Diary of Cycling on Mallorca: Part II

Sander (@sunny_cycling) takes you on his adventures on the island of bikes Mallorca. Yesterday there was Part I, Today, part II of Diary of Cycling in Mallorca. About new roads around Alcudia, at the beach of Cala St Vicenç and the route along the coast. Read along and be inspired by this adventure. Because when you read this, you too want to go cycling in Mallorca.

Early bird

In October, the temperature on Mallorca is very pleasant. During the day, the mercury easily reaches above 20 degrees Celsius. At night, however, it cools down quickly, but every morning the sun does its job well. Even in October, it is advisable to start your bike early. Not only can you enjoy the beautiful surroundings, but you can also take beautiful photos. Bonus: You also have the roads almost to yourself.

I am naturally an early riser, especially with a young family, so getting up early is not a problem for me. This day I have planned a route with two ‘dead ends’ in it. From I take the local roads to the fortified city of Alcudia because on the peninsula behind this town lies the Col de la Victoria. To get there you have to go through a bit of city traffic, but once you get past that, the road is almost deserted.

Fresh sunshine

As I drive out of the driveway to the cottage, it still feels a little chilly. I put on a vest, but for the rest of the way I just drive slowly. After another kilometer and a half, I then turn right at the roundabout near the Pollença comes into my face. When I turn to head towards Alcudia, the sun is right in my face! Delicious! I already know that I can take my vest off now. What a life.

With that low-hanging sun, you have to be careful. The roads here are relatively narrow and you sometimes can't see the curve very well. The motto is "slow and steady", and I'm cruising smoothly on the winding roads. Once past Alcudia, the climb suddenly gets steep. A local road, through a section of a villa neighborhood, causes me to have to get off the saddle for a moment. The odometer shows 15%. Wow. It's only a few hundred meters, but I'm already hot.

Behind that opens up the landscape with a beautiful bay and this climb. I stop for a moment to take some photos. It’s beautiful here and apart from a few lost hikers and a few wild campers (two in total), there’s absolutely no one here. And that’s even though in Alcudia and Pollença is stumbling over the issues. Unusual.

Friendly start

The climb is really gentle on the legs. It’s a few kilometers long and then it gradually slopes down until you finally reach the military grounds. From here you can’t go any further and you have to turn around. But don’t panic, you have some really beautiful views and that makes this climb definitely worth it. Be careful though around the goats, because they sometimes jump right in front of you.

After a short stop and a small break for a pee, I start the descent towards Alcudia. It’s quite easy to do and because there’s no traffic, it’s nice to stroll down. When I’m at the bottom, I only have a short, steep section to climb back up into the villa district. After that, I can start part two of this ride, towards Port de Pollença in Cala St. Vicenc.

Along the water

For those familiar with this area, the road along the water is a must-see. Between Alcudia and Port de Pollença, the road is a beautiful stretch of coastline. You don’t have to drive more than 5 meters from the sea in Pollença. The advantage: a stunning view; the disadvantage: the wind that often seems to be against you. However, the bike path is pleasantly wide and the drivers have a good view of you and your fellow travelers. Nothing is more pleasant than that! Because cycling in Mallorca also means that the drivers take you into account.

Direction to the North Coast

In Port de I turn left towards Pollença and after a stretch along the provincial road, I turn right towards Cala St Vicenç. This coastal village is known for its blue beaches, but also for the ugly architectural monstrosities that populate the waterfront. The road to it is paved and it’s wonderful! Meanwhile, I take some photos and head towards the waterfront.

There’s no lie about the view. It’s stunning with the water so blue that you really have to blink your eyes a few times. If you blink twice, you can also see the immaculately ugly white mole that covers the beach. Man, that architect really had a stick and a dog. Luckily, there’s also a nice vantage point with a hairpin bend. Happy days.

It’s striking how relaxed and peaceful it is here. Every now and then a group of cyclists passes by, but on the whole you have the roads to yourself. How different that is compared to popular places like the MA-10 towards Soller, Cap Formentor and ultimately Sa Calobra.

Back home

I head towards the Cami Vell de St Vicenc. Pollença. I’ll just walk through the town for a bit, which is in full preparation for lunch around this time (10 a.m.). Already now. After the venomous climb back home, I’ll crash on the terrace there. My two little assistants greet me cheerfully and I’m a happy man. Tomorrow I’ll be cycling more on the wonderful island of Mallorca!