Mallorca, the cycling island | Press

The island of Mallorca, off the coast of Barcelona, ​​in the Spanish Mediterranean, is certainly in the leading group of cycling dreams. Passes worthy of the great towers, picturesque villages steeped in history, narrow peaceful paths in the hinterland and daily maritime flirtations follow one another in a variety of proposals for all tastes and all aspirations. Head for one of the paradises of the cycling planet.

Cape Formentor, the must-see

If you had to make the impossible decision to do only one bike trip in Mallorca, you would have to choose Cape Formentor. This is a round trip route of 63 km, and 1432 m of elevation gain from the seaside resort of Alcúdia (see The base camp). The first dozen kilometers follow the sea to Port de Pollença, then give way to a climb of 3.4 km. The panorama on its summit generously rewards the first efforts. The road then plunges into the belly of a narrow peninsula and climbs gently for about ten kilometers until the short descent towards the lighthouse of Cape Formentor and the Mediterranean as far as the eye can see. Once sated by so much beauty, if it is possible, we turn back. As easy as that.

Sa Calobra and the Coll dels Reis

Lucky goes, you give yourself a second outing. The 115 km and 2221 m of elevation gain of Sa Calobra are essential. It has climbs of 18.4 km, 10.1 km and 3.2 km, so you have to be having a good day, but this will probably be one of your best bike rides in the world. life. The start is once again from Alcúdia, and the first 30 kilometers serve as a warm-up through the magnificent camis (small roads) of the hinterland. After a cortado (Spanish café au lait) at the friendly Sa Ruta Verda troquet, in Caimari, the road rises for 20 km to the top of Coll de la Batalla, then takes a less pronounced slope to climb the asphalt towards Coll dels Reis, 682 m above sea level. From this promontory, an incredible winding descent brings the wheels straight back to the sea, to the small village of Sa Calobra. You catch your breath, turn the on-board bike and follow the path by which you came … An anthology outing, sworn spitting.

Watch the video of The Col Collective with racing cyclist Frank Schleck

The Serra de Tramuntana

Costaude, this outing! The route covers 125 km and 2540 m of vertical drop perched between sky and sea on the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, from Andratx to Alcúdia, in this direction. It is therefore necessary to provide transport for the cyclist and his mount to Andratx, a village located in the north-west of the island. In total, you will make nine climbs varying from 1.1 km to 14.7 km, including the legendary ascent from Soller to Puig Major. This route crosses several small bleds clinging to the cliff, with the Mediterranean as a backdrop. Guaranteed jaw release. On the way back, from the top of Coll de la Batalla, opt for the descent on the MA-10 towards Port de Pollença. Almost 12 km of pure happiness in a massif completely different from what you will have seen so far. Don’t forget a quick stop at Café Tolos, the haunt of the professional Ineos Grenadier team when its members train in Mallorca. The last portion of this hike is on the flat and on the seaside, two proposals that you will welcome with joy after the mad ride of the day.

The base camp: Alcúdia

The seaside resort of Alcúdia, located in the northeast of the island, an hour’s drive from the airport of the capital Palma, is the ideal base camp for exploring Mallorca. Must see, the old city, surrounded by ramparts built during the 18th century.^e and XIX^e centuries. Mallorca, the main island of the Balearic archipelago, has become a magnet for cyclists from all over the world, especially in spring and autumn, and many hotels offer storage space for bicycles (rent locally) and everything you need to maintain them. As a bonus, the accommodations are never located very far from the beach, which is a blessing for recovery at the end of the day. Rich in history – the Romans stayed here in the heyday of the empire – Mallorca offers much more than an extraordinary cycling site. So it’s worth setting aside time to play tourist there, and maybe even spend a few days in Barcelona, ​​while you’re there?

Know before you go

Quebec tour operators will provide you with a detailed list of the requirements to be fulfilled to show a white leg on the outward and return journey. For their first post-COVID-19 travel offer, in early October 2021, the Coach Pat and Voyages AquaTerra tandem set up a series of measures, including the presence of a nurse at the hotel, if necessary, and insurance included for a possible extended stay due to quarantine. The vaccine passport is obviously required to enter Spain and adherence to the rules decreed by the host country, an obligation. To return to Canada, travelers must undergo a PCR test 72 hours before departure (except for stays abroad of less than 72 hours, starting November 30), upload proof of vaccination and complete a plan. quarantine in the ArriveCan app, before the return flight. Upon arrival, some travelers will be randomly selected for mandatory arrival tests. Note that the rules issued by governments for entering and leaving countries fluctuate and that it would be wise to check the terms before leaving.

Accommodation in Mallorca for the author of these lines was provided to him as a guide for a group of cyclists from Quebec. The other travel expenses were at his expense.