An intermediate hill climb for those who want to stretch their legs on the bike and explore the North of the Island.
This route starts from the marina in Puerto Pollenca but can be easily started anywhere along the Puerto Pollenca Ma-2210 bypass road. It’s just under 3km from the marina to the beginning of the Formentor climb. This ride is a wonderful chance to sample some breathtaking views across Puerto Pollenca and if you follow the road to the Formentor lighthouse, it takes you to the most Northerly point on Mallorca – Cap de Formentor.
Formentor is one of the most popular destinations in North Majorca and attracts many cyclists and drivers. This can therefore make the road quite busy with traffic throughout the day so it is recommended to get there early to avoid crowds which makes for a much easier and peaceful ride up. During the summer months it is definitely recommended to avoid the hottest part of the day between 12-2pm.
The first climb on the Ma-2210 road takes you out of Puerto Pollenca to the viewpoint at ‘Mirador de Sa Creueta’ where you can see the ‘El Colomer’ rock protrude from the water. This climb can be challenging at a few points but there are a few passing places where you can stop to take a breather. The road conditions here are fabulous and very smooth, and this is true for much of the ride. From Puerto Pollenca to the Mirador de Sa Creueta is a 3.3km climb with an elevation of about 220m.
Once at the Mirador de Sa Creueta viewpoint, you have the option to either continue the ride up to enjoy views over the beach at Formentor, or to ride down to Formentor beach itself, or to continue to Cap de Formentor. If you decide to continue up, the road surface starts to deteriorate with a few rocks and pot holes on the way. It’s approximately 2.5km up to the next viewpoint, not many cars will continue on this road up so avoiding the potholes should be fairly easy.
The recommended route is to take the descent to Formentor, which will lead you to both the lighthouse and to the beach. After stopping at the first viewpoint for a short break and a drink, it’s an easy freewheel down. The roads here are beautifully smooth and the route is well signposted. It’s a 3km ride from the viewpoint down before you reach a fork in the road. Here you can take the left fork, continuing on the Ma-2210 to the lighthouse and continue 0.5km to Formentor beach. You will approach a carpark where you can reach the beach and either stop to take a break or continue for 10km to the lighthouse at Cap Formentor.
Although free-wheeling for a couple of minutes down to the beach from the viewpoint, the climb back up is not as bad as it seems and the final descent back to Puerto Pollenca from Mirador de Sa Creueta is great to pick up speed and cool down in the wind. Be aware that coaches do sometimes travel up this road, especially during peak season and it is essential to give them plenty of space on the turns.
Read about our bike ride to Cap Formentor.
Itinerary: Puerto Pollensa – Formentor Viewpoint – Formentor Beach – Puerto Pollensa
Distance: 21 km Max Elevation: 279m
Difficulty: Moderate Hill Climb
Port Pollenca to Formentor Beach Cycling Route
Breathtaking views on this stunning hill climb in the north of Mallorca
Port Pollenca to Formentor Cycling Route Mallorca
Cap Formentor Cycling Mallorca
Cap Formentor Cycling Mallorca
Cap Formentor Mallorca
Mallorca is well known as a road biking haven, with lots of pro teams training on the beautiful roads during the cooler months of the year. The mountainous terrain coupled with the beautiful and varied coastline provides some great climbs with phenomenal views. The relatively short ride from Puerto Pollensa to the Cap de Formentor is a great example of this, with panoramic views of the bay rewarding the short climb from town.
The incredible landscapes don’t end at the top if this first climb, however. By peddling on to the end of the Formentor peninsular, you’ll get sea views in every direction as well as a glance down to a beautiful secluded cove.
The climb out of Puerto Pollensa is a great warm up to the ride, with an average gradient of 5.2% over around 4km. From the top, it is possible to extend the climb up the narrow road climbing on the right hand side, which seems to be overlooked by the vast majority of cyclists and more importantly, cars. The road continues at a similar gradient for a further 2.3km taking in unbelievable views right across to Alcudia bay and beyond.
The descent then takes you down a 2.5km shaded route all the way to the turn off for Formentor Bay. The road surface here is very smooth so that you can really enjoy the hairpins, the scenery and guessing in which direction you’ll next spot the ocean!
The road carrying on to Cap de Formentor is less smooth in places, but is still absolutely rideable on skinny tyres. It starts with a steady climb at 2.8% for 3.5km, before building steadily. Then it’s a saw blade of ups and downs and sea views all around for 4 kilometres to the Cap, culminating in a blast up to the lighthouse past the tourists and static cars looking for parking spots!
The total ride from Puerto Pollensa to the cap is 20km with a total elevation of 235m. Given that this is a popular day trip, traffic on the road can be heavy and there is also not a lot of shade, so this a great option for an early morning blast or evening ride. We decided to make a day of it though, with a stop for a swim at the beach on the way back. This made for some hot climbs, but the sea breeze was enough to make this bearable and a cool beer on return to the square in Puerto Pollensa was the perfect end to a great trip.
Hiring bikes in Puerto Pollensa is very easy and reasonable; most shops rent all that you will need to get cycling, including a puncture repair kit and a helmet. So, this fantastic way of exploring the island is totally accessible and affordable.
For more ideas of routes in Mallorca, check out our Road Biking
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