Distance: 63.4 miles / 102.0 km
Elevation: 4,665 feet / 1,422 m
Colls: Coll des Vidriers (132m)
Sadly, today is my last full day in Mallorca. I have again opted for a ride along the coast – taking in some places I am yet to visit. Whilst the previous two coastal trips haven’t been all that, this one was quite enjoyable. The majority of the route was on some really nice & quiet lanes. The relief was fairly rolling, which kept things interesting and fun.
Son Servera
My first significant calling point was Son Servera, which was unexpectedly busy. Today was market day, and my route snaked between all the stalls. The locals of Son Servera did not seem to like me cycling down the street, so I dismounted and pushed. Puzzlingly, they had no issue with a man riding an electric scooter down the same street at breakneck speeds. He’d managed to somehow balance about 50 leather bags on his back, Buckaroo style. Maybe I just needed my own party trick.
The reason why I persevered with the market is because there’s a huge religious building in the centre called L’Esglesia Nova. It looked really good and I’m glad I didn’t sack it off. Weirdly, the picture you see below is all there is to it – the architect was never able to complete it, and it’s left unfinished.
Portocristo
Outside of Palma, Portocristo was perhaps the busiest place I’ve been to in Mallorca in terms of people on the streets. Don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t mega busy.. but the beach had more than 10 people on it and Burger King was open. When I was cycling down the seafront, I passed an English family on their holiday. Whilst I had met some English people in Port de Pollença, they had chosen to emigrate here from the UK. I think this family were the first British tourists I had seen. The Cuevas del Drach must be a popular spot.
I had to wait sort of a long time to get this beach shot because the ladies were getting changed….
Not Canyamel
After Costa dels Pins, the route I had planned travelled along what I thought was a ‘dirt path’ to Canyamel. After yesterday’s beach walk, I was quite conscious about making another mistake. However, what drew me to attempt this option was the fact that I could stick to the coast quite closely. It would also save a lot of time and distance. As soon as I got close, I was instantly suspicious. Let me tell you that there was no dirt path.
It might have been possible to squeeze my bike and I down the side of the bin. After that, though, the terrain was very rocky. In cycling shoes with cleats, hard rocks are not the easiest things to walk on and climb. I had already destroyed the soles on one pair of shoes on a previous day, and I didn’t fancy destroying more. If I slipped, I would be in the sea. I couldn’t see where the rocks ended, so I didn’t risk it. This meant I had to take a 16km detour. Funnily enough, I found a small climb (0.9km) I had not ridden on any previous day.
There was no sign at the summit of this coll – in fact, I’m surprised they even bothered to display one at the start.
I was pretty thirsty and in a bit of a mood so I decided to sack off Canyamel. Hopefully it was shite and I didn’t miss a lot. I don’t think I’ll look it up and assume it is. Ignorance is bliss!
Capdepera
I finished the ride with a visit to the lighthouse Capdepera. This is the most eastern point of Mallorca, and I could see the feint outline of Menorca in the distance. Like all the lighthouses I’d visited, there wasn’t a lot to see really.
Tomorrow is my last day, which I am incredibly sad about. I think I’ll be able to squeeze an early morning ride in before needing to pack my bags.
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