Spain: Balearic Islands, Mallorca & Ses Salines

Your vacation is about to begin! Spend your first night aloft and arrive ready for an unforgettable trip.

A VBT representative will greet you at the airport to start your adventure off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this vibrant city at your leisure.

After a delicious, locally sourced breakfast, meet your VBT representative at 8:30 a.m. The representative will be holding a VBT sign in the lobby of your hotel. Please arrive dressed for cycling (and with your pedals or saddle if you use your own) as the rooms in your next hotel will be not ready until 3:00 p.m., and you’ll set out for a warm-up ride before then.

From Palma, journey to the very heart of a breathtaking plateau of vineyards, olive groves, and orchards. This is the wine region of Binissalém in the southern foothills of the Tramuntanas. Wine has been produced here since the days of ancient Rome—even during Moorish occupation, despite the prohibitions of the Koran.

Your loop warm-up ride follows flat local roads past rolling orchards and fields. Enjoy stunning views of the surrounding ranges. Your destination is a lovely finca, where a hearty lunch and delicious wine cap off a perfect spin.

For Spaniards, paella has always held the allure of a large and convivial social gathering. Today is no different. You learn to prepare this historic dish with your host in a spectacular setting. Though the dish originated in Valencia on the mainland, it migrated to Mallorca and thrived under the Moors. With the Christian Reconquest, rice disappeared but was reintroduced as an agricultural staple in the early 20th century in the salt-rich environment of S’Albufereta, where you cycle later.

After lunch, journey to the Es Port hotel, a fortified 17th-century mansion. Its beautifully landscaped 10 acres (four hectares) are bursting with native vegetation, century-old trees, and an organic vegetable garden. Enjoy sea and mountain vistas, indulge in a spa treatment or a dip in the indoor or outdoor pool, or walk to the waterfront in just one minute for lovely beach strolls and shopping.

This evening, savor a special welcome dinner of local specialties prepared by the chef. Weather permitting, dine al fresco on the hotel’s poolside terrace.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Warm-up — 27 km (16 miles) OR Warm-up PLUS — 35 km (21 miles)

What to Expect:

Start your warm-up ride on a flat, longer route, then cycle seldom-traveled roads among rolling orchards and farm fields. Pass through vineyards with stunning views of the Serra mountain range and local villages famous of their wine producers. For those who would like more mileage, opt for the longer ride today. Your ride culminates in a stop at a local finca. After your included lunch and wine tasting, you travel back to your hotel via shuttle.

Cumulative Distance Range: 27 – 35 km (16 – 21 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a delicious outdoor breakfast of products from surrounding farms and markets, begin your cycling day in Port de Sóller, a pretty city nestled between the Tramuntana mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea. Today’s ride leads you to the beachfront of Fornalutx, and into Sóller. One of Mallorca’s jewels, this geographically isolated town boasts a stunning collection of Art Nouveau and neo-Gothic architecture, and an Old Town linked by charming electric tramcars. You loop the valley of Fornalutx, amid an idyllic landscape of mountain villages, orchards, orange trees, olive groves, and vineyards. This is the Mallorca of old, where locals come to connect with the natural world and its tiny villages that seem to have been forgotten by time.

Stop at a local market to browse an array of farm-fresh and handmade products and to mingle with Majorcans before lunch at a very special venue, Can Det, one of the oldest fincas (ranches) on the island. Aside from the addition of electricity, workers here have used the same techniques for some 500 years! The 17th-generation owner gives you a personal tour, complete with a lunch of local products, freshly pressed olive oil and orange juice plucked from trees dating to the 16th century. You will also see the oldest and only traditional olive oil press in use in Mallorca. Later, you may cycle a mostly flat route back to your hotel or opt for more challenging ride through a small mountain pass. In the afternoon, you might take time for a swim in the outdoor pool, stroll to the beach, or pause a while to witness the sun setting over the glimmering Balearic Sea.

