One of the most practiced sports in the Balearic Islands, specifically in Mallorca, is mountain biking, which was born as an alternative to road cycling. The island, because of its orography and its climatology, could be considered the ideal environment for the practice of mountain biking. The mountain biking in Mallorca has broken down borders and goes beyond being a mere sport modality: it is a lifestyle in which physical activity and fun come together. Thanks to this sport you get to know and explore new and recondite places. Are you ready to ride with us?
Brief history of mountain biking
The history of the MTB takes us back to the decade of the 50s, when a group of cyclists began to explore the descent of the mountains of California at the same time that the first changes in the bicycles for the practice of this sport began to appear. From then until now, countless variants have emerged: cross country, downhill, trip trial, freeride, 4X, trial, uphill, BMX …
Best areas for Mallorca to ride on MTB
It could be said that mountain biking in Mallorca is a synonym of the Sierra de Tramuntana, one of the best places in Spain to bike and enjoy nature at the same time. The best routes through this region cover Sóller, Bunyola, Fornalutx, Esporlas, the Monastery of Lluc and Pollensa.
To the south of the Tramuntana, the best tours will make you know towns such as Sant Jordi, Algaida or Llucmajor. On the other hand, the thours that pass through Calviá, Santa Ponsa, Andratx or Cap Andritxol will offer you with a refreshing bath at one of its many beaches. Even more to the south of the island, in the rural area of ??Son Negre, you can soak up the typical and traditional part of Mallorca on two wheels.
Looking at the other side of the island, in the east, the surroundings of the Sierra de Artá, in the Levante Natural Park, will leave you breath- and speechless.
In Mallorca there are routes for each type of cyclist: from crossings where you can visit rural centers or different beaches, to risky and dangerous descents. If you belong to this second type of biker, take a look at these activities for adventurous couples.
The best routes on the island
Before choosing your route, you should assess your strength and your physical condition, since there are some routes which only take a couple of hours or half a day and others which can take up to several days in a row. They can be done all year round, but spring and autumn are the ideal seasons to ride.
As we mentioned before, the Tramuntana is the main area to practice this sport on the island. In this mountain range, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, one of the essential traces is the one that links the Monastery of Lluc with Pollensa. There are other routes that, leaving from the capital, run through this spectacular mountain range during several stages of 3, 4 or 5 days, passing through key points such as Lluc, Sóller, Estellencs, Andratx or Deiá.
Any route that runs through the Bunyola region is also essential since it is one of the places of mountain bike pilgrimage in Mallorca.
Towards the east there are two itineraries that we recommend depending on the skill you have on the bike and your time availability. The first of them has medium difficulty and is 36 kilometers long: it is an epic route that every cyclist dreams of, since the “calas” and beaches will located next to diverse forests. This route links Cala Mitjana with Cala Ratjada and travels along a stretch of the island’s ‘Vía Verde’ (green route). For more experienced bikers we recommend what could be considered the best descent of the whole island: after leaving Capdepera and Artà we will go to the hermitage of Betlem, and in a detour we will start a path of alternate ascents and descents that will take us to s’Esquena Llarga , where the spectacular descent begins that will reward you with some natural dream places.
To the south of the island, the Campos-Felanitx-Cas Concos route starts in the first “Cycling Friendly” municipality of Mallorca, on a route that runs approximately 75% on dirt roads, has very little unevenness and is very recommended to do with the whole family.
Tramuntbike, Mallorca Activities BTT, Karakorum Adventure, MTB Mallorca or Bike & Kite are some of the companies that offer routes for each biker type.
Where to rent MTB bikes
Each year, there are more and more bike renting spots in Mallorca. In the capital, we recommend Just Rent a Bike Mallorca , Berganti Bikes and Sports Mallorca .
Leaving the urban environment 2GoCyling Rent a Bike and RentMarch in Pollença, Bimont (with 4 branches throughout the island) and Cycling Planet in Alaró, a place created exclusively for cycling lovers, decorated with real wood of the velodrome of Mallorca.
In all these stores, you can not only rent or buy your mountain bike, but also the essential equipment to practice this sport with more protection than the one required by road cycling. Find out beforehand whether the terrain where you are going to bike through is going to be for a bike with a rigid frame, double suspension or full suspension so that your ‘shock absorbers’ suffer as little as possible.
The best comes at the end, with the e-bikes there is no excuse to get on a mountain bike. This type of electric bicycles are here to stay because they democratize all the routes, the slopes stop being a nightmare and become fun. With these e-bikes you will be able to stay on a bike for longer and prolong your active life. Oh, and do not forget to include water and snacks in your backpack for your trip to be absolutely perfect!
