The road cyclist's guide to Mallorca

A long day built around the Ma-316 and the northern coast, this loop links the inland plain with the quieter roads under the Tramuntana. At 160km it's about endurance more than steep climbing — the gradients stay gentle but the distance is real. You'll roll through a string of market towns before the road starts to tilt toward Pollença and the foothills. Pacing matters here: it's easy to push too hard on the flat early sections and pay for it in the last 40km. Stock up properly — there are good stops in the towns but long gaps in between. The flat plains can get windy in the afternoon, so plan your direction to keep any headwind for the fresher legs. Spring and autumn suit this one best.

This is the flat south of the island — wide open agricultural land around Llucmajor and Campos, dead straight roads and big skies. With only 815m of climbing across 130km, it's a route for steady tempo and group riding rather than testing the legs on a col. The terrain is gentle but exposed, which means wind is the real difficulty. Get a rotation going and share the work; alone into a southerly it can feel a lot harder than the profile suggests. Campos and the smaller villages have good cafés and quiet streets for a stop. This is a fine winter or early-season route when the high passes are cold or wet — the southern plain stays mild and dry far longer.

A classic run up to Pollença in the north and back, taking in rolling foothill roads at either end. The 1300m of climbing is spread out rather than concentrated, so it rides more comfortably than the number looks — good for a solid day in the saddle without a summit finish. The stretch approaching Pollença under the Tramuntana is the highlight, with the mountains rising to your left. The town itself is the natural turning point and a good place to refuel before the return leg. The roads here are well surfaced and popular with cyclists, so you'll rarely ride alone. Watch the wind on the return across the flatter middle section. Spring and autumn are ideal; in summer leave early to beat both heat and traffic.

The centrepiece is the climb to the Cura sanctuary on top of Puig de Randa, a lone hill rising out of the central plain southeast of Palma. The approach is flat and fast, then the road kicks up through switchbacks to the monastery at the summit. It's not a long climb but it's steady and rewarding, with the whole island laid out below you from the top. The descent is technical in places, so take care on the hairpins. Around 1000m total over 109km makes for a manageable but satisfying day. There's a café and water at the summit, which is handy given the dry plain below. Best ridden in cooler months or early morning — Randa sits in open country and the climb bakes under midday sun.

The longest and toughest day on the list, reaching the remote Betlem hermitage in the northeast. Nearly 175km with close to 1900m of climbing, this is a route for riders who want a genuine all-day effort. The road out to Betlem is the prize — quiet, exposed and dramatic, dead-ending at the hermitage above the bay. Getting there means a long traverse across the island first, so manage your effort and don't burn matches early. The northeast is sparsely served, so carry food and fill bottles at every chance before the final spur. Aim for spring or autumn and start at first light — you'll want the daylight margin and cooler hours for a ride this long.

This is the northwest coast in concentrated form, hugging the cliffs between Valldemossa and Deià before turning inland. It never gets brutally long but the constant up-and-down adds up fast — there's barely a flat kilometre anywhere on the route. The climbing is split across several short, sharp ramps rather than one big col, so you spend the day shifting gears and never quite settling into a rhythm. The road surface along the coast is good but narrow, and the bends come blind, so hold your line. Water and coffee are easy in Deià and Valldemossa, but stretches in between have nothing, so top up when you can. Go early — the coast road gets busy with cars and buses by mid-morning, and the light on the sea before then is worth the alarm.