The evening is on your own to explore, relax, and find a spot for dinner that calls to you.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Fornalutx and Sollér — 14 km (8 miles)

Afternoon: Sollér to Port Sollér — 6 km (4 miles) OR Sa Figuera pass to Lighthouse and hotel PLUS — 15 km (9 miles)

What to Expect:

Start your ride from your hotel by the beachfront. You follow side roads with some occasional traffic and then more heavily trafficked ones when closer to Sóller. You loop the rural valley, ascending a longer incline to Fornalutx. Your short ride in the afternoon, mostly flat with some rolling hills will bring you back to your hotel. If you opt to challenge yourself, choose the longer ride. With its remarkable elevation and longer hill, the reward that awaits you is stunning views. The downhill with some tricky switchbacks, will bring you all the way back to the bay. Here you can decide to retrace to your hotel or to continue with longer option and challenge yourself on another incline to Lighthouse with stunning views of Port Sollér.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 29 km (8 –17 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After a bountiful buffet breakfast, travel to the region of Bunyola to start another rewarding day of cycling. You begin on rural farm roads past grazing sheep and lovely fincas with olive and almond groves and vineyards. As you ride, the majestic Tramuntana range marks your progress. This vast UNESCO World Heritage site—recognized for its farming terraces and ingenious irrigation systems—is home to a profusion of wildlife, including several birds of prey. After a stunning morning spin, you arrive in time for lunch on your own in Caimari, locally renowned for its olive oil tradition and fine herbal liquor. This is Mallorca at its most unspoiled, with steep forested slopes rising to high peaks. It exudes endless charms among its narrow streets.

This afternoon, you pass some larger vineyards and wide-open farm fields dotted with sheep or pigs. By ride’s end, you coast into Pollença in the island’s north. This medieval-era treasure is a delight to explore, with its crisscrossing narrow streets that hark back to its medieval origins. Avid travelers can take the time to walk up the town’s famous 365 steps to a chapel known as Calvary. Or visit the decidedly less demanding Museum of Pollença, an art museum in the old cloister of the Dominicans.

This evening enjoy included dinner in the heart of this charming town.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Bunyola to Caimari — 32 km (19 miles)

Afternoon: Caimari to Pollença — 24 km (15 miles)

What to Expect:

Start the day on mostly flat side roads with some traffic. Then continue on rolling short inclines past Tramuntana hills and typical Majorcan farmlands. There’ll be some inclines as you approach Caimari village, where you stop for lunch at your leisure. Your morning ride ends here; you can decide to shuttle to your next hotel or continue cycling on these beautiful rural roads with almost no traffic.

Cumulative Distance Range: 24 – 56 km (15 – 34 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After a fresh breakfast, set out on a relaxing ride along narrow leafy lanes and past bubbling brooks toward the bay of Pollença. Your first destination is Alcúdia, a fascinating city with prehistoric, Roman, Arab, and medieval influences. Explore a bit before continuing your ride in the protected nature reserve of Victòria peninsula.

You will pedal past a few scenic coves before arriving at a prime swimming spot, the sea coves on the Bay of Pollença. Be sure to pack your swimsuit in case you should decide to take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. As you wade in the water, take in breathtaking views of Cape Formentor, its mountains, and the bay. Linger here a while for our picnic lunch, an inspiring setting.

Head back to your hotel on a spectacular coastal ride, along the S’Albufereta Nature Reserve, the largest wetland of the Balearics—an ideal environment for growing the island’s rice and a haven for migrating birds—enjoying vistas of Port Pollença.

