Distance: 77.1 miles / 124 km
Elevation: 4,393 feet / 1,339 m
Colls: None
Arta is a small town to the south east of Port de Pollença. Taking in Manacor and Petra, it’s possible to make a circular route on some really nice (and quiet) lanes.
Arta
The highlight of Arta is undoubtedly the fortress. To get there, cycle through the town and climb the Carrer del Castellet road to the fortress walls. There is a tremendous view of the town and the mountains from the very top.
Shortly after taking these photos, my bike lock refused to open any longer. I tried over 300 combinations around the correct code until a man with a step ladder offered to lift my bike over the post I’d chosen to lock it to. Luckily I didn’t feed the lock through the wheels, and I was on my merry way again. I need to go on a hunt for a new lock tomorrow.
It was market day in Arta and it was very windy (40+ mph gusts). The man selling office chairs didn’t look like he wanted to be alive any more – they were totally out of control.
If you’re feeling up to it, there is a coll you can climb to the north of Arta to Ermita de Betlem (see day sixteen).
Manacor
Above are two photographs from Manacor. The cuboid-shaped building in the right photo is called ‘Parròquia de la Mare de Déu dels Dolors de Manacor’. I don’t know if that means it’s a church or not – regardless, it was impressive in scale.
Petra
Petra is an incredibly good place to stop for a bite to eat, as the central square has lots of different cafés. Should you run out of inner tubes, there is also a unique Continental inner tube vending machine.
Food
I like to eat, but today was quite a food fest even for me. The ‘sausage rolls’ and potatoes were free with the cola I purchased from “Els Arcs” in Arta. After visiting the fortress, I purchased the chicken pasta from a café along the main market street. The milkshake was real strawberries blended, which is a bit too healthy for me. I was after just strawberry flavour really. The ham and cheese bocadillo (baguette) was from Petra.
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