Everyone talks about the climbs when they talk about cycling holidays in Mallorca. Sa Calobra, Puig Major, Coll de Sóller. But if you ask me, and after eight years of living and riding here, the descents are where this island really earns its reputation. The climbing gets you to the top, but it's the way back down that you actually remember on the flight home.
I do want to say one thing before we get into it, though. These descents are exactly why people fall in love with cycling holidays in Mallorca, but they're mountain roads, not a racetrack. A bit of speed and adrenaline is part of the fun, and that's exactly what makes this list of descents so good. Just keep something in reserve, especially the first time you ride one, and you'll get even more out of these roads every time you come back to them.
Right, with that said, here are the ten best descents in Mallorca.
1. Sa Calobra (Coll dels Reis)
10km, down to sea level at Port de Sa Calobra
This is the one everybody comes here for, and rightly so. Ten kilometres of continuous switchbacks dropping you from the mountains right down to the Mediterranean, finishing with the famous "tie knot" bend, which is one of the most photographed pieces of road in European cycling.
Here's the thing about Sa Calobra though. It's also the one I'd say deserves the most respect. During peak season the road gets busy with tour buses working their way round hairpins that were never built for anything wider than a donkey cart, and the tarmac in places has seen better days. Get your line right and pace yourself on the way down, and you'll come away with one of the best cycling stories you'll ever tell.
2. Puig Major
Down to Sóller, 13.9km
This is the longest descent on the island, and it's a completely different animal to Sa Calobra. Long sweeping corners, wide smooth tarmac, and the kind of descent that lets you really get into a rhythm rather than constantly braking for hairpins.
Don't let the open road fool you into holding nothing back, though. Every single year I've ridden the Mallorca 312 Gran Fondo, I've seen riders get a little carried away here simply because the road looks so inviting. Find your rhythm, enjoy the speed, and you'll fly down one of the best descents on the island. In spring and autumn you'll also share it with sports cars and superbikes who like to use this road as their own personal test track, so keep an ear out for what's coming up behind you and stay well over to the right if you find yourself sharing the road with them.
3. Coll de Sóller (from the summit, Sóller side)
5.42km
This is the old mountain road, the one everybody used before the tunnel opened back in 1997, and it's still one of the most iconic descents on the island. Around 30 hairpin bends drop you down towards the valley of Sóller, and it's a proper rhythm descent if you get your line right.
The descent itself is in decent shape, nothing to worry about. The bit to really pay attention to is further down, once you finish the switchbacks and rejoin the main road into Sóller. There are some broken sections there, right where you're merging with cars and buses coming out of the tunnel, so keep your wits about you at that point rather than on the mountain road itself.
3b. Coll de Sóller (from the summit, Bunyola side)
5.06km
I'll be honest with you here. This side is pretty rough. It's due to be resurfaced, and when that finally happens, it's going to be one of the best descents on the island, because the climbing and the bones of the road are genuinely excellent. Right now though, personally, I'd rather climb this side than descend it.
It's still a fun descent if you take it steady, plenty of forestry and a good number of hairpins, but keep your speed sensible given the state of the tarmac.
4. Cap de Formentor
Down towards Port de Pollença
Formentor isn't a single dramatic descent so much as a long, undulating coastal road, but the section dropping back from the Mirador de Es Colomer towards Port de Pollença is genuinely special. The final turn on the way down towards the lighthouse is one of the most photographed parts of the entire island, so keep your camera or phone handy.
The catch is the traffic rather than the road itself. You can see exactly where you're going, just like every other switchback descent on the island, so it's simply a case of keeping your eyes on the tarmac in front of you. The real thing to watch for is the buses in peak season. They tend to haul along this road and don't move or slow down for anyone, so give them plenty of room when they pass.
5. Coll de Femenia
Down to the Pollença side, 12.07km
Wide sweeping bends, excellent visibility and genuinely some of the smoothest tarmac you'll find anywhere in Mallorca. It's the kind of descent where you can properly open up and enjoy yourself.
One thing to be aware of though. There are a few sections where the road drops away quite sharply, and we have seen one or two accidents there over the years. Keep your speed in check, particularly through those sections, and don't let the good surface and visibility lull you into a false sense of security.
6. Coll de sa Batalla
Down to Caimari, 9.2km
This one is genuinely technical. The switchbacks come thick and fast and sit very close together, and there's a reasonable amount of traffic on this road too, so it demands your full attention rather than letting you settle into a rhythm.
