Route from Alcúdia · start & finish Alcúdia
Alcúdia – Sa Calobra
- Hard
- 115 km
- 1,997 m
- ≈ 5–6 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.
-
Café 40 kmKiosk Els Arcs Escorca
A small seasonal kiosk by the aqueduct at the Ma-10 / Ma-2141 junction, known to riders as the OJ shack: freshly squeezed orange juice, cold drinks and snacks. You pass it at km 40.5 and km 65.5. Open roughly March to October.
Open in maps ↗ -
Restaurant 53 kmRestaurant Self-Service Sa Calobra Port de Sa Calobra
Self-service restaurant by the harbour at the bottom of the descent (km 53): take a tray, choose from simple dishes and pay at the till. It is pricey and not a culinary highlight, but the terrace view is superb and it is the practical place to buy water, a cold drink and something salty before the 9.4 km climb. Open daily 9:00–17:00 according to its listing.
Open in maps ↗ -
Café 74 kmRestaurant Coll de sa Bataia Escorca
The classic cyclists' stop by the petrol station at the Ma-10 / Ma-2130 junction, on the route at km 31.5 and again at km 74. Self-service: order inside, take your drinks straight away, food is brought out. Coffee, almond cake, bocadillos and pa amb oli, plus bike racks, tools and a floor pump. Open daily 7:00–18:00 according to its listing.
Open in maps ↗ -
Café 83 kmSa Ruta Verda Caimari
A dedicated cycling café on the main road through Caimari (km 82), running since late 2015: homemade no-bake energy bars, bagels, wraps and cakes, with vegan and gluten-free options, plus a small shop with cycling kit. Sheltered courtyard with bike parking. Open daily 9:00–16:00 according to its website.
Open in maps ↗
Sa Calobra from Alcúdia: over Femenia to Mallorca's famous hairpins
Route summary:
Mallorca's bucket-list climb, from your hotel door. A big day for strong, experienced riders: 115 km, almost 2,000 m of climbing and 5 to 6 hours in the saddle. You climb the Coll de Femenia out of Pollença, cross the high Ma-10 past Lluc and drop down the Ma-2141 hairpins to the sea at Sa Calobra. The only way out is the famous 9.4 km climb back to Coll dels Reis. A long descent to Caimari and rolling foothill villages bring you home. Refuel at the Coll de sa Batalla café (you pass it twice), the juice kiosk at the Sa Calobra turn-off, the self-service at the port and Sa Ruta Verda in Caimari. No legs? Turn down at Coll de sa Batalla for a loop of about 72 km.
Cycling route summary:
Km 0–16: a flat warm-up on the cycle path beside the Ma-2220 and the quiet Carretera d'Almadrava to Pollença (km 11), then gently up the valley on the Ma-10. Km 16–25.5: Coll de Femenia, 9 km at 5% with pitches up to 9%, on smooth, open tarmac. Past the Lluc turn-off (km 30) a 1.6 km ramp lifts you to Coll de sa Batalla (576 m, café, km 31.5), then 2.2 km at 4.6% take you to 677 m at Son Massip. Roll down to the Els Arcs aqueduct (km 40.5), turn right onto the Ma-2141 and climb 2.4 km at 6.6% to Coll dels Reis (682 m).
Km 43–53: the descent to Sa Calobra, 26 hairpins, with the 270° Nus de sa Corbata right below the pass; from mid-morning coaches and hire cars fill the road. Km 53–63: the climb back, 9.4 km at 7%, steady, with short pitches over 10%. Back on the Ma-10, a 5.6 km drag at 2.8% leads to Son Massip (km 72); drop to Coll de sa Batalla (km 74) and take 9 km of Ma-2130 hairpins down to Caimari (km 82). From Selva (km 84.5) quiet lanes roll via Moscari and Búger to Sa Pobla (km 100). The last 15 km across the plain are often into the afternoon sea breeze.
Tourist summary:
The loop crosses the heart of the Serra de Tramuntana, UNESCO World Heritage since 2011. You start by Alcúdia's medieval walls and skirt Pollença, where the 365 steps of the Calvari are worth a detour. A kilometre off the Ma-10 lies the Santuari de Lluc, Mallorca's main pilgrimage site, founded in the 13th century; its boys' choir, the Blauets, dates back to 1531. The Sa Calobra road was designed by engineer Antonio Parietti and opened in 1933. At the bottom, two pedestrian tunnels lead to the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis gorge. Heading home you pass Caimari, a village ringed by olive groves, and Selva, whose Gothic church of Sant Llorenç rises above a grand staircase.
Climbs click to show on the map
- Coll de Femenia from Pollença (Ma-10) 9 km · Ø 5 % · max. 9.4 % · top 537 m km 17–26
- Coll de sa Batalla from Lluc (Ma-10) 1.6 km · Ø 5.3 % · max. 10.4 % · top 576 m km 27–29
- Son Massip from Coll de sa Batalla (Ma-10) 2.2 km · Ø 4.6 % · max. 6.9 % · top 677 m km 32–34
- Coll dels Reis from Els Arcs (Ma-10, Ma-2141) 2.4 km · Ø 6.6 % · max. 8.9 % · top 682 m km 41–43
- Sa Calobra (Coll dels Reis) from Port de Sa Calobra (Ma-2141) 9.4 km · Ø 7 % · max. 11.1 % · top 682 m km 54–63
- Son Massip from Els Arcs (Ma-10) 5.6 km · Ø 2.8 % · max. 7.9 % · top 678 m km 67–72
Tips from our guides
- Leave Alcúdia early, by 8:00 at the latest. The 40 km to the Sa Calobra turn-off take most riders 2 to 2.5 hours, and from mid-morning the Ma-2141 fills with coaches and hire cars. The earlier you drop in, the more of the road you have to yourself.
