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Southern Beaches to Central Plain
Nights: 6
Accommodation: Es Torrent (agriturismo). You are welcomed warmly to the island by Toni and Eulalia, who serve home-cooked dinners in the cosy dining room. Their attractive agriturismo (working farm) has been converted from a traditional Mallorcan country house. Many original features such as exposed stonework and beamed ceilings have been retained, lending character to the seven rustic bedrooms (many of them furnished with beautiful wooden beds). There is an outdoor pool in the grounds. Day 1: your holiday begins with an easy warm-up ride that winds through the fascinating inland lagoons and salt flats just behind the coast, which are home to many birds. Your target, reached after a section through pine woods, follows quiet lanes down to the island’s longest natural beach, Es Trenc, a great swimming spot with white sand framed by sand dunes. An alternative route takes you to the small port of Colònia de Sant Jordi. (30km or 25km) Accommodation: Es Torrent, as above. Day 2: leaving Es Torrent, you cycle north through pastoral landscapes that are increasingly dominated by fruit and almond orchards. You pass through the market town of Campos, renowned for its windmills, many of which are being restored. You then continue on quiet lanes across large estates to reach delightful Son Mercadal. (18km) Accommodation: Son Mercadal (agriturismo). Set within the very hospitable Roig family's seven-hectare estate, this is a splendid 19th-century building boasting a large garden, outdoor swimming pool and sun terrace. The bedrooms are all stylishly decorated, while the dining room, the setting for home-cooked dinners featuring organic produce from the farm, is intimate and inviting. Day 3: if you can tear yourselves away from Son Mercadal, we suggest a circular route which begins by skirting the base of a hill crowned by a sanctuary. (If you are feeling particularly energetic, you can detour to the top for sweeping views over the rolling plain.) You then continue to the pretty market town of Porreres, where you can visit the impressive 17th-century church and attractive town square. From here, you wind along country lanes back to Son Mercadal, with a shortcut available if you prefer a shorter day. (28km or 34km) Accommodation: Son Mercadal, as above. Day 4: you start by heading to Porreres, the destination of the previous day's circuit, this time taking the direct route. Your route then passes various stone windmills, the interesting market town of Montuiri set on a ridge, and the site of some megalithic remains as it heads northwards across increasingly rolling countryside to Lloret, a convent town. The last leg takes you through almond groves to your last base. There are excellent views as you ride of the Tramuntana Sierra. (24km) Accommodation: Son Jordà (country house). This rural hotel with simply furnished but spacious bedrooms has been converted from a large 15th-century manor house in the hamlet of Ruperts. The building is set around a courtyard with a swimming pool, gardens, terraces and a tennis court. Day 5: your last day's ride is a gentle circuit that introduces you to the fertile – and idyllic – plain of Es Pla, a patchwork of cereal fields, orchards, almond groves and pretty villages. You initially head north, with the option of detouring to two megalithic monuments, before swinging west and then south via the market town of Sineu, one of the oldest settlements on Mallorca and the site of a beautiful Gothic church and a market every Wednesday. (34km) Accommodation: Son Jordà, as above. Recommendations for extra nights: Son Mercadal is a delightful spot and we highly recommend extra nights here. Alternatively, choose Es Torrent for another day to explore the south coast, or Son Jordà if you wish to spend a day in the capital, Palma (pay locally for a taxi there and back). Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar cycling holidays: From the Plain to the 'Wild Coast' (grade 2), 10-night cycling holiday combining our two routes on the island (grade 2), A Meander along the Ebro (grade 1-2), The Heart of Catalonia (grade 1-2), Catalan Coast & Villages (grade 1-2) Prices & travel 2008:
*Connecting travel: return taxi from Palma (out/home 0h30) £42pp
Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):
> Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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This highly praised route leads you from the Migjorn, the unspoiled coastal plain of sand dunes and salt flats, up into the very heart of the island through the rolling inland plain known as Es Pla, a landscape of tiny farms, pretty villages and market gardens that has remained unchanged for centuries. On your final days, you enjoy magnificent views in clear weather of the peaks of the Tramuntana range to the west. You cycle on quiet lanes that see virtually no traffic – perfect, easy-going cycling country – and stay in three delightful agriturismos, country estates now offering comfortable rooms, outdoor pools and delicious home-cooked food. According to the season, expect to enjoy the freshest of vegetables and fruit produced on this abundant isle.
Son Jordà 
