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Rocky mountain side with switchback road

Mallorca Ride Guide: Best Climbs, Cafés, and Routes

In the latest edition of our Global Ride Guide series, we head to Mallorca with Le Col rider Patrick Taylor - a former international track athlete who quietly obsessed over pro cycling long before ever clipping in. After a brutal 2021 season of injuries on the track, a borrowed bike and a few hours on Mallorcan tarmac flipped the script. We caught up with Patrick to talk steep coastal climbs, Strava KOM battles and where to find the best ensaimadas.

Four image collage, two cafe stops and two cycling in urban settings

Patrick, what’s your background and why do you ride? 

I come from a track athletics background. Despite competing at an international level in the 800m I had always struggled badly with injuries. Alongside this I’ve always been a huge fan of watching Pro Cycling and so after a particularly tough 2021 summer season on the track with injuries and performances, I rented a bike in Mallorca and from then I was hooked.

Why is Mallorca a place you keep going back to for riding and training?

I am very fortunate that my partner's parents own a property on the island so I get to spend a lot of time there either on holiday or working remotely. Mallorca is like a real-life Watopia in peak season with the pelotons on the roads. The sunshine, smooth tarmac, winding climbs, epic scenery, impeccable driver behaviour are just a few things that come to mind. On top of this, there is that general feeling that you’re immersed in cycling culture and amongst ‘your own’, especially coming from the UK where public discourse around cyclists always seems to be very divisive.

Coastal road with rocky outcrops and the sea behind

What does progression mean to you in cycling?

I’ll never fully get rid of the competitiveness that fuelled my athletics. However towards the end of my athletics career I had begun to hate racing, I had done the same thing every year  for nearly 15 years and it had lost its novelty. But racing my mates up every climb, chasing Strava KOMs and segments and the odd local hill climb are all more than enough to get me out the door to train.

How would you sum up the cycling terrain on the island?

If you’re based in the north of the island (where a lot of cyclists in Mallorca stay), you are just a 20 minute spin away from the Tramuntana mountain range which is a cyclists playground and my favourite riding on the planet. However heading south-east you have huge expanses of flat/rolling terrain with a mix of big wide roads and charming quieter lanes to tick away the kilometers if you’re after something a little more relaxed. 

Four image collage, cycling a coastal road, cafe stops and church tower

Where are some of your go to cafe stops in Mallorca?

There’s an abundance of cafes/bars/restaurants in Pollensa/Alcudia/Soller/Andratx and every town/city in Mallorca that cater to the hundreds of thousands of cyclotourists every year. My partner speaks Spanish and I am attempting to learn as we would love to move to the island one day, so we tend to try and head for places slightly off the beaten track where we (she) can spend more time speaking with locals. A few of our favourite spots include:

Forn Can Rafel bakery in the small town of Búger. They specialise in ensaimadas, a spiral-shaped Mallorquín pastry. World champions in ensaimada making apparently! I always stop here on the way back from climbing the Puig de Santa Magdalena up the monastery.

L'Epicerie Bakery & Specialty Coffee based just on the outskirts of Alcudia before you hit Playa de Muro. Maybe the best coffee I’ve had on the island and a great selection of cakes, pastries and bocadillos. As this one is almost on my doorstep, this is a post ride treat for me, or early morning walk stop.

Sa Ruta Verda has been a popular stop off for cyclists for years and for good reason. Located at the base of the popular Coll de sa Batalla climb in Caimari you can stop off on the way back from your excursion into the Tramuntana’s. This cycling cafe has new owners and a new menu, with an incredible selection of coffees, smoothies, and locally inspired lunch options.

Tell us about your go-to long ride route, if you had 3-4+ hours. 

If you’re thinking about iconic loops and climbs, Sa Calobra is synonymous with the island. 10km of sweeping tarmac, hairpins and jaw-dropping views, it’s almost enough to distract you from the pretty consistent 7%+ gradient. Heading from the north of the island up to Selva/Caimari over towards Col de sa Batalla, up to Lluc, then across to Sa Calobra, descend down into the port, turn around and up you go. Then back across to Lluc once you’ve recovered, a quick pit stop in the famous petrol station/cafe for a Café Bombón and bag of Haribo and then railing it down Femenia towards Port de Pollença and along the coast road back to Alcudia. About 115km, 2100m of climbing - you can’t beat it

Final question, what’s your go-to coffee order?

Flat white or when on a ride in Spain - Café Bombón (IYKYK)

Hilltop view across the bay over trees

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