Take it easy through here. It's a beautiful forestry descent with lovely views in places, and it's well worth riding properly rather than rushing, both for your safety and because it's simply too nice a road to blast through without looking around.
In peak season this whole area gets extremely busy. The Repsol garage at the top is one of the most famous hangout points on the island for cyclists, everyone seems to end up there at some point during their week. It's worth seeing, but during the busiest months I'd suggest just taking a picture as you pass rather than trying to stop, since it can get pretty mental up there.
7. Coll d'Honor (to Orient and Alaró)
6.32km
I ride this one regularly, since Velocamp Mallorca is based just down the road in Alaró. Since it was resurfaced back in March 2026, the tarmac is some of the smoothest you'll find anywhere on the island, and it winds through quiet, piney forestry with very little traffic.
I wouldn't call this one of the fastest descents on the list though, because the switchbacks sit close together, particularly in the first couple of kilometres, so take it easy early on rather than trying to carry too much speed into them. Let the quality of the road and the scenery do the talking instead.
8. Coll d'Orient (to Alaró)
7km
This one's genuinely fast, since large sections of it are quite straight, and it's a lovely one to get down into the drops and let the legs spin out. Hardly any traffic to worry about, just open road and lovely views across the Alaró mountain range as you drop back towards the village.
It's not technical, it just flows beautifully from top to bottom, which makes it a great one to build a bit of confidence on. Often paired with Coll d'Honor to create one of the best inland loops from our base, and honestly, one of my favourite half day rides on the island.
When you roll into Alaró at the bottom, it's well worth stopping at Cycling Planet for a coffee and a slice of cake. As good a reward as you'll find anywhere on the island after a descent like this.
9. Galilea (Es Capdella side)
5.28km
This is a proper local descent, one that a lot of visitors never even discover, and it's a lovely piece of road once you get to know it. You drop down through pine forest with the village of Galilea perched above you, and the views back up towards it as you descend are some of the prettiest in this part of the island. It's a real favourite among Palma locals for exactly that reason.
The surface is honestly a bit rough in places at the moment, and it's due to be resurfaced. There's some gravel to watch for, particularly further down, along with a few blind bends. Because Galilea is a proper working village at the top, there's also a bit more traffic than you'd expect. Take it easy the first time you ride it, get to know where the surface changes, and you'll find yourself coming back to this one again and again.
10. Coll de sa Creu ("Military Hill")
Down towards Palma, 6.07km
Locally this one's known as Military Hill, thanks to the base you pass right at the start of the climb, and it's a proper local favourite that most visitors never even hear about. It's tucked away just outside Palma, which makes it perfect for a quick pre-work loop or a shorter morning ride when you haven't got the whole day to spare. This exact stretch of road hosted the Spanish National Road Championships back in 2022, so you're descending on roads good enough for the pros to race on.
It winds down through quiet forestry with barely any traffic, which makes it a genuinely peaceful descent once you get into your rhythm. There's something about the twisting nature of this road that makes it really rewarding to ride well, picking good lines through the bends rather than just bombing straight down it.
Take real care here though. It can be damp in places, and pine needles collect on the road and get genuinely slippery underneath you, especially in the shaded sections. No matter how slow you think you're going, they can take the front wheel from under you in an instant.
A Final Word on Descending in Mallorca
Every guest who joins us on a Velocamp Mallorca cycling holiday gets a briefing on days like this, not because these roads are scary, but because a little local knowledge makes them even better. Knowing where the moss gathers in winter, where the pine needles collect in summer, and where the tour buses tend to be busiest all just means you get to descend with confidence instead of guesswork.
Get to know each road, build up your speed as your confidence grows, and you'll find these descents are genuinely some of the best cycling anywhere in Europe.
Ride Them With Velocamp Mallorca
At Velocamp Mallorca, we ride a good number of these descents directly from our villa in Alaró during camp week, fully guided and fully supported, so you're never navigating an unfamiliar mountain road on your own for the first time. We don't get to all ten during a single week though, so if you want to tick the rest off the list, it's well worth spending an extra day or two either side of your camp to go and ride them yourself.
If you're planning cycling holidays in Mallorca and want to experience the best climbs and the best descents the island has to offer, with local knowledge built into every route, explore our Mallorca cycling holidays and start planning your trip.
Cheers, Alex
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