Cycling Routes in Palma de Mallorca — 3 of Our Favourites

It was a sunny day and Hannah and I were on our way to the beach, our go-to activity, when we happened upon ‘Segway Palma’ at midday. I had discreetly done my homework and the mission was set: to combine bikes and beaches to make Hannah happy.

Segway Palma is based on Calle J.Ferrer, just off Placa Drassana. Their main product is Segway Tours but they also offer a range of bicycles to hire including a lock and a tyre pump. It is €12 for the first day you hire a hybrid bike with a comfortable saddle, €10 for the second day. This just beats the €14 per day at ‘Palma on Bike’. Although interestingly at Playa de Palma you can hire them for €5 per day, but this would mean hopping on a bus to the beach and doing the trip in reverse. The choice is yours…

I quickly convince Hannah that cycling to the beach is easier than walking and within a matter of minutes we had fiddled with saddle heights and were peddling past the ever-glorious gothic Cathedral. Negotiating the weekend tourists we dodged our way to the cycle path at the sea front. By this point I was getting used to my back pedal coaster brakes, pedalling backwards to slow down. Fear not, I also had hand operated brakes which felt more ordinary!

“It’s the range of coastal settings that make the 10 mile or so bike ride as interesting as it is,” I explained to a yawning Hannah. Once past the City beach Ca'n Pere Antoni, frequented by locals, you cycle through Portixol, a quaint fishing village with a port full of smaller boats. You then round another headland to El Molinar, by far the prettiest and most chic backdrops to the route. At each end of the clean, sandy bay there is a small collection of attractive places to rest, eat and drink. This beach then runs into Ciudad Jardin, a fantastic spot for a swim and an ice-cream. There is no need to cycle too hard.

From here the surroundings briefly get more rugged. Departing planes fly close overhead and we encountered one of the few insignificant inclinations en route – only made difficult by 30 degrees sun shine and peddling backwards by mistake…

Actually the main selling point, to any beach worshipper, is that the ride is easy going and flat (and of course there is a different beach around every corner). The only dangers are the various modes of traffic – cyclists, tandems, roller skates, dog walkers, ferret walkers (!), joggers, power walkers and Segways. Don’t be put off, for the most part you can ride just to the side of the cycle lane where there is more freedom. Do watch out for people aimlessly wandering onto the track! A loud bell is a must...

After almost running over a ferret and negotiating the Club Maritim de Can Pastilla, the bay opens up into Playa de Palma - a spectacle in itself. Stretching 5km from Can Pastilla to S’Arenal - a vast, wonderful expanse of sand that has not been allowed to ruin. With oodles of low cost holidays and 50,000 hotel beds in the area, the bay somehow still holds onto some character and natural beauty.

Admittedly we had chosen to explore through the heat of the day. Overheating and our skin turning an unnatural pink colour, we needed shade. Up close, restaurants and bars are squeezed in next to and on top of each other; inflatable toys fill doorways; “Wurst” takeaways lure in the strong German contingent; pizza, pasta and paella is all bizarrely as cheap as the other. Against our better judgement and in desperation we stopped for a 5 euro pizza and coke. It was awful. You would be much better investing in the chic establishments of El Molinar or Portixol.

However, the sea and beach vistas at Playa de Palma are fantastic. With no shortage of entertainment, the beach is a hub of activity and it appeared the conditions were ripe for kitesurfing – a sport exciting to watch whilst I persuaded Hannah that “I could do that”.

Full of cheap pizza, it was back on the bikes for the home leg. Thankfully the sea breeze was in full force to help cool us down. In the heat it’s a good hour back from Playa de Palma to the City. A customary sea dip at Ciudad Jardin and a cocktail at El Molinar were all too tempting!

Bikes and beaches (and booze) = happy Hannah. Mission accomplished!

I joined a party of ten at 10.30 in Passeig del Born for a 3.5 hour day tour. Tours also run from 13.30 and at night. Luckily no one was dressed head to toe in Lycra which put me immediately at ease. The first thing that people need to know about this tour is it's relaxed and suitable for all abilities. This is about having a fun day out not training for the Vuelta a España. Families are welcome, with 50% off for children under twelve. 

Our friendly French guide, James, made sure we were happy with our bikes, adjusting seat heights where necessary. Their city bikes have very comfortable, cushioned seats which I think you'll agree, is essential. The first stop was at Parque del Mar to take in the fantastic view of the Cathedral La Seu. Within the first five minutes of James' introduction I'd already learned something new. Did you know there are fifty-five churches in Palma alone? You do seem to pass a lot when you stroll around Palma but I'd never thought to count them. If you're a fan of churches you can organise a tour so you can visit them all!  

