Mallorca is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean, offering everything a cyclist or walker may wish for. There are beaches along the south coast, a central plateau with isolated hills bearing castles and monasteries to visit, and mountains plunging into the sea along the north coast. The mountains are green all year and in October there is fruit in the vineyards, the start of Autumn colour and the sea is warm.  The summer crowds have gone. We have been cycling there for many years; walking is more recent.
The trip is notionally Saturday 15 October to Sunday 23 October, with activities happening from the Sunday to Saturday within this.  You are welcome to arrive early, but there will be nothing formally organised.  You are welcome to stay later, but be aware that some tourist facilities will close late October. At the time of year we go, daytime temperatures are typically around 20°C, pleasantly warm and sunny but not tediously hot. Rain is a possibility and you should bring waterproofs (that’s why the island is green) but we’ve never had a day completely written off. More than one wet day is unlucky.
Cycling is very popular and there is the infrastructure in place to support it, including dedicated cycleways through the island capital Palma, cycle racks outside cafés and restaurants, and secure cycle storage inside at the hotel. Depending on the team, we can split into a number of groups offering rides as easy or as hard as you want, flattish or mountains. There will be coffee and lunch stops, and maybe tea too. What we do depends a bit on personal desires, the weather, and how hard the previous day was. It’s a holiday and we aim to have fun! Although there is nothing to stop you taking your own bike out to Mallorca, most of us hire out there since good quality carbon road bikes are available at a competitive price compared with flying your own out, and it is much less hassle. Bike hire details will be provided when you book.
Walking is not yet quite so organised, but there is plenty to do, including the GR221 running the length of the northern mountains. Walking is up to the walkers to organise, making use of buses, trains and taxis, or perhaps hiring a car. There is no formal walking programme, but see https://www.seemallorca.com/walking/guide and published guide-books.
For everyone, there is the historic centre of Palma and its cathedral, the quaint port town of Sóller accessible by narrow gauge railway, and also rustic traditional towns and villages in the middle of the island.  There is a sauna too.
Our 3* hotel is in Ca’n Pastilla, just to the east of Palma and at the end of the wide sandy Palma Bay, and a short bus ride from the airport and city centre. It’s a resort with all the facilities you might expect, but a long way from the infamous party spots of Palma Nova and Magalluf and quite genteel. Tourists are more likely to be from elsewhere in Europe rather than from the UK.
If you have any questions, please contact Peter Impey, the trip coordinator, via the link below.