Crossing of the Serra de Tramuntana by bike

Departure on Tuesday night on the boat going to Palma. The departure of the Balearia boat is at 23h and arrives in Palma at 6:30. The entrance to the boat will be through the hold with the bicycle. We will meet before with the whole group to leave the luggage inside the van.

Departure from Palma to take the Coll des Vent that will take us down the other side to Calvià and from there along a brand new bike path to Es Capdellà. From this small village we will start a route through a unique landscape, following a narrow and lonely road that will take us first to Galilea and Puigpunyent and finally to Esporles. On the way we will have overcome two small passes, not very steep but very entertaining. It is one of the most suggestive stages of the interior landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana.

45 km. 1,230 mt.

This second stage will take us through the interior of the Serra. For much of the route we will ride off the asphalt and away from any population. We will start the departure taking the Camí de Pescadorsone of the old roads catalogued in the register of “Antics Camins de la Serra de Mallorca“. In this case it is the old road that the inhabitants of Esporles and the fishermen of Port des Canonge had to use to communicate. The first ramps out of the village are demanding but short, then the terrain becomes more bearable until the Mirant de Mar viewpoint with a privileged view of the coast of Banyalbufar. We will take the Camí de s’Arboçar that will lead us through several farms to the huge public estate of Planícia. All this itinerary is done by tracks in good condition, above the coast through an exceptional watchtower. From Planicia we will go down to the coastal road to go to Banyalbufar passing by the Mirador de Ses Ànimes. In this viewpoint is located the Torre des Verger, a watchtower on the cliff built in the sixteenth century to defend both the marinas and the town from pirate raids. We will visit Banyalbufar, a term coming from the Arabic Bahaya al-Bujar which means construction next to the sea. Precisely from the period of Arab domination we have inherited the systems of terraces, washing places, irrigation ditches, canals and fountains that can be seen around the Serra de Tramuntana. After strolling through the village we will start the ascent to Coll de Sa Bastida and later we will start the descent to Esporles.

35 km. 985 mt.

The third is the eminently coastal stage of the route, where we will be pedaling without large slopes that place us between the rugged foothills of the Serra on our right and the beautiful views that descend to the sea on the left. We will begin the short climb that will take us to link with the road that goes to Valldemossa. This important town is worth the visit to contemplate the old town, especially the narrow and winding streets that are located around the church. It is worth a visit to the Cartoixa de Valldemossa. This monastery was founded in the 14th century on the former residence of the kings of Mallorca. There are several points of interest in the Cartoixa but we will particularly highlight 3: the old apothecary with its ceramic vessels that contained the ancient medicinal remedies; The small Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art, which includes an important collection of works by Miró, Frances Bacon and Picasso. And above all, the cell that shows the elements that recall the stay of the writer George Sand and the composer Frederic Chopin. Chopin came here to improve his health in a winter not very favorable for this purpose. Anyway the stay was prolific creatively leaving on one hand the Preludes of the composer and on the other hand the famous novel of George Sand, “A Winter in Majorca”.

We continue along the old road that passes by two other points that would be worth a visit: The Monastery of Miramar where Ramon Llull founded in 1276 a school for learning languages, created primarily for the purpose of communicating with the Arab world. The next pole of interest, related to the previous one, is the impressive estate of Marroig, belonging to Archduke Luis Salvador of Austria, who had a close relationship with the island in an exciting life very well described by Carme Riera in one of her latest novels. Les Darreres Paraules

We will follow the small road that continues parallel to the coast until we find the spectacular surroundings of Deià with the rocky backdrop of the Serra as a spectacular setting. It is worth strolling through this “poble de pesebre” as Santiago Rusiñol called it. In fact the village has been and still is the attraction of artists from all over the world. But perhaps the most famous resident was Robert Graves, author of the famous novel “I Claudius” that he composed, along with many other works, in the house where he lived and that nowadays can also be visited in the same town. We will continue along the road until we turn inland and start the descent to the Vall dels Tarongers with Sóller dominating the landscape. We will go to a hostel in the village and have dinner in a restaurant in the village or in the nearby port.

36 km. 600 mt.

The fourth stage takes us back inland through more rural and lonely landscapes. We will start the ascent towards the Sóller tunnel and just at its entrance we will take the old road that goes up to the port. This road now receives more cyclists than vehicles. The road winds on both sides but can be overcome with good pace for both (average gradient of 6%). From the pass we will have magnificent views of the villages and fields that descend to the bay of Palma. At the end of the entertaining descent we will pass through the Alfabia Gardens, a romantic 19th century park with some really suggestive designs. We will begin the approach to Bunyola, a charming and small protected village in the Sierra de Alfabia. Here begins the ascent to the Coll d’Honor, a 6 km climb at 6% with some ramps at 12%. An itinerary that crosses a dense forest of holm oaks. Once over the pass the landscape opens up and we descend through the beautiful valley that leads to Orient. Then we will descend through a very fun route between the two mountains that make up the Puig d’Alcadena and the Castell d’Alaró. We will stay in a simple and comfortable rural house in the village.

38 km. 850 mt.

Last stage that goes back to the highest parts of the Serra. Before we will glide a few kilometers along small country roads and narrow roads bounded by dry stone walls. Passing through fields of crops we will cross the villages of Lloseta, Selva and Caimari. From the latter to Pollença 30 kilometers later, we will only find the silence and tranquility of the most rugged landscape of the Serra. The ascent to Coll de Sa Batalla is probably the most popular among cyclists. It is about 8 kilometers at 5% with a short rest at the spectacular Salt de la Bella Dona . Arrived at the pass we will take the road that crosses the Serra in the direction of Pollença. We will pass close to the spiritual center of the island, the Lluc Sanctuary. We will go through a stretch of small ups and downs and begin the descent with beautiful views of the Bay of Pollença. We will cross the town to find the cycling path parallel to the sea and we will head to the hotel we have in Playa de Muro after crossing Alcudia.

65 km. 915 mt.

We will walk the 5 kilometers to the Port of Alcudia where the boat will leave around 13’30h. Arrival in Barcelona around 19’30h.