In Spring 2019 I found out that I was going to participate in a job-related event in Palma de Mallorca … “nightlife & party destination” was the first thought that popped in my mind. After a bit of research I found out that Mallorca is actually one of the best road cycling destinations in Europe! It went without saying that I extended my stay in Mallorca with 3 days to explore its famous roads and hills.

We started the first day with a delicious coffee and a healthy breakfast at Rapha. Overly excited, we were ready to discover what Mallorca has to offer. I was wearing my new colourful jersey, it had to be a great day!

Cycling route

Distance: 70 km | Elevation gain: 1,338 m (max elevation: 505 m)

Route: Palma – Valldemossa – Esporles – Puigpunyent – Galilea – Calvià – Coll Sa Creu – Palma

Palma – Valldemossa

Starting from Palma, the first 10 km are flat – a good warm-up to get you in the mood for the famous hills of Mallorca. Once we got out of the city we’ve hardly seen any cars the whole day, but we saw plenty of road cyclists!

Slowly but surely, the gradient starts to raise to an average of 6%. After the first challenging climb of the day we had a break at Valldemossa, where we ate a delicious and energizing chocolate cake at Bar S’Olivera.

Valldemossa – Esporles

After a climb through olive trees, close to the coast, we continued with a beautiful descent with amazing scenery.

Esporles – Puigpunyent

On the way to Puigpunyent there are mostly one lane roads, going through lemon trees orchards. You can also take a route bordered by vintage-looking walls.

The scenery was so diverse on the route, with combinations of rocky passings, palm trees, orchards, and the occasional goat.

Puigpunyent – Galilea

We continued climbing more Mallorquin hills, from Puigpunyent to Galilea. In Galilea we stopped at a local restaurant (Trattoria & Lounge) for a well-deserved meal – a huge pizza packed with carbs and vegetables. We had lunch next to a palm tree – what a view!

Galilea – Calvià

With our energy levels back to normal, we got back on the road and headed to Calvia via Es Capdellà. Amazing scenery, flawless road, sunny weather – perfect conditions!

Calvià – Coll Sa Creu

The final challenge for the day was to climb Coll Sa Creu, very popular for cyclists coming back to the city. Even though it was a climb with a smaller gradient, my energy levels were quite low … with a little bit of external help (#energygel), I made it to the top!

Coll Sa Creu – Palma

Going down the Coll Sa Creu was pure joy, the bending roads were impressive! The descent is quite long, perfect to enjoy the ocean view.

To conclude, our ride for the day was one of the most beautiful and challenging in my (short) road cycling experience. With more than 1,300 elevation gain, it was more than I’ve climbed in my whole road cycling experience! I’m not gonna lie, I was exhausted towards the end of the ride, but with hydration and appropriate nutrition I made it back to Palma.

Rented bike

Model: Specialized Roubaix 2020

The bike was rented from Nanobicycles. It was in very good condition and I quickly felt comfortable with it. On the Nanobicycles website you can find multiple cycling routes in Mallorca – this is very useful as inspiration when designing your adventure!

Ride on!

Georgiana