach the next village without needing to look anything up.
When cloud sits on the mountains or the wind is too strong for Formentor, head inland. The roads through Petra, Sineu and Santa Maria are quiet, dry out first after rain, and add easy kilometres. Puig de Randa gives you a climb on the days the Tramuntana won't.
Sa Calobra and Formentor are on every rider's list, and on every tour coach's too. Start early and be at the top of the big climbs by mid-morning. The roads are quieter, the light is better, and you'll be sitting down to lunch as the coaches arrive.
Five climbs that anchor any Mallorca week: the famous one, the long one, the way in, the lighthouse ride, and the one the tunnel left behind.
The climb that made Mallorca famous. You descend the hairpins to a cove at sea level, then climb straight back out: there is no other road. Pace it like a long threshold effort, because the top half is harder than the bottom. Eat before you drop in. There is nothing to fix a bonk on the way back up.
The island's highest road and its longest climb. From Sóller it rises steadily through terraced olive groves to the short tunnel below the summit, with the Gorg Blau reservoir waiting on the other side. Regular gradients, few surprises: the climb that rewards staying seated and settling into a rhythm.
The way into the mountains from the north. Out of Pollença the road climbs through pine and holm oak at a steady gradient, with views back over the bay. It leads on to Lluc, Sa Calobra and Puig Major: almost every big day from the north starts here.
The out-and-back ride to the island's northern tip: three climbs, cliffs on both sides, the lighthouse at the end. The first rise, to the Mirador es Colomer viewpoint, starts minutes from the port. The road is narrow and exposed, so pick a calm morning and leave the headwind days for the plain.
The old road between Palma and Sóller, almost empty of cars since the tunnel opened beneath it. Tight hairpins stacked on both sides make it one of the most enjoyable climbs on the island, and it's the only way to reach Sóller by bike.
The Nus de sa Corbata, where the Sa Calobra road loops right under itself just below the Coll dels Reis. Stop on the way down, not the way up: shoot down onto the loop with the sea behind it, before the climb back out takes away any interest in photography.
The best Mallorca rides are planned around the stops. Five places and habits that shape a day on the bike, and what to eat when you're back.
The Plaça Major in Pollença is the north's cycling living room. Every morning in season it fills with riders before the climb to Femenia, and again on the way home from Formentor. Sit under the trees, order a café con leche, and watch half of Europe's club jerseys roll past.
The monastery at Lluc sits in the middle of the Tramuntana, and almost every long ride passes through it. It's the place to refill bottles, eat a proper sandwich and regroup before the next climb. On busy spring days the bike racks fill before the café does.
On the west side, plan a proper lunch rather than a quick stop. Sóller's main square and the village of Deià above the coast are worth the time, and the road between them is one of the most beautiful on the island. Eat in the villages, not at the beach restaurants.
Valldemossa is the home of the coca de patata, a soft potato bun dusted with sugar that seems designed for a mid-ride stop. Have one with a coffee in the old town before the road down to the coast or the climb back towards Palma.
Start the day with pa amb oli: bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil, topped with cheese or ham. After the ride, an ensaimada, the island's spiral pastry, or sobrassada, the soft paprika sausage. Dinner in the north means fish. In Palma, tapas and late tables.
Spring is when everyone comes. October is the insider choice: warm days, a sea still warm enough to swim in, quiet roads, and far easier booking. One catch: most hotels in Alcúdia, Playa de Muro and Pollença close for the season in November, so book a northern autumn trip before then. Palma stays open all year.
Hotels ranked for cyclists, not tourists.
Getting there, where to sleep, bikes, and the decisions to make before you book anything.
Palma (PMI) is the island's only airport, with direct flights from across Europe. It's about 20 minutes from central Palma and an hour from the north coast. If you're bringing a bike box, book an estate car or a transfer in advance: standard taxis and ride-hailing cars often won't take one.
Base yourself in the north: Port de Pollença, Alcúdia or Playa de Muro. Formentor, Femenia and Lluc are on your doorstep, Sa Calobra is a big day out, and the flat roads of the plain are perfect for recovery rides. Prefer a city? Palma works too: closer to the southwest coast, further from the north. Riding in winter? Most northern hotels close for the season in November, so from then until spring, base yourself in Palma.
Mallorca has one of the biggest rental markets in Europe, with high-end road bikes in Port de Pollença, Alcúdia and Palma, and many cycling hotels run their own workshops. In March and April the popular sizes go early: book the bike as soon as you book the flight.
Cycling hotels in the north run group rides by pace, with mechanics on site and breakfast from early. Riding independently gives you the freedom to chase the weather. Decide before you book: it changes which hotel suits you.
The peak weeks, mid-March to late April, sell out months ahead. Book in this order: the hotel first, the bike second, the flights third. Outside peak, a few weeks' notice is usually enough.
One northern base covers most of Mallorca's best riding. If you want all of it, including the southwest coast through Estellencs and Banyalbufar, our Mallorca training week guide plans seven days from two bases: the north first, then Palma.
Every stay on RideLodge is ranked by what cyclists actually need: secure storage, on-site mechanics, early breakfasts, and rides from the door.