Around 35 km in length, over 800 m of climbing, breath-taking views, remarkable engineering and a near perfect road surface makes this ride arguably one of the most enchanting in the world and certainly a ride not-to-missed when visiting Mallorca.

Italian engineer, Antonio Parietti built the road to the Lighthouse eight years before the road to Sa Colobra in 1925. Previously, the active lighthouse, which was built in 1863, was only accessible by sea (climbing 272 steps cut into the steep cliffs) or by negotiating a meandering 17 km mule track. The remote and precarious location made this a remarkable feat of engineering. Formentor is the highest lighthouse in the Balearic Islands, built 210 m up on the high and precipitous cliffs. The area has served to be an inspiration for many artists and inspired Pollenca's most famous poet, Miguel Costa i Llobera (1854-1922), who wrote 'The Pine Tree of Formentor'. Agatha Christie visited Port Pollenca in the early 20th century and wrote of 'a view that in the misty haze of a fine morning had the exquisite vagueness of a Japanese print'. Indeed, the Hotel Formentor, was opened in 1929 by German-born Argentinian millionaire Adam Diehl, who had a dream of creating a space where artists could draw inspiration from their surroundings. Visitors to the hotel include the Dalai Lama, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, John Wayne, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. Today the area is one of the most photographed and portrayed places on the island. ​

The Formentor road consists of two category 3 climbs with shorter, punchier ascents for good measure in between, making this a ride that is achievable by the majority of cyclists.  

0-3.5 km: Leaving Port Pollenca, prepare to negotiate 223 m of climbing at an average gradient of 6%, while drinking in views of the attractive fishing port below and arriving at the El Mirador de Sa Creuta, a popular lookout for tourists and locals.
KOM: Alberto Contador - 6.48 (Apr 25 2019) 441 average watts; 29.3 km/h average speed
QOM: Elisa Longo Borghini - 8.36 (Jan 14 2020) 23.1 average speed

3.5-16 km: Descend down towards Formentor Beach and into a Pine Forest, where you climb gradually towards more rugged and barren terrain, and a sharp climb revealing the crystal clear turquoise waters of Cala Figuera Beach, before ascending into a 300 metre tunnel. After climbing up and out of the tunnel the road levels out to reveal the snaking curves that will draw the rider towards the headland. The views here are stunning and the riding is sublime but perhaps not for the faint of heart. The road undulates and suddenly reveals a stunning vista of the lighthouse before plunging down and then back up to the lighthouse itself, where you are most likely to be greeted by the local goats that line the surrounding cliffs. On a clear day, it is possible to see the neighbouring island of Menorca from here..

Return to Port Pollenca: After the initial descent, brace yourself for a steep 1 km climb with gradients of around 15% taking you up 90 metres followed by a less aggressive climb and then an exhilarating descent back through the tunnel and the pine trees and finally up the cat 3 Mirador Formentor (3.45 km; 252 m; 5%) before the final descent back into Port Pollenca.

Optional Extension: Talaia d'Albercutx (Pepperpot): A rougher, sometimes pot-holed road of around 2.5 km (between 6-9% and 150 metres) leads to the Pepperpot, rewarding the brave with stunning views over Pollensa Bay and the Tramuntana Mountains.

The best known and toughest climb in Mallorca, Team INEOS's unofficial pre-season testing ground and a magnet to tourists of all kinds. A twisting ribbon of road in the Serra de Tramuntana Mountains, which snakes down limestone cliffs from the peak of the Coll del Reis (Neck of Kings), to the port village of Sa Calobra. 

Designed by Italian / Spanish engineer Antonio Parietti and opened in 1933, Sa Calobra is a marvel of engineering. It was built entirely by hand, the 26 bends following the contours of the cliffs and based on the design of a neck tie. The 'knot' of the tie is represented by a 270 degree Spiral Bridge at the top of the climb. Interestingly, the road was one of the first engineered  purely with tourism in mind.

Sa Calobra is a Category 1 climb 9.44 km in length with an average gradient of 7% (12% max), rising 668 metres to a peak of 731 metres. 

KOM: Ed Laverack -  24:36 (Apr 28 2022) 378 average watts; 23.0 km/h average speed
QOM: Mavi Garcia - 29:51 (May 30 2020) 19.0 km/h
KOM (unofficial) - 22:30 (2012) Bradley Wiggins at Sky's Winter Training Camp before the Tour De France Victory.

There are only three ways to reach Sa Calobra and all pass the Coll de Reis - 2.6 km at 6% average gradient.
1. Coll de Femenia (Cat 2) - 7.2 km - 6% av grad - 407 m (heading west from Pollenca)
​2. Coll de Sa Batalla (Cat 2) - 7.8 km - 5% av grad - 381 m (heading north from Caimari)
3. Puig Major / Soller (Cat 2) - 14.8 km - 5.8% av grad - 842 m (heading east from Soller)
This makes Sa Calobra tough to ride to and it is an 'out and back' ride so expect a long, hard day in the saddle.