This evening is on your own. Perhaps you’ll browse some of the galleries in the Old Town before finding the perfect place for dinner.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Pollença to Alcúdia and coves — 26 km (16 miles)

Afternoon: Alcúdia to Pollença — 23 km (14 miles)

What to Expect:

Your morning ride starts in the countryside along narrow leafy lanes and bubbling brooks, with almost no traffic on a mostly flat route. Once on the peninsula, you visit Alcúdia. Leaving the city, you climb two shorter hills, then descend to a beach for your included picnic lunch. Your afternoon ride features some rolling hills on rural side roads, followed by a flat bike lane on a coastal ride with stunning views. The only challenge you may face could be a north coastal wind from Tramuntana.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 23 – 49 km (14 – 30 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Bid Pollença farewell this morning and cycle the rustic Majorcan countryside, skirting olive groves, lush vineyards, and more farmlands. Your first destination is Sencelles, a municipality in the heart of the island that offers a glimpse into Majorca’s past. Numerous well-preserved archeological sites from the Bronze Age’s Talayot period and ancient architecture prove that this region has been inhabited for thousands of years.

Continue today’s ride away from the tourist trail to Algaida, one of the best locales to soak up authentic Majorcan culture, especially good-quality cuisine and wines. The name Algaida originated from the Arabic word al-gaida, which means “the base.” The area around this little town has stone remains of Talaiotic settlements (1400-123 BCE). The historic windmills scattered in and around the town dominate the landscape. You pause in Algaida to sample local specialties and wine at one of the oldest wineries on the island, dating to 1229 when King James arrived on Mallorca. Your hosts, the Morauqes family, purchased the estate back in the 15th century and dedicated their lives to the vineyards, following the principles of organic farming.

Leaving the Tramuntanas behind, you next cycle south across the Pla i Llevent region, through the foot of the Ronda hills. The name translates roughly into “plain and east coast,” which sums up the flat terrain on the ride this afternoon.

Continue south to Ses Salines, where your boutique hotel will greet you. Perhaps, indulge yourself in the private garden with the outdoor pool, before you explore this lovely village and find a spot for dinner that calls to you.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Buger to Algaida — 33 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Algaida to C'An Bonico — 39 km (23 miles)

What to Expect:

After a short journey, you leave the northern mountainous reaches behind for the island’s flatter southern area. You will cycle along rural roads past open fields and vineyards today, enjoying the longest ride of the week. Begin the day on moderate routes with some longer ascents leading to small hilltop hamlets and towns accompanied by stunning views. In the afternoon, continue along mostly flat byways or choose to shuttle back to the hotel.

Cumulative Distance Range: 33 – 72 km (20 – 43 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Start your day with an al fresco breakfast, then return to the saddle for a final day of exploring the diverse environs of Mallorca. Start with a ride to what many call the “salt of the earth” side of the island—Salinas d’Es Trenc. Salt has been extracted from these shores since ancient times. Today, you visit the salt pans and marble-white, dune-like mounds where a more modern operation processes the mineral. Continue along flat quiet roads into the protected national park, a unique salt-marsh ecosystem that hosts some 200 bird species, including flamingoes and ospreys. About 178 plant species also thrive here, two dozen of them classified as endemic, rare, or vulnerable—each of them adapted to the extreme high-mineral content of the earth.

Continuing on, your path winds through the Mondrago Natural Park, where you cycle past fragrant almond and carob trees, and may even spot a lonesome kestrel winging its way across a stand of white pines. Toward midday, you arrive in the peaceful fishing village of Figuera, where the traditional seaside culture has been perfectly preserved. In the colorful bay of Cala Figuera, you find white fishing boats bobbing merrily in the turquoise waters beneath a tidy terrace of white, bayside cottages. For lunch on your own, you’ll find many places to relax, perhaps under the shade of a fig tree where you may enjoy the view of the azure bay and fragrant hibiscus.

