Route from Alcúdia · start & finish Alcúdia
Alcúdia – Puig Major
- Hard
- 140 km
- 2,266 m
- ≈ 6–7 h
Map and elevation profile
Move along the elevation profile to see where you are on the map.
Food & coffee stops
Tried-and-tested places where cyclists like to stop for coffee, food or water.
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Restaurant 50 kmRestaurant Orient Ca'n Tomeu Orient
Village restaurant on the Orient–Alaró road at km 49.6, right after the Coll d'Orient: coffee on the terrace or, if you stop for lunch, Mallorcan classics such as lamb shoulder or roast suckling pig, with fig cheesecake to finish. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00; closed on Mondays.
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Restaurant 85 kmRestaurant Mirador de ses Barques Sóller
Restaurant with a terrace above Port de Sóller, about 6 km into the Puig Major climb (km 84): coffee, pa amb oli, croquettes and homemade desserts. Closed on Mondays. It is the last reliable stop before roughly 25 km without services.
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Café 109 kmRestaurant Coll de sa Bataia Escorca
Self-service café-restaurant next to the Repsol station at the Ma-10/Ma-2130 junction (km 108.7): coffee, almond cake, bocadillos, bike racks, tools, a floor pump, free e-bike charging and water refills. Open daily 07:00–18:00; packed with cyclists at peak times.
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Café 130 kmCa'n Moixet Pollença
Bar-café at Plaça Major 2 with a terrace right on the square, a short detour from the route around km 129: coffee, pa amb oli, tumbet, croquettes or a club sandwich. Opens at 7:30; closed on Tuesdays.
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Queen stage from Alcúdia: Orient, Coll de Sóller and Puig Major
Route summary:
The big one: a 140 km traverse of the Serra de Tramuntana for very fit, experienced riders who want Mallorca's longest climb in a single day. You warm up on flat lanes across the plain, climb through the quiet Orient valley over Coll d'Orient and Coll d'Honor, then take the hairpins of the Coll de Sóller on the old pass road. From Sóller, Puig Major lifts you 14.5 km to the summit tunnel at 871 m. The way home crosses the high Tramuntana past two reservoirs and swoops down from the Coll de Femenia to Pollença. Expect 2,266 m of climbing and 6 to 7 hours in the saddle. Refuel in Orient, at the Mirador de ses Barques, at Coll de sa Batalla and in Pollença.
Cycling route summary:
Km 0–19: flat farm lanes via Sa Pobla to Búger. The road then rises gently past Moscari to Selva (km 28.5), and a narrow old lane takes you to Lloseta (km 34.6). At Alaró (around km 42) the Coll d'Orient begins: 6.1 km at 4.5% (steepest stretch 8.5%) through woodland with hardly any cars, topping out at 498 m. After Orient (km 49.6) the Coll d'Honor adds 2.6 km at 4.9% with nine hairpins and a short kick to 11%. The descent to Bunyola is narrow and twisty on broken, patched tarmac, so keep plenty in reserve.
Beyond Bunyola, ride about 1 km of the busy Ma-11 in single file, then peel off before the tunnel onto the old Ma-11A: the Coll de Sóller climbs 7.5 km at 4.4% with some 25 hairpins to 497 m (km 68), and roughly 30 more take you down to Sóller.
From the Sóller ring road, Puig Major starts around km 78: 14.5 km at 5.9%, steady and on excellent tarmac, past the Mirador de ses Barques (km 84) to the Monnàber tunnel at 871 m (about km 92). Lights on. Drop to the Cúber and Gorg Blau reservoirs, pass through a second short tunnel and roll through Escorca to Coll de sa Batalla (km 108.7). After the Lluc turn-off comes the short Coll de Femenia (km 114.8), then a fast 14 km descent to Pollença. The final 11 km to Alcúdia are flat, often into an afternoon sea breeze.
Tourist summary:
You ride through the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape since 2011. In Selva, the Gothic church of Sant Llorenç stands above a grand staircase. Over Alaró looms the castle rock where, in 1285, Guillem Cabrit and Guillem Bassa defied Alfonso III of Aragon and paid with their lives. Orient, a hamlet of fewer than twenty residents, sits among orchards and terraces around its little church of Sant Jordi. Sóller grew rich on oranges and lemons, which paid for its railway to Palma, and Joan Rubió designed the façade of Sant Bartomeu in 1904. The Mirador de ses Barques looks down on Port de Sóller, and beyond Puig Major, the island's highest peak, lie the Cúber and Gorg Blau reservoirs. You finish in Pollença, where 365 steps climb from the Plaça Major area to the Calvari.
Climbs click to show on the map
- Coll d'Orient from Alaró 6.1 km · Ø 4.5 % · max. 8.5 % · top 498 m km 43–49
- Coll d'Honor from Orient 2.6 km · Ø 4.9 % · max. 11.1 % · top 550 m km 52–54
- Coll de Sóller from Bunyola (Ma-11, Ma-11A) 7.5 km · Ø 4.4 % · max. 7.5 % · top 497 m km 61–68
- Puig Major (Túnel de Monnàber) from Sóller (Ma-10) 14.5 km · Ø 5.9 % · max. 7.7 % · top 871 m km 78–93
- Coll de Femenia from Pixarells (Ma-10) 1.7 km · Ø 2.7 % · max. 8.2 % · top 540 m km 111–113
Tips from our guides
- Status on 29 September 2026: the road between Alaró and Orient (the Coll d'Orient climb, km 42–49) is closed from 8:15 to 19:00 for the final phase of roadworks, with passage allowed only between 15:00 and 16:00. Alaró town hall announced the closure for ten working days from 24 September, so until about 7 October. Until then, avoid this loop on weekdays and check the Alaró town hall news before you set off.