Eight thousand riders, 312 km and approaching 5000 metres of climbing, the Mallorca 312 is truly an epic sportive. Originally conceived as a lap around the island, closed roads have made this original route impossible but the organisers have retained the heart and soul of the original event- the stunning Serra de Tramuntana mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ninth edition attracted riders from 52 countries, 36% from the UK, outnumbering the Spanish (35%) and Germans (11%), while over 20 media operators covered the event in more than 10 languages. According to the University of the Balearic Islands the Mallorca 312 sportive will have an economic impact of over 16 million euros.

Nine riders from the Bigfoot Cycle Club in South East London arrived to take on the Mallorca Gran Fondo. As the first real event of the season, this had been the motivation for our training through the long, cold English winter, with various intrusions by the 'beast from the east' weather system. As a group, we were reasonably well prepared with some longer 200 km group rides and a large chunk of turbo training. With warm up rides taking in Mallorca's finest routes of Sa Calobra and the Formentor Lighthouse, our comfortable base in a spacious nine man villa in Pollensa and the island's exquisite gastronomy being supplemented by our party's own exclusive chef, Lance, all seemed to be going well - but there were concerns from some with mysterious injuries and ailments which had sprung forth and the approach to the event was understandably cautious.

We arrived to find ourselves at the back of the starting gate, with thousands of slower riders to battle through in the opening kilometres. It actually took nine minutes for us to cross the start line but then it was a case of weaving through the riders ahead. It wasn't long before we had formed a group consisting of Jay, Robb, Lance and myself and we formed a train of four that hummed with the sound of speeding wheels. After 25 km and averaging high thirty kilometres per hour we hit the mountain climbs and our group quickly splintered. Jay led the way through the hordes of riders and after 55 km we crested the highest mountain in Mallorca, the Puig Major.

The descent is exhilarating, plunging over 800 metres into the picturesque port of Soller. With the roads closed, it was possible to use the full width of the smooth tarmac to pick the best lines through the corners for what was a 15 minute white-knuckle ride. We were soon climbing again through the historic township of Deia and on to the first food stop at Coll den Claret (93 km). An array of refreshments were available, but I was in no mood for a picnic, so I swiftly refilled my water bottles and continued on the next long descent. I was refuelling solely on energy gels and ensuring I had one every 30 minutes - I noticed no else feeding around me and knew that they would pay the price later in the day.

Towering mountains closed in to our left, as the view to the right opened out to sumptuous vistas across the Mediterranean Sea. These were roads I had ridden on a previous visit to Mallorca and are amongst the most stunning I've ever ridden. Coupled with the almost endless descending this was the most enjoyable part of the ride. Just before Andratx we turned east to face the final major climbs heading towards Galilea and Puigpunyent, before negotiating the numerous switchbacks through a canopy of trees to the Coll des Grau de Superna. The descent was steep and coiled viciously back upon itself and, at one point, my rear wheel skidded from under me but I somehow kept the bike upright. We hit the valley floor and the speed increased noticeably as groups formed to take advantage of riding in a peloton.

At the third feed stop, I was greeted by Jay, who was so shocked to see me arrive before him that he asked whether I was doing the shorter 225 km version. This statement was to prove extremely ironic considering what followed. We left together and Jay powered through the wind while I sat in behind. We were joined by a third rider who subsequently refused to work a turn at the front. Jay was furious and rode away at a pace too fast for me to follow. For the next 30 km, I had this rider glued to my wheel, and when others joined, he remained at the back, happy to suck energy from others. Meanwhile, Jay had forged ahead and somehow managed to miss the turn off for the 312. Instead he followed the 225 route and by the time he realised it was not possible and deemed too dangerous by the organisers to turn back and re-join. He finished his event by adding the Formentor Lighthouse Loop and clocking 312 km in his own unique way!

Mallorca has matured into a veritable utopia for cyclists with its terrain, climate, culture, exquisite gastronomy (it now has 6 Michelin-starred restaurants) and snooker table smooth roads. Money was pumped in to resurfacing the roads around the mountains months before the 312. However, the loop south east towards Manacor was less spectacular and the pot-holed roads more a memory of our training rides in Kent. Having started well behind the quickest riders, there was now no fast groups coming through and as I continued to catch tiring riders, no one was able to work with me and so my speed suffered as a result. After 285 km I re-filled a final bottle at Arta, a town renowned for its pavement cafes and quaint shops. There was a party going on, beer was flowing and it was almost as if the finish line had been transported 25 km south. I briefly soaked in the carnival atmosphere, before continuing to the finish. Our small group of four doubled in size and the pace quickened over the final 15 km as we hurtled into Can Picafort and towards the finish line at Playa de Muro. I crossed the line in an official time of 11.26 (11.10 moving time) in 250th position. Robb followed next, then Andrew, Graham, Dean, Lance and Ed, with Jay and Andy completing the shorter distance events (although Jay insists his version of the 312 should form the blueprint for Mallorca 2019)!