You return to your hotel to enjoy your time to relax. This evening, gather once more for a festive farewell dinner to toast your spectacular week in Mallorca.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Ses Salines, Trenc, and Cala Figuera — 37 km (22 miles)

Afternoon: Figuera to C'An Bonico — 14 km (9 miles)

What to Expect:

Ride south across the National Park of Salinas d’Es Trenc into a unique salt-marsh ecosystem. Then follow quiet, mainly flat or rolling roads to Salines and to Cala Figuera, passing pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. If you choose the shorter morning option, you can skip six miles in Mondragó National Park. In the afternoon, you can enjoy a short and easy ride back to the hotel.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 51 km (9 – 31 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Your bike tour ends after a fresh Mediterranean breakfast this morning. VBT provides you with transportation to the Palma Airport for a short flight to Barcelona. Upon arrival at Barcelona Airport, a representative holding a VBT sign meets you as you exit the baggage claim area. Complimentary transportation will be provided to your hotel.

You have the remainder of the day to discover Barcelona at your leisure. Stroll Las Ramblas Boulevard, one of the prettiest pedestrian thoroughfares in all of Europe. Explore the narrow warrens of Ciutat Vella, or Old Town. Or marvel at the genius of La Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Gaudí’s still unfinished masterpiece. You will find a wide range of choices for lunch and dinner on your own. We provide detailed city information to help you plan your day.

Please note: If you arrive early, and your hotel room is not available prior to the designated check-in time, you may store your luggage with the reception desk. For those of you who have chosen the independent Post-Trip Extension, you will stay at this hotel for two additional nights.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation to the Barcelona airport will be provided (an approximately 20- to 30-minute drive, depending on traffic) for your departing flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Your vacation is about to begin! Spend your first night aloft and arrive ready for an unforgettable trip.

A VBT representative will greet you at the airport to start your adventure off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this vibrant city at your leisure.

After a delicious, locally sourced breakfast, meet your VBT representative at 8:30 a.m. The representative will be holding a VBT sign in the lobby of your hotel. Please arrive dressed for cycling (and with your pedals or saddle if you use your own) as the rooms in your next hotel will be not ready until 3:00 p.m., and you’ll set out for a warm-up ride before then.

From Palma, journey to the very heart of a breathtaking plateau of vineyards, olive groves, and orchards. This is the wine region of Binissalém in the southern foothills of the Tramuntanas. Wine has been produced here since the days of ancient Rome—even during Moorish occupation, despite the prohibitions of the Koran.

Your loop warm-up ride follows flat local roads past rolling orchards and fields. Enjoy stunning views of the surrounding ranges. Your destination is a lovely finca, where a hearty lunch and delicious wine cap off a perfect spin.

For Spaniards, paella has always held the allure of a large and convivial social gathering. Today is no different. You learn to prepare this historic dish with your host in a spectacular setting. Though the dish originated in Valencia on the mainland, it migrated to Mallorca and thrived under the Moors. With the Christian Reconquest, rice disappeared but was reintroduced as an agricultural staple in the early 20th century in the salt-rich environment of S’Albufereta, where you cycle later.

After lunch, journey to the Es Port hotel, a fortified 17th-century mansion. Its beautifully landscaped 10 acres (four hectares) are bursting with native vegetation, century-old trees, and an organic vegetable garden. Enjoy sea and mountain vistas, indulge in a spa treatment or a dip in the indoor or outdoor pool, or walk to the waterfront in just one minute for lovely beach strolls and shopping.

This evening, savor a special welcome dinner of local specialties prepared by the chef. Weather permitting, dine al fresco on the hotel’s poolside terrace.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Warm-up — 27 km (16 miles) OR Warm-up PLUS — 35 km (21 miles)

What to Expect:

Start your warm-up ride on a flat, longer route, then cycle seldom-traveled roads among rolling orchards and farm fields. Pass through vineyards with stunning views of the Serra mountain range and local villages famous of their wine producers. For those who would like more mileage, opt for the longer ride today. Your ride culminates in a stop at a local finca. After your included lunch and wine tasting, you travel back to your hotel via shuttle.

Cumulative Distance Range: 27 – 35 km (16 – 21 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a delicious outdoor breakfast of products from surrounding farms and markets, begin your cycling day in Port de Sóller, a pretty city nestled between the Tramuntana mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea. Today’s ride leads you to beachfront, Fornalutx, