During the pandemic, I was feeling stressed and unsure about the future of our business. One day I arrived home and asked my son, Dom, if he thought he might be interested in taking over the business someday as I was trying to decide if I should continue to keep it going or perhaps shut it down, at least temporarily until the pandemic was over. He answered ‘Dad, I am only 13’.
I wasn’t sure when it would happen, but I knew the day might come when Dom would want to go on a cycling trip with me. With his spring break approaching and his last year in high school wrapping up (he’s now 17), he surprised me by asking if I would be interested in going cycling in Europe. I took about a nanosecond to respond that of course, I would love to go cycling anywhere and how about Mallorca, the mecca of road cycling? I had been there in October 2023 solo and again in October 2024 with a group on our guided trip, but this would be just him and I, self-guided.
Our self-guided trip is 7 days, with 2 days in Palma de Mallorca, 2 days in Port de Sóller, and 2 days in Port de Pollença. We decided to add an extra night in each of Palma and Port de Pollença, to extend our stay to 3 days in each town – we offer trip customization for clients, so why not for us? I decided to splurge a little by booking our Luxe hotels, convincing ourselves that we deserved it.
Day 1
We arrived to Palma and checked into the lovely and luxurious Posada Terra Santa with fabulous staff, comfortable lounges, and superb guest rooms with a chilled bottle of champagne and snacks to welcome us. Nice. We dined out at La Rosa Vermuteria, a super cool lively restaurant that delivered the first of many excellent meals.
Day 2
We slept well (the bed was more comfortable than mine at home) before a leisurely (and enormous) breakfast buffet. Our Cannondale carbon bikes arrived on schedule and we set off cycling east from the city along the waterfront bike path that winds along the coast beaches. We cycled out to Sa Torre and through the countryside, passing fig tree farms and orchards. On the return trip, we stopped at a hip beachside restaurant Assaona Gastrobeach Club. We arrived back in town in time to explore Palma. I had heard about a new bike shop and café called Reverb Mallorca that recently opened, so we stopped by to check it out; one of the cool things about Mallorca is the number of bike shops that double as cafés, where you can ogle at bikes and gear while enjoying great coffee and food. On this night, we head to dinner at a place I discovered two years ago, Toque de Queda, described in the NY Times as follows: “Warmth radiates from this casual restaurant, bar and deli squirreled away on an alley in the old town where diners lounge in window niches and sip cava around long communal tables. A former bakery with a centuries-old oven, this rambling locale is today run by a young Italian couple who serve simple tapas based on locally sourced products.” It’s my new favourite restaurant in Mallorca and thankfully, my son loves it too.
Ride Stats: Distance: 56 km, Elevation: 315 m, Moving Time: 2h 30m, Max Speed: 63 kph
Day 3
Next morning, we awoke to sunny skies and I explained to my son over breakfast that we were going to climb the Serra de Tramuntana mountains and this is what I love about Mallorca – the climbing (and descents). 20 km into the ride, we stop in Puigpunyent at the cool Mercat Tramuntana café. This and the Bar Restaurant Es Pont next to it, are popular with cyclists who gather for coffee to fuel them for the category 3 climb, Coll de Galilea. I have the advantage of being clipped in (my son in runners and flats) but he keeps up and demonstrates he has the mettle to climb. We pass through Andratx and then make our way up the Coll de Sa Gramola and then at 55 km, to Estellencs where Vall Hermos is an ideal lunch spot with views over the valley. Then on to Banyalbufar where my son announces that this ride was one of the best of his life. Mine too. We then descended to Esporles and back to the outskirts of Palma and into town. On this night, we dined at La Despensa del Baron, the restaurant in Posada Terra Santa which was convenient and delicious.
