Adventure awaits exploring Majorca's west coast by bicycle

By Marina Leunig Sep 7, 2010, 4:43 GMT

Santa Ponca, Majorca - The legs are trembling and the pulse is racing - and the flat stretch of land one is so keenly yearning for is still nowhere in sight.

Now the going is getting tough, but that is something we knew beforehand. Harald, in renting the bikes out to us, had warned us. A bicycling vacation on the western coast of Majorca is not for the untrained, the bicycle guide said.

Anyone who is somewhat physically fit, on the other hand, can go beyond the mass tourism to discover scenic bays, pretty villages and panoramas like you find on a picture postcard.

The starting point of our five-day tour is Santa Ponca, west of the city of Palma. The fine sand in the bay slips through one's fingers and the Mediterranean Sea here is warm enough for swimming between mid-May and autumn. Behind us, lining the beach, are the boxy, concrete hotel towers so beloved above all by English and German tourists.

The next morning, we pick up our bicycles from the rental shop in central Santa Ponca. Just as we're about to jump onto the mountain bikes and take off, our guide Harald stops us with some words of caution.

'Mountain biking is still in its infancy here on Majorca,' he warns. 'There are still scarcely any completely sign-posted trails, the terrain is rocky and the overall difficulty rating is demanding.'

After the briefing, we then decide on an easier route, the curving road along the western coast.

The first day's destination is Port d'Andratx. On the way there, we see one of the famous 'Castellot' watchtowers, which are strewn along the coastline and which in past times served to keep pirates at bay.

Via Peguera, another mass tourism town, the route leads further towards Cap Andritxol. We are cycling through an idyllic landscape, with forests and lush vegetation lining the road between Cala Fornells and Camp de Mar.

But with each kilometre, the way gets rockier and rockier. We should have listened to the old man a way back who had called to us and said we shouldn't try to cycle further.

After half an hour, we urgently need a breather. So we stop at a cozy cove. The sea is warm, the tiny pebbles tickle our feet. Our fare of baguettes and olives never tasted better.

Five kilometres remain until reaching Port d'Andratx. The road winds through pine forests. Steep cliffs of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range envelop the bay of Port d'Andratx which cuts deeply into the land.

Here is where the world of Big Capital goes on vacation: sailboats and luxury motorized yachts lay at anchor in the harbour, while Porsches race along the seaside promenade.

It is well worth making a side excursion to Sant Elm, only five kilometres away. The sleepy village on the western tip of Majorca offers an unimpeded view of Sa Dragonera, the dragon island.

One does not need to be newly in love or some sort of sensitive romantic type to sink into a reverie while, over a glass of wine and some tapas, you watch the deep-red sun sinking into the sea.

Around 30 kilometres is the next day's stretch. But it will also mean working hard to overcome many metres of climbing until one reaches Banyalbufar.

Shortly before arriving there, in the middle of Horta de Banyalbufar there is a further watch tower, 'Ses Animes' - the tower of ghosts. It offers a magnificent view of the broad expanse of terraces which had been laid down by the Moors. Once upon a time there were vineyards here, but today the farmers cultivate fruits and vegetables.

The hotel keeper's promise that the prettiest part of the coastal road still lies ahead lures us back onto our bicycles on the fourth morning of our tour.

The route first runs via the artists' town of Valldemossa. It was here that the famous writing and classical piano couple George Sand and Frederic Chopin spent the winter of 1838-1839.

During the ride through the narrow alleys and blossoming gardens, one gains an appreciation for the two artists. But we have to proceed onwards, for 35 kilometres away is the next destination, Soller.

Steep climbs alternate with flat stretches and speedy downhill parts. The serpentine-curving road along the coast goes past olive groves and rugged cliffs.

Behind a final curve there opens up before you the view of the Soller Valley, enclosed by a crowd of mountain peaks of 1,000 metres and more. The valley is considered to be one of the most fertile regions of Majorca. The Arabs had called it the 'valley of gold.'

The winding narrow alleys of the city of Soller make it hard for the buses to turn the corners. We roll on past the stone houses linking the streets, past the traffic jams, to the port de Soller and then to the sea.

There, at the end of our small tour of Majorca a further superb view awaits us: from Platja de Port de Soller a view of one of the prettiest harbours on the island. The legs have stopped trembling and our pulse rate has slowed down.