Sa Calobra Short Loop

Distance

80.7 km

Elevation gain

1,471 m

A more direct way to Sa Calobra than going over Puig Major, keeping the day to around 80km while still delivering nearly 1500m of climbing. The famous descent and climb from Coll dels Reis are still the heart of it. The shorter approach gets you to the top of the descent fresher, but the climb back out from the sea is the same brutal, beautiful test of stacked switchbacks. Save something for it — it's a long way back up. Start at first light. By mid-morning the road fills with buses and the narrow hairpins become a slow, frustrating crawl. There's a café at the bottom for water and a breather, but carry enough to get you back over the top.