Ride Stats: Distance: 88 km, Elevation: 1,550 m, Moving Time: 4h 15m, Max Speed: 66 kph
Day 4
Next morning, it was moving day so we left our luggage for the transfer and cycled 30 km out to Alaró – another great village with the famous Cycling Planet café owned by David Muntaner Juaneda, a former professional road and track cyclist. The café is always filled with cyclists and a great coffee stop. We met Richard from the UK who owns a home nearby and comes to Mallorca to ride every year; he’s also an ultra-runner and competes in 100 km ultras so it’s great to hear his stories. We decided to depart together and as we climb Coll d’Orient my competitive gene kicks in and I make an attack a km or so below the col. To my surprise, my son jumps on my wheel and at the col, passes me to claim the prime. In runners. Ah to be 17 again. We then stop at Ca’n Topa, yet another cyclists’ café with amazing carrot cake that I can’t not have. Then, it’s a very fast descent to Sóller where we bid good-bye to Richard, planning to meet up to ride again on our ride to Port de Pollença. Dom and I continue to Port de Sóller where we stayed at the luxurious Hotel Esplendido. It’s (quite a bit) more luxurious than where we have stayed together previously – my son says he is having a good time and heads off to the rooftop pool in a plush monogrammed housecoat. On this night, we dine at an excellent casual pizza restaurant that I like and make an early night.
Ride Stats: Distance: 70 km, Elevation: 1,085 m, Moving Time: 3h 10m, Max Speed: 67 kph
Day 5
Next day, our ride is to Deià and Valldemossa but before we depart, I ride over to the bike café in Port de Sóller owned by Marc Reynes, a former professional cyclist whose family owns a bakery/bike shop in Deià and one here. We chat over coffee about cycling and travel and about the possibility of him leading our guided trips in Mallorca. This is a café we definitely recommend for those staying in Port de Sóller. We head off at 9:30 am and make our way to Deià and then Valldemossa. My favourite restaurant here is Troia Restaurant with a superb terrace and stunning views, but we decide to make our way back to Deià for lunch on the return trip. Xelini is a lively tapas bar that is a great option here. We arrive back to Sóller for a look-around and then do the add-on loop up through nearby hills that is superb. Back in Port de Sóller we stroll and relax, things I don’t do enough of when home. On this night, we dine at a cool restaurant called Blai; there is another great chiringuito (beach bar) called Patiki Beach but it hadn’t quite opened yet for the season.
Ride Stats: Distance: 46 km, Elevation: 835 m, Moving time: 2h 15m, Max Speed: 67 kph
Day 6
As hard it was to leave Port de Sóller, I explained to my son that Port de Pollença would be just as charming, and that the hotel there would be as luxurious as Hotel Esplendido. Plus, it had a tennis court (I had brought our rackets to play as we are both keen players).
On this day, we headed out early and stopped in Fornalutx to meet up with Richard who was keen to join us again to ride. Fornalutx is a beautiful little village (that I could easily retire to) and it’s home to a famous bakery, so that was our first stop. Then we tackled the Puig Major, a category 2 climb with an average grade of 5.6% over 4.2 km. Did I mention that I love climbing? My son seems to enjoy it too, partly because he loves the fast descents. The other climbing option this day (28 km into the ride) is to descend to Sa Calobra and then climb back up. It’s 10.2 km climb with a 7% average grade, so it’s definitely challenging. The record is 24 m 50 s but mortals will take much longer. We started the climb but it was quite windy and overcast, so we decided to save it for another day (giving us another reason to return!). We continued down to the village of Pollença where an AMAZING restaurant, La Scalinata, is the popular restaurant for cyclists. There were at least 100 Europeans sitting on the steps of the piazza and tables brimming everywhere – my people! The atmosphere was perfect, with people enjoying tapas and drinks under the glorious sunshine. Does it get any better?
Eventually, we pried ourselves away and continued to Port de Pollença, yet another dreamy beachside village. Our hotel, Hotel Illa d’Or, is a luxurious 4-star oceanfront property with a warm welcome. It has everything: indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, tennis courts, and lovely lounges. There are some amazing restaurants in Port de Pollença but we opted for a casual pizzeria that is a local favourite, and a short stroll from the hotel.
