Probably the first time i'd ever really enjoyed a climb. The early afternoon sun, though at it's strongest, was just enough to warm my glove-less hands at a moderate altitude. Ascending slowly but steadily, trying to count the hairpin turns but losing count, and hopelessly distracted by the dominance of mountains, and gentle winter scenery which appeared both barren and luscious green all at the same time.
In 1997 the Soller tunnel opened on the main road from Palma to Soller, thus rendering the old road rather obsolete. Nothing too noteworthy there, but the old road has an average gradient of 6%, 7.5km's of perfect smooth tarmac, and 52 hairpin bends on the way up and down. With most road traffic logically opting for the shorter route through the tunnel, the Col de Soller is a cyclists paradise, and really the epitome of off season cycling in Mallorca - stunning scenery, a great mix of testing routes and gentle courses, kind or totally absent road traffic, and plenty of plain, old-fashioned, good hospitality. Of course, the term 'off season' should be taken with a heavy dose of irony as Mallorca doesn't really have to endure a winter. Only on top of the highest peaks, and they are proper peaks at 1445m, is there anything close to freezing temperatures. The vast majority of the island provides more than kind weather all year round. Coming from a cold and damp Dutch winter, the daily sunshine and temperatures of 18degrees were wonderfully appreciated.
Of course, the west of the island is where it's at. The Tramontana mountains both hug and clash violently with the coastline from north to south. We based ourselves in both Palma (south) and Pollenca (north) to get the best of the routes, and make them manageable for us beginners. From Port de Pollenca our local, cafe Bar 1919, became the start and end point of each day in the saddle. With each day in the saddle seeing relatively comfortable distances of 60-85km's a day, we were able to; take in a somewhat short but breathtaking route to Cap de Formentor and back, explore the north coast; Alcudia, Can Picafort, and Son Serra de Marina, and sample some altitude en-route to Lluc and returning via Selva and Sa Pobla. Next on the itineary were three days cycling with backpacks, and therefore taking it easy en-route back to Palma. We stayed overnight in Sineu, and just outside Llucmajor, before returning to the island's capital. Once back in Palma, the mountains were again within our reach. There are a plethora of routes and resources online, our favourite being Mallorca Cycling based in the UK.
Up on top of the Col de Soller, in all that New Years Day solitude, was the only mild inconvenience in two weeks of bicycle travel: the two 'halfway house' cafe stops were both closed for the season. This was indeed only a mild inconvenience, as i'd already enjoyed a cortado and almond cake in Valledemossa, and an early lunch of cerveza and p amb oli in Deia. Any extra calories would have been simply greedy on my part. My palette, stomach, appetite, and senses, already more than satisfied, yet ultimately left wanting more of the same. Cycling on the island of Mallorca in a nutshell. There's more than enough to satisfy you - mountains, hairpins, straights, views, flats, bends, curves - but they'll leave you wanting them time and time again.
Practical Info...
Flights: Eindhoven to Palma de Mallorca with Transavia
Hotels: HM Balanguera in Palma de Mallorca, Hotel CanFont in Sineu, and a treat of a stay at the Puig de Ros d'Alt on the Cami de Sa Torre just outside Llujmajor.
Bikes: We took our own, making use of sturdy and affordable bike boxes from the guys at Wiel Rent NL.
