Last month, we took a group of 13 people for a cycling trip on the beautiful island of Mallorca and, to be honest, it was one of our best holidays ever.
Here is a little recap of the trip (with a sign-up link for the next one...).
Day 1: arriving at the Finca
It's 3pm when we arrive at the finca. Our hosts Carlos, Tomeu and Laura prepared a delicious lunch for us and we quickly feel at home.
We spend the afternoon setting up our bikes before relaxing by the pool.
We are amazed at how incredible the house is: every detail has been thought of and we even have our names written down on the helmet & shoes shelves.
We chose a house rather than a hotel because we wanted a more authentic Mallorcan experience and as soon as we arrived we knew it would be better than imagined.
Dinner is served in the garden, at golden hour with the most incredible view. There is a bit of a Tuscan feel in the heart of Mallorca, it's simply gorgeous.
Carlos used to work as a chef and is passionate about food: the quality of the meal is beyond expectations and even though we're full it's impossible to resist the homemade tiramisu. It won't be hard to fuel properly for the rides!
Day 2: Cap de Formentor
130 km | 1600m elevation
We know we need to make the most of the day so our alarms go off bright and early. The sun is already shining and we're rather excited to be wearing short bibs and short sleeves jerseys in April. No need for a gilet or jacket, we leave them at the Finca before rolling.
One of the advantages of staying in the middle of the island rather than on the coast is that we can warm up on flat roads before attacking the climbs. We feel ready to get the legs going when we hit Port Pollenca: quick stop and up we go, all the way to the lighthouse!
Paul and I have done this climb quite a few times now (it was actually my first EVER ride so is an extra special place for us) but the iconic road is still breathtaking at every corner. The ride is a must for any cyclist, with incredible coastal views, lacy roads, epic short climbs with some switchbacks and many goats to spot along the way.
There are endless food options when stopping in Port Pollenca. We decide on the infamous Gran Cafe 1919 for the most delicious sandwiches and ice cream by the beach before an easy and chatty (flat) 40km back to the Finca.
Day 3: Sa Batalla & Sa Calobra
100 km | 2000m elevation
We wake to another stunning morning. A big breakfast is waiting for us to help prepare for another day on our bikes with Sa Batalla and the iconic Sa Calobra on the cards.
We roll through the lanes, chatting about the big climb of the day and for those who have conquered it before, there is lots of excitement about beating their previous time. But that is a long way from here yet.
First, we arrive at the Coll de sa Batalla sign: a 7.9km and 5% average gradient is waiting for us. The ride up is a display of many types of landscapes with thankfully not many cars passing. Tree-lined roads to switchbacks to open landscapes, through rock walls before reaching the petrol station at the very top: this climb has it all and the whole crew is over the moon, ready for a refuel.
The road from the petrol station is beautiful and quiet, a nice time to take a moment and appreciate the island before turning right to Sa Calobra.
Although one of my favourites, Sa Calobra is an odd climb because you descend it before you actually get to climb it, which can feel intimidating.
Tip: go there early (or later afternoon) if you can because the road can get busy, especially when comes summer with tourist buses.
We start descending (it's so much fun!) and quickly reach the beach at the bottom. It's now time to prepare ourselves for the 10km climb back up. It really does have some of the best views and I chose to pace my way up to make the most of my surroundings.
Some of us flew up the road to get the mountain points, but it's never a race really because completing the climb always feels like a huge achievement. We cheer each other up at the top, take a few shots and go back on ourselves heading down through Sa Batalla.
It's fascinating how riding the same road in the opposite direction always feels like a new place, especially when you descend and climb the same stretch of road. I think I'll never get bored of this island!
Day 4: Recovery
65 km | 800m elevation
After two long days in the saddle, we are all ready for a shorter and flatter route. We take our time to roll through the lanes, take in some culture and visit some colourful Spanish villages.
Heading into Sineu, we find a velodrome: the perfect setting for the competitive spirits to forget about their recovery and shred their legs sprinting around.
We then continue our adventure pootling through villages and country lanes, where the fields are covered with wildflowers: it's stunning. We stop in Llucmajor for a coffee and a cake to get the energy needed to climb to Santuari de Cura - a historic 14th century monastery.
The rest of the day is spent refreshing the legs in the pool whilst Carlos prepares a giant paella, filling the air with the smell of what is about to be our favourite dinner so far: the perfect recovery day if you ask me.
Day 5: Port Andratx
145 km | 1700m elevation
Photo Credit: @imaginetheride
We start the morning by filling all our pockets with snacks and putting on plenty of sun cream. It's getting really hot, we’re grateful that we planned the trip in April and no later. This will be our longest day of cycling: a 145km loop to Port Andratx, packed full of climbing with views for days.
Photo Credit: @imaginetheride
The ascent starts after 50 km, and very quickly we happen to be cycling on one of the most incredible roads we've seen: coastal views, perched villages, yellow mountains, foggy bridges... It's simply magical. The group keeps repeating that this is their favourite ride ever, and I can't contradict them.
Photo Credit: @imaginetheride
Lunch is halfway, down in Port Andratx (another beautiful village). We fuel on coke, chips and cake by the harbour but try not to fill up too much because we know that we have to climb back up the winding roads across to the mountain.
By the time we get home, Carlos, Tomeu and Laura had put together an amazing Mexican theme for dinner to complete the day. We're cooked and content. Today was pure happiness.
Photo Credit: @imaginetheride
Day 6: Soller & Valdemossa
115 km | 1700m elevation
Our last day in the saddle has come and we’re ready to make the most of every minute of sunshine before heading back to the UK.
On the menu today: some more climbing and pit stops in quaint mountain villages.
After 30km of flat countryside lanes, we start climbing to Col d'Honor: a beautiful shaded road that undulates through steep olive tree fields. It’s usually very quiet here and even with an average gradient of 5.9% it's a pretty relaxing climb.
We have a snack at the top and enjoy a super fun descent (so many switchbacks!) all the way down to Bunyola.
Comes our second iconic climb of the day: Col de Soller. We make our way up the south side from Bunyola and unlike Col d'Honor, there is no shade there! It is a very open road and with the sun blaring down on us we're grateful to have had an iced-cold water refill in Bunyola.
It's all worth it though, the views are just incredible! Mallorca keeps on giving and the variety of roads and landscapes doesn't cease to amaze us.
Going down on the other side is, as always, a thrill and we're now thinking about the croquetas we're going to eat for lunch (planned in Valdemossa). It's still a little while away though...and all uphills!
First, we pass Deia, a stunning village definitely worth strolling. If you have the legs and time, head down to Cala Deia, a beautiful cove where you can dip your legs in the water. Warning: the climb back up is steep!
After another punchy hill, we finally arrive in beautiful Valdemossa: we're hungry! It's a well-known tourist destination with many shops and restaurants but it’s best to plan ahead since it can get quite busy.
We find a cute terrace, devour an insane amount of deep-fried Spanish food and top everything up with ice cream.
Luckily (after all this food), home is only 40km away, all downhill or on flat roads. We're now committed to making the most of the pool!
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