Top 6 climbs in mallorca
Following my list of the top 5 cycling routes on the island, I thought it only right to pull together my ultimate top 6 list of my favourite climbs.
You’ll probably not be too surprised by the top spot, but I hope I can shed some new light and offer my own perspective, as well as some great footage to get you inspired for your next trip.
6. Sobremunt
Starting us off at number 6 we have a challenger for the toughest climb in Mallorca, and no, I’m not talking about Sa Calobra. Chill out. Easily accessible from Palma and Andratx and nestled in the mountains between Establiments and Esporles you will find Sobrement, which is in my opinion, the undisputed champ of the nastiest bastard in town.
A piece of criticism sometimes levelled at cycling in mallorca, is that it’s rare to start a climb and read a sign that doesn’t say 5km at 5%. Which, while not untrue, does ignore the mad uncle of the tramuntana.
At 7km at 9% you may be thinking, that that doesn’t sound too bad. Well think again sunshine, take away the first 3 kilometres of 3 and 4 percent, as well as the briefest of downhill sections in the middle and you have a brute of a climb that will have your bike computer screen showing nothing but dark red.
Once you’ve got the initial easy kilometres out of the way, you will rarely be on gradients below 15% with prolonged stretches of 20 and even 25% making this climb a true sufferfest. Coming equipped with the easiest gearing and zigzagging your way back and forth is the recommended course of action on this climb.
If gnarly gradients weren’t enough, Sobremeunt also boasts a patchworked road surface that might more reasonably be called gravel.
But that is all part of the fun.
This is a truly memorable climb, unlike any other on the island, and one not to take too seriously. It’s just about getting up. Even if you need to take a breather or two along the way.
5. Sant Salvador
Coming in at number 5 is a climb that I’ve only recently gotten round to visiting. The Puig de Sant Salvador is our only entry on this list that resides outside of the Tramuntana mountain range.
You’ll find Sant Salvador on the East coast, outside a town called Felantix. It had been nagging on me for a while to visit, and when I felanitx, I have to scratch it. Anyway.
I recently travelled to this climb as part of my 4 monasteries tour, visiting the ermita de sant salvador along with Cura, Lluc and Betlem, and while the surrounding roads of Sant Salvador are perhaps not as enjoyable as the others, this had my pick as the best climb of the mountains outside the main range.
You will turn off a busy road heading out of Felanitx and take a right down a quiet road lined with trees with farm fields either side. The imposing crucifix towering above you, a constant reminder throughout the climb, but keep the faith.
Early on, you will go through a sparsely forested area on the gentlest slopes of the climb. As you start to go up the main body of the mountain, which like the others in this region, tend to rise out of the earth independent of their surroundings, meaning the road rarely has any flatter sections and from here the hairpins extend right to the edge of the mountains perimeter, giving you wide views and steep drops.
The road will continue like this for 5 kilometres with an average gradient of 7%, with the middle section carrying sustained areas of 9% and above.
Once you reach the top you will have lots to explore, with views in every direction across the entire island, as well as a monastery and other monuments.
Definitely one worth making a trip out to.
4. Puig Major
At number 4, we have Puig Major, otherwise known as Pig Major, or the Big Pig, by frankly, not enough people.
Newcomers to the channel might be surprised to find the longest climb on this list coming in at number 4, but regular viewers will have heard me take any opportunity available to bad mouth this beastly mountain. And a position that high is frankly out of character.
Clocking in at 14.3km in length, and climbing 843 vertical meters with a steady gradient of 5.9%, Puig major has a claim of being the only Hors Categorie climb on the island. I say has a claim, not because there are others that challenge for that title but because some people have it down as a Category 1. I’ll let you decide. I wasn’t able to find a definitive answer.
Starting in Soller, or Fornalutx if you fancy a bit of variety, Puig Major is part of the MA10 and climbs higher than any other up into the Tramuntana mountains. The road is smooth and wide, with traffic that at times can be quite fast moving.
When you are able to see beyond the trees, the views are some of the best on the island, my only problem, however, is that they are often obscured, which means the climb can feel like a bit of a slog through the forest.
The corners are always wide and sweeping, which although exceptionally fun on the way down, mean that the riding itself can feel a bit one-note, with not a true switchback in sight.
Now I won’t spend this entire entry speaking ill of the big piggy, this is just my opinion of course, and judging by the reviews on ClimbFinder, they’re not widely shared. So you may disagree entirely.
I am sure that if I lived in Soller,I would be up and down this all the time since it would make for an incredible training climb, allowing you to knock out an hour’s worth of uninterrupted intervals, before enjoying 15 minutes or so of the most fun descending anywhere in the world.
There is a bit of variety in the climb with a short downhill section about halfway up, and a pleasing archway blasted out of the rock to make way for the road.
In terms of the best way to tackle the climb, there’s not really much worthwhile advice other than to pace yourself and settle in for the long haul. Maybe bring a good book.
In order to crack the hour mark, you’ll be looking at an effort of around 3 w/kg. But just getting up it at all, is an achievement to be proud of. After a quick picture looking out over Soller, nearly a kilometre of vertical elevation down, it’s worth pushing on a little longer, through the Monnaber tunnel, where you’ll be rewarded with views over the embassement de cuber, a stunning reservoir nestled between the mountains.
If reservoirs are your thing, continue on a bit further and you’ll reach Gorg Blau. At which point you’ll be near Sa Calobra, which makes for the ultimate Mallorcan double header.
3. Coll de soller (from soller)
There are two routes to enjoy up this climb but taking the bronze position is the northern ascent. Located just outside Soller, this climb is central to the Traumuntana and can be reached relatively easily from the north or the south.
The climb starts just at the border of town and does, unfortunately, have an initial couple of kilometres on the main road that takes the majority of traffic to the tunnel. You’ll follow this quite busy and in places crumbly road before turning off to begin the part of the climb that we’re all here for.
You’ll be immediately hit by a steep switchback, which will become the clear theme for this climb. They will come thick and fast as you ascend its forested slopes, with nice views out to city below.
You’ll continue this way all the way up, ticking off 16 hairpins in rapid succession as you take on the 7 kilometres of 6 percent gradient. Previously, this climb was the only way in or out of Soller, but since a tunnel was built in 1997, the road has been left almost entirely to us cyclists.
As you near the top you’ll see terraced olive and citrus groves, and coming out of the trees you’ll have a clear view of the road as it tops out and immediately heads back down the other side.
If you’re hungry there is a cafe here, which caters almost exclusively to cyclists.
If you’re climbing well you can aim to get this one ticked off under half an hour.
2. Coll de sa batalla
At number 2 it is the Coll de sa Batalla. Located between Caimari and climbing up towards Lluc deep within the Tramuntana, this is an 8 kilometre climb averaging out at 5%.
You’re always going to be guaranteed views at some point on a Mallorcan climb, but Sa Batalla has few rivals for its varied collection of sweeping vistas across the north of the island.
Heading out of the picturesque town of Caimari you’ll enjoy smooth tarmac on the initial four hairpins and in peak months you’ll need to remember to suck in that gut as you pose for the stationed photographer.
The road straightens out as you go through a quiet forest, with the Tramuntana’s omnipresent goats cheering you on. The forest will soon give way to the lower slope’s second set of hairpins as you climb through olive groves with views out over central Mallorca.
Next you’ll head out onto a flatter section of the climb, riding along a winding balcony road that skirts precipitously around the slopes, giving you an incredible view down over Alcudia and out to the Mediterranean on a clear day.
Once you pass through an opening in the rocks, you’ll ride the last remaining flats, dancing around some pleasing corners, before scaling the steepest switchback of the climb with a towering view present all the way.
After climbing the next few switchbacks you’ll be back into the woods once more for the final kilometres towards the Repsol Garage at the top, ready for a cool glass of coke.
1. Sa Calobra
Okay then, time for the bombshell result sure to shock the cycling world. In at number one, its Sa Calobra.
It would be an uncontroversial statement to call it one of the finest in all of the world, so giving it anything other than top billing would be doing it a disservice.
Like countless other cyclists, the Coll des Reiss holds a special place in my heart. It was the first proper, proper climb that I ever did and I have been coming back every year eager to beat my previous time.
It’s a climb, maybe more than any other, that cyclists will make the one climb they really want to give beans and as a result you’ll see pain faces galore as you descend down into this 10 kilometre, 7% cauldron of pain.
You’ll all no doubt be familiar with its famous attributes, the 270 degree turn on those rollercoaster final metres, the narrow archway in its early slopes. It’s been said many times before but this is an exceptionally spectacular stretch of road.
Leaving the port, you’ll start the climb at the speedbumps before climbing shallower gradients in the woods at the bottom. Despite some steeper pinches here and there, the worst is saved for the final few switchbacks.
So, remember to pace yourself, it can be tempting to just go hell for leather from the start, trying to put time into your past efforts. But over these distances, you’ll always get found out.
Much better to get to half way with your sanity still in tact, better to power up those final hairpins and round the knot, than suffer your way up, grimacing like a banshee as you frighten the photographer.
I don’t think I’ve ever ridden Sa Calobra and not had a memorable time. It’s not always been pretty but it’s always been worth the trip.
Due to its isolated location deep within the Tramuntana, it is hard to get to making any trip out to its slopes a bit of a pilgrimage, only adding to its mystique.
Remember there is sneaky climb up the south side of the Coll des Reiss before you get to descend down, and try not to get too excited on your way there. Better to arrive warmed up than worn down.
People will often say a sub 30 minute time is when you can really start to get proud of yourself, but anything sub 40, 50 or even an hour is respectable.
I hope you’ve enjoyed that run down. Let me know if you agree with my ranking, no need to tell you to tell me that you disagree. I know you will anyway. Get stuck in.