James did a great job of situating us in Mallorca and filling us in with the culture without getting too heavy. Not everyone knew, for instance, how widely spoken the Mallorquin language is. He named the other islands that form the Baleares, including the lesser known Cabrera, nicknamed the cannibal island. Why? Because during the War of Spanish Independence, they used the island as a prison for over 9,000 French prisoners and, due to storms and disagreements, boats with supplies didn't arrive for three months... well, you can piece together the rest!

Since I've been to Palma many times, I suspected I wouldn't be seeing anything I hadn't seen before, but I was delighted to be proved wrong. The convent of Santa Clara doesn't have a very obvious entrance, but it made for a great pit stop. To the side of the church James showed us a room where you can buy shortbread made by the nuns there. Their biscuit-baking business began back when wedding parties used to give them offerings of eggs in exchange for their prayers for good weather. At one point they were inundated with so many eggs that they decided to make shortbread.  

What makes this an unusual cookie buying experience is you can't actually see the nun you're buying a biscuit from. You have to put your money on a spinning shelf, and hope that your biscuits and change reappear. "I've never been so excited waiting for a biscuit," one of the party said. "Or a nun," quipped another. "Or a nun with a biscuit." The shortbread came boxed up, perfect for a present to take back to the office. 

Another highlight for me was cycling passed the 300 year old cafe, C'an Joan de S'Aigo, where Joan Mirò used to have chocolate and churros. Palma might be small, but it's so easy to fall into the trap of visiting the same touristic streets, and missing out on the gems to be discovered down the narrow lanes of the historic town. Cycling around the capital means you can cover so much ground and see so much, and because it's small, you can do it at a really leisurely pace. 

We had a few short breaks, one to nose around Mercat d'Olivar, where some people enjoyed a seafood tapas and a glass of cava. The chilled out rhythm was perfect for the group I was with, who had a long weekend to enjoy the capital, and were starting off with a bike tour to see what areas they fancied revisiting later. Different groups have different requirements. Cruise passengers with limited time can arrange a shorter tour that guides them through the main attractions without so many stops.

We ended our tour with tapas at Lizarran in Plaza Mayor. Although in a tourist hub, the food was delicious and there was great variety. The tour with tapas costs €35 and includes a choice of four pinchos, (tapas on bread), and either a glass of beer, bottle of water or a coffee. The ice had already been broken during the tour and it was easy to make friends.

It was a pleasure to take part on the Palma On Bike tour. It really takes the pressure off anyone planning a visit to the capital. You won't need to worry about where to go or how to get there. Your guide will make sure you see the best places and give you an enjoyable education, you'll feel great for the exercise and satisfied you've made the most of your time in Palma.

Check out their website for a timetable of tours and prices. 

...

For more from Emily, visit her blog.

Set off from the promenade in the Paseo Marítimo de Palma (the main coast road). The lane for cyclists commences from the area around Can Barbera up by the ferry terminal but you can join it anywhere along the front. Cycle east and pass in front of the cathedral and the Parque del Mar. You will pass through Portixol and Ciudad Jardin, both of which have good beaches and refreshment spots. After 5.5 km, you will reach the area of El Molinar by the airport.

The bicycle lane finishes here, but follow along the coastal area whenever possible and in the area of El Molinar you may cycle along the promenade. Once you arrive at the beach in Coll d'en Rebassa, turn left to avoid the area of Es Carnatge, leading to the road by the power station of San Juan de Dios. From here, take a right and once you reach Can Pastilla, turn right again to continue cycling next to the shore. The excursion will be much more peaceful once you take the lane of the Playa de Palma exclusively for bicycles, roller skaters, pedestrians and joggers. You arrive at el Arenal after a further 5 km and return to your point of departure along the same route.

Points of interest: The Old Quarter of Palma has great cultural richness. It is worth visiting the 13th century Cathedral, the 10th century Arab Baths and the churches, Town Hall and the walls that used to entirely surround the city. There are also modernism buildings of importance such as the Gran Hotel.

Read about this route when we hired bicycles one day in Palma de Mallorca.

Itinerary: Paeso Maritimo - Molinar - Coll d'en Rebassa - Playa de Palma
Distance: 30 km there and back
Difficulty: Very simple