- Leave Alcúdia by 8:00 at the latest. You need 6 to 7 hours in the saddle plus stops, the restaurant in Orient opens at 10:00, and the whole afternoon is spent in the high mountains. In late autumn and winter, when the days are short, set off at first light.
- Bikes are banned from the Sóller road tunnel (Ma-11). After Bunyola, ride about 1 km on the busy Ma-11 in single file and turn off onto the old Ma-11A before the tunnel entrance; ignore the tunnel signs. On the Ma-10 you pass through the Monnàber tunnel at the top of Puig Major and another tunnel near Gorg Blau: switch on front and rear lights.
- Tour coaches use the narrow, shoulderless Ma-10 between Coll de sa Batalla and the Sa Calobra turn-off. Keep right, ride single file and never overtake a coach on a bend. On the long descent from Coll de Femenia to Pollença, brake early for the sharp bends and watch out for goats on the road.
- Carry two bottles, food for 25 km and a windproof jacket: between the Mirador de ses Barques (km 84) and Coll de sa Batalla (km 108.7) you cannot count on any services, and at the 871 m summit tunnel it is often much colder and windier than on the coast. Fill your bottles in Sóller; the next chance is Coll de sa Batalla. A light road bike with compact gearing (50/34 chainset, 11-32 or 11-34 cassette) makes the 14.5 km of Puig Major far more manageable.
Did you know?
- Puig Major (1,445 m) is Mallorca's highest mountain. The United States built an air base on it in 1957–1959 that operated until 1993, and the summit, crowned by a large radar dome, is still a restricted military zone. source
- The Sóller road tunnel, which cyclists may not use, is 3,023 m long. It opened on 19 February 1997 and has been toll-free since 28 December 2017; before that, at 1.68 euros per kilometre, it was the most expensive toll tunnel in Spain. source
- The Cúber and Gorg Blau reservoirs you pass after the Puig Major tunnel supply water to Palma. Water from Gorg Blau is transferred to Cúber, and from there it flows to Palma by gravity through a pipeline that drops almost 700 m. source
Places along the route
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129 km
Selva
A hillside village at the foot of the Tramuntana, which you cross on Carrer d'Escorca. The Gothic church of Sant Llorenç, enlarged around 1600, stands above a grand staircase. From here a narrow old lane runs to Lloseta.
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242 km
Alaró and Castell d'Alaró
The route skirts the edge of town, and this is where the Coll d'Orient climb begins. Above you rises the rock of the Castell d'Alaró at 822 m. In 1285 its defenders Guillem Cabrit and Guillem Bassa mocked Alfonso of Aragon, and when the castle fell the king had them roasted alive.
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350 km
Orient
Just past the top of the Coll d'Orient (498 m) you roll into Orient, a hamlet at 452 m with fewer than twenty permanent residents and the little church of Sant Jordi. Restaurant Ca'n Tomeu by the road serves coffee and Mallorcan food (closed Mondays). Beyond the hamlet you dip into the valley before the short climb to Coll d'Honor.
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468 km
Coll de Sóller
The 497 m pass between Bunyola and Sóller, reached on the old Ma-11A with some 25 hairpins; around 30 more lead down the north side. Most traffic now uses the 3 km tunnel below, which is closed to bikes, so the pass is usually quiet. The view reaches back towards Palma and ahead into the Sóller valley.
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577 km
Sóller
The route stays on the ring road, with the centre about 1 km away. The orange and lemon trade paid for the railway to Palma, completed in 1911, and the church of Sant Bartomeu has a Modernista façade by Joan Rubió (1904). It is the last town before Puig Major, so top up water and food here.
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684 km
Mirador de ses Barques
About 6 km into the Puig Major climb, this terrace looks down on the bay of Port de Sóller. The restaurant next to the viewpoint serves Mallorcan food and is closed on Mondays. After it there are roughly 25 km without reliable services, until Coll de sa Batalla.
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792 km
Puig Major – Monnàber tunnel
The top of the climb: at 871 m the Ma-10 passes through the Monnàber tunnel below Puig Major, at 1,445 m Mallorca's highest peak. The summit with its radar dome is a military zone, closed to the public. The tunnel is lit, but switch on front and rear lights anyway.
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895 km
Cúber and Gorg Blau reservoirs
Beyond the tunnel you sweep down to the Cúber reservoir and then Gorg Blau, lakes that supply water to Palma. Near Gorg Blau the road runs through another short tunnel, and a little further on the famous Sa Calobra road branches off to the left.
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9109 km
Coll de sa Batalla and Lluc
The Ma-10/Ma-2130 junction, with a Repsol station and a café set up for cyclists: racks, tools, a floor pump and water for your bottles. Just beyond, a side road leads about 1 km to the Santuari de Lluc, Mallorca's most important pilgrimage site. From here the Ma-10 rolls on to Coll de Femenia and the long descent to Pollença.
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10129 km
Pollença
The route skirts the old town, and the café-lined Plaça Major is only a short detour away. The square is dominated by the church of Nostra Senyora dels Àngels, founded by the Knights Templar in the 13th century, and north of it 365 steps climb to the Calvari chapel. From here 11 km of flat roads and the bay cycle path take you back to Alcúdia.
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