- Escorca town hall sets the times when coaches may go down to Sa Calobra and back up, but you will still meet them on the hairpins. When one comes, stop where the road is wide and let it through. Never overtake a coach on a bend, and never ride side by side on this road.
- Sa Calobra is a dead end: once you drop in, the only way out is the 9.4 km climb, with no water on the way up. Check legs, food and bottles at the turn-off. Carry two bottles, bars or gels and a windproof layer for the descents, as it is often cool above 600 m. Not your day? Turn down the Ma-2130 at Coll de sa Batalla and the ride shrinks to about 72 km.
- Ride a road bike with compact gearing (50/34 with a 30 or 32 sprocket): after 50 km, 9.4 km at 7% feels steeper than the numbers say. Disc brakes make the long descents easier; check brake pads and tyres before the day.
- Descend with care: brake before each hairpin, not in it, and keep right, because coaches and cars swing wide. Low down on the Sa Calobra road you pass through a narrow rock cleft where drivers see you late. On the Ma-10 and Ma-2130 watch for goats, gravel and riders climbing towards you. Some GPS apps route you onto the Camí vell de Lluc footpath on the way down to Caimari; stay on the tarmac.
Did you know?
- The Sa Calobra road was designed by the Italian-Spanish engineer Antonio Parietti and opened in 1933. At the Nus de sa Corbata it turns through 270° and passes under its own bridge. source
- The Torrent de Pareis, which reaches the sea at Sa Calobra, is a 3 km ravine between high limestone walls and has been a protected natural monument since 2003. source
- The Escolania de Lluc boys' choir was formed in 1531. Its nickname, the Blauets (little blue ones), comes from the blue cassocks the boys wear at celebrations. source
Places along the route
-
10 km
Alcúdia – old-town walls
Start by the medieval walls of Alcúdia, begun in 1298 when King Jaume II founded the new town. Just outside them lie the ruins of Pollentia, the Roman city founded soon after the conquest of 123 BC. Fill both bottles: the first café on the route is at Coll de sa Batalla (km 31.5), over the Femenia climb.
-
211 km
Pollença
The route skirts the northern edge of the old town. Plaça Major, lined with cafés, and the 365 steps of the Calvari are a few minutes' detour if you want an early coffee. Beyond the town the Ma-10 heads up the valley into the mountains.
-
326 km
Coll de Femenia (537 m)
The first summit of the day, after 9 km at 5% from Pollença. The Ma-10 is smooth and open here, with views back down the valley. The high plateau beyond is often cooler and windier than the coast, so keep a layer handy.
-
430 km
Santuari de Lluc
A 1 km detour from the Ma-10 leads to Mallorca's main pilgrimage site, founded in the 13th century where, legend says, a shepherd found a statue of the Virgin. The Blauets boys' choir, named after their blue cassocks, has sung here since 1531. There are cafés, toilets and a botanical garden behind the monastery.
-
541 km
Els Arcs – Sa Calobra turn-off
The stone arches of the aqueduct over the Gorg Blau torrent mark the turn-off to Sa Calobra (Ma-2141). The seasonal kiosk here serves freshly squeezed orange juice, almost only to cyclists. This is the point of no return: 2.4 km up to Coll dels Reis, then 10 km down to the sea on a dead-end road.
-
643 km
Coll dels Reis & Nus de sa Corbata
The sign at the pass reads 682 m. Just below it the road loops 270° and passes under itself: the Nus de sa Corbata, the tie knot, one of the most photographed spots on the island. Expect cars stopping for photos.
-
753 km
Sa Calobra & Torrent de Pareis
The road ends at a small harbour with a few restaurants and a car park. Lock the bike and walk through two pedestrian tunnels to the pebble beach at the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis, a 3 km gorge declared a natural monument in 2003. Buy water before you head back: there is none on the climb.
-
882 km
Caimari
A village of about 850 people at the foot of the mountains, surrounded by olive groves. On the third Sunday of November it hosts the Fira de s'Oliva, a fair devoted to olives and olive oil. The Sa Ruta Verda cycling café sits right on the main road you ride through.
-
985 km
Selva
Selva's Gothic parish church of Sant Llorenç stands above the village; the grand staircase in front of its façade was added in a rebuild around 1600. Beyond it the gradient eases, and quiet roads lead via Moscari and Búger to the plain.
-
10100 km
Sa Pobla
The farming town of the north, known for its early potatoes, many of them exported to Britain. Every Sunday the weekly market fills the centre, a few hundred metres off the route. From here it is 15 km of flat roads home, often into the afternoon sea breeze.
More routes
All routes →Rides of similar difficulty you might also like.
