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Home > Cycling > Spain > Mallorca Mallorca 10-night CycleNights: 10
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: today'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. Day 6: today's route takes you through several different valleys, revealing one of Mallorca's most delightful landscape – the quiet agricultural heart far from the tourist bustle. From Son Jordà you set off due west, through Petra, a small town with a quaint church and a small museum devoted to its most famous son, who played an important role in the Spanish conquest of Latin America. Leaving Petra, the scenery begins to change as you rise gently from the lowlands, gaining views over the distant coast. You descend into an attractive, fertile valley before climbing once more to the plateau. (46km) Accommodation: Sos Ferres d'en Morey (agriturismo). The great feature of this carefully restored agriturismo (working farm) surrounded by almond and fig trees is the panorama, which stretches over the bay of Alcudia and towards the rugged peaks of the Tramuntana Sierra plunging into the sea. Some of the best views are enjoyed by the large circular outdoor pool. There are just five bedrooms, decorated with great attention to detail and each boasting a private terrace. Some also have a jacuzzi bath. Day 7: this is a delightful circular route through almond groves and past typical Mallorca fincas (farmsteads). It starts by winding across a fertile plain, with a choice of a shorter or longer route to reach the small town of Sant Llorenç, well placed for lunch. From here, the route rises steadily through changing scenery - the almond groves which characterise the plateau give way to a limestone landscape grazed by sheep - before descending back to Sos Ferres. (26km or 35km) Accommodation: Sos Ferres d'en Morey, as above. Day 8: today - the hilliest ride (though no ascent is severe) - you head through almond groves and the limestone hills of the Llevant Sierra, descending onto the fertile plain that surrounds the dramatic hill-top town of Artà. It is well worth detouring to Artà to explore - the views from the fortified sanctuary which crowns the town stretch for miles. Beyond Artà is one of the island's most important archaeological sites, which again you have time to visit before winding through farmland via the remarkable castellated hill-town of Capdepera to your next hotel. (28km) Accommodation: Cases de Son Barbassa (agriturismo). Surrounded by almond and olive trees, this is a small hotel which exudes an understated elegance. The twelve bedrooms (of which we include the ones with their own terrace) have been beautifully decorated by charming hosts Joan and Maria, while the dining room and small, candlelit lounges are elegant and intimate. Outside, there is a terrace and a swimming pool which look across the surrounding area towards Capdepera and its medieval castle. Day 9: our suggestion for your last day makes for a long but very varied day; if you would prefer less cycling, it is possible to just cover part of our suggested route. To cycle the entire loop, head towards the coast, where you can spend some time by the sea at the pretty, dune-lined cove of Cala Mesquida or walking to the unspoiled cove of Cala Torta. Returning to your bikes, you continue along the coast to Cala Agulla, where again you have the opportunity to explore a little on foot - various paths lead through the protected pine forest which frames the cove. The next stop is Cala Ratjada, a sophisticated resort where you could pause for lunch before continuing to Capdepera, where it is worth visiting the panoramic 14th-century castle. Your last stop is a large cave in the cliffs, from where you return to Son Barbassa. (up to 40km) Accommodation: Cases de Son Barbassa, as above. Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended destination airport: Palma de Mallorca
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Son Jordà 
