From Palma to Port de Pollença

29 April 2009

A travel day, we packed our luggage and computers into the van this morning and set off on our bicycles about 9:15 AM. Our destination: Port de Pollença, about 80 km away, near the northeast corner of the island. Ingrid and I rode with Gabrielle and Carole. This is a good group for bike-touring: the right size, similar riding abilities, a nice mix of useful skills (mainly navigation and language), and compatible personalities.

The route took us mainly along two-lane country roads, with light traffic and no shoulder. Almost all cars and trucks are respectful of bicycles, giving us wide space when they pass and (remarkably) waiting behind us when we are on or approaching a blind curve. Sometimes we rode along busy roads, and these usually had a wide shoulder for cyclists. And there are many cyclists on this island!

Our route passed from one large town or small city to the next: Llucmajor, Randa, Montuiri, Lloret, Sineu, Llubi, Sa Pobla, Alcudia, and finally, Port de Pollença. The “cue sheet” that presents a turn-by-turn account of the route was sometimes tricky to follow, but the roads were all well marked with destinations and route numbers, so we had a fairly easy time navigating. We stopped in Montuiri to look for a bakery for a pastry-and-cappucino midmorning break. It was a cute town, but there was no bakery to be found. Sineu has an open air market along its narrow streets; rumor has it that this market has been running continuously since the 14th century (?!?!). It was a great place to stop for lunch, even though we didn’t quite succeed in grabbing one of the tables for eating outdoors on the plaza.



In the afternoon, we fought a strong wind but with bits of good fortune. Mostly, it was a mix between a crosswind and a diagonal headwind, both of which beat a straight-on headwind. Also, for a stretch of about 5 km, we rode through wetlands with reeds so high that we were sheltered. We were also treated to more stunning wildflower displays.


Mid afternoon, we reached the coast and followed a lovely red bike lane around the gently curved edge of a quiet bay. Our hotel, the Miramar, is situated on a pedestrian-only path and our room has a beautiful view of the bay. Very nice!