Ride Stats: Distance: 72 km, Elevation: 1,385 m, Moving Time: 3h 25 m, Max Speed: 65 kph
Day 7
Next day, we were excited for one of the best rides on Mallorca (and in Europe) out to the lighthouse at Cap de Formentor. This road is a cyclist’s dream; the road is windy and narrow and ideal for bikes (but not cars). In fact, they close the road to cars from June 1 to September 30. A professional photographer takes photos of all cyclists who pass that download them at home. There is a little café at the lighthouse and hundreds of cyclists gather to enjoy the views and then start their way back to Port de Pollença. Back at our hotel, Dom decided to enjoy the beach in the afternoon and I continued with an add-on option along the beach-side bike path where kite surfers do their thing, west to Alcúdia. This is a much less hilly option and great as an afternoon ride. Late afternoon, we enjoyed swimming in the bay of Port de Pollença before going to dinner at another favourite restaurant here.
Ride Stats: Morning Distance: 40 km, Elevation: 870 m, Moving Time: 2 h, Max Speed: 65 kph; Afternoon Distance: 31 km, Elevation: 275 m, Moving Time: 1h 30m, Max Speed: 42 kph
Day 8
Because we had an extra day in Port de Pollença, we took the opportunity to ride out to Campanet and Caimari, a village with yet another excellent cyclists’ café called Sa Ruta Verda. From there, we began the climb up Coll de sa Batalla – a category 2 climb with an average grade of 5% over 8 km and 250 m elevation – to the Santuari de Lluc, a monastery built in the 17th century. The monastery is home to Els Blauets, a world renowned choir. There is also a restaurant, botanical gardens, and hiking trails to tempt (we’ll be offering a walking tour in Mallorca very soon and one of our walks will be here).
After returning to Port de Pollença, I felt – for the first time on this trip – that I had ridden enough. This was our final night in Port de Pollença, so we headed to dinner at the famous Tolo’s Bar & Restaurant, a beloved spot for cyclists and and a known hangout of Team Skye riders. Their team jerseys adorn the walls and they have a reserved table on demand. This seemed a fitting venue to toast our time cycling the Balearic Islands and reflect on the memories we’d made. I reminded Dom of that conversation four years ago, he laughed and said, “It’s a pretty sweet life you have created and I think I might like to take over some day, but not quite yet. Keep it going, Dad.” Happily, I will.
Ride Stats: Distance: 77 km, Elevation: 1,005 m, Moving Time: 3h 30m, Max Speed: 67 kph
Day 9
Getting back to Palma is pretty easy – there are buses from Port de Pollença that get you there in a little over an hour. It’s hard to leave but I’ll be back.
My son made a short video from footage I shot, mostly using an iPhone.
Why Mallorca?
It’s a cyclists’ dream, with arguably some of the best road riding in the world. It’s more expensive than other parts of Spain but we offer a Casual option for those on a budget or who prefer more casual hotels; our classic option is a great collection of 3&4 star boutique hotels that are charming and comfortable. If you enjoy (or deserve) luxurious hotels, Mallorca has them. I’ll be going back in the fall on a special departure of our guided Mallorca Biking Classic trip for solo travellers, from October 10-16, 2025. If you prefer to go self-guided, choose your dates and we’ll provide you with everything you need to have an amazing time.
Why Randonnee Tours?
Randonnée Tours offers 7- and 9-day self-guided biking tours that start in Palma de Mallorca and include stays in Port de Sóller and Port de Pollença – staying at three locales on the sea is pretty cool. Is there a better road riding destination in Europe? Not likely but this trip is best for those that enjoy some climbing. There are some people using e-bikes here but the majority of folks cycling here are keen and fit riders.
Ride Stats: I added these to give a sense of how long the rides took us. We weren’t racing, just riding casually, stopping for lots of photographs, snacks at cafes and taking in the sites. Even though the ‘moving time’ might average 2-4 hours, we were often out for a good part of the day. We biked 480 km and climbed over 7,320 meters (21,960′) over 7 days of riding. Proud of you son!
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