Mallorca by Motorcycle: Sa Calobra and the Serra de Tramuntana (Ma-10)

The Serra de Tramuntana is the mountain range along the north-west coast of Mallorca, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of limestone peaks, terraced olive groves and stone villages hanging above the sea. One road runs the length of it, the Ma-10, from Andratx in the south-west to Pollença in the north-east, and from it branches one of the most famous roads in Spain: the descent to Sa Calobra, a road designed to show off what a road can do. If you are on Mallorca with a bike, whether you shipped it or hired one, this is the day to ride.

Planning the ride

Ferries carry bikes to Palma from Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia, and there are plenty of motorcycle hire companies on the island. Sóller, in the middle of the Tramuntana, is the most convenient base; Pollença and Port de Pollença suit the northern end. The route below is about 200 kilometres and makes a full day; with the Formentor road and a few detours it is better split over two.

The Ma-10 and Sa Calobra

Andratx to Valldemossa (about 50km). Start at Andratx and ride north on the Ma-10. The road climbs into the mountains and then runs along the coast high above the sea, through Estellencs and Banyalbufar, whose terraces drop to the water in steps. The bends are continuous and often blind, cut into the hillside with a stone wall on one side and a drop on the other. Valldemossa, where Chopin spent a winter in the monastery, is the first big stop.

Valldemossa to Deià and Sóller (about 25km). North of Valldemossa the coast gets steeper and more dramatic. Deià, a village of stone houses on a hill under the mountains, has long attracted artists and writers. Beyond it the road winds down toward Sóller, in a wide valley of orange and lemon groves. If you are coming up from Palma, the old road over the Coll de Sóller, now bypassed by a tunnel, is a stack of hairpins worth riding for its own sake.

Sóller to the reservoirs (about 25km). From Sóller, the Ma-10 climbs east in a long series of hairpins, with the Mirador de Ses Barques giving a view back over the Sóller valley and the sea. It then skirts the flanks of the Puig Major, the island's highest mountain, and passes the Cúber and Gorg Blau reservoirs in a high, bare valley. This is the wildest part of the ride.

Sa Calobra (about 12km down, 12km back). Just past the Gorg Blau, the Ma-2141 turns off toward the sea. It climbs briefly to the Coll dels Reis, at 682 metres, then drops all the way to the sea at Sa Calobra in about 12 kilometres. The road was built in the 1930s by the engineer Antonio Parietti, who laid it on the mountainside following the contours in a long chain of hairpins. Near the top it twists through the Nus de sa Corbata, the "knot of the tie", where the road turns about 270 degrees and passes under itself. Further down, the hairpins stack up the mountain one above the other. It is a dead end, so you ride it down and then back up. At the bottom, a short walk through tunnels in the rock leads to the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis gorge and a pebble beach.

Back to the Ma-10 and on to Lluc and Pollença (about 40km). Climb back up from Sa Calobra and rejoin the Ma-10. It continues past the monastery of Lluc, the island's most important pilgrimage site, and then descends in a long run of bends through pine forest to Pollença.

Formentor (about 20km each way from Port de Pollença). The road to the lighthouse at Cap de Formentor, the Ma-2210, winds along the spine of a narrow peninsula with cliffs on both sides, and the Mirador des Colomer near the start gives one of the best sea views on the island. In summer, though, access is restricted: in recent years private vehicles, motorcycles included, have been barred from the road beyond the beach during the daytime from mid-May to mid-October, with fines for unauthorised access. Ride it early in the morning or in the evening outside the restricted hours, or come outside the season, and check the Consell de Mallorca's current rules before you go.

The roads

Sa Calobra and the Ma-10 are mountain roads with tight hairpins, narrow sections and steep drops. The biggest hazard is traffic: Sa Calobra is visited by tour coaches, which need the whole road on the hairpins, and in spring the island is full of cyclists on training camps, climbing and descending in groups. Ride Sa Calobra early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the coaches have gone, and be ready to stop on the hairpins. The limestone surface can be polished and slippery on the bends, especially after the first rain following a dry spell. Fuel stations are scarce in the mountains: fill up in Andratx, Sóller or Pollença.

In Spain, motorcycles must use dipped headlights at all times, and helmets are compulsory. Limits are generally 50km/h in towns (lower on many streets) and 90km/h on country roads. See our riding in Spain page for the details.

When to go

March to June and September to November. Spring is the best season for weather and scenery, but it is also the peak of the cycling season, so expect a lot of bikes with pedals on the mountain roads. July and August are very hot and the island is at its busiest. Winter is mild on the coast, but the high Tramuntana can see rain, wind and even snow.

Where to stay

Sóller is the best base for the Tramuntana, with Pollença for the north and Palma for the ferry. See our Spain biker hotels. On the mainland, the Picos de Europa and the Ronda and Grazalema roads are the best of Spain's mountain riding, and the best motorcycle roads in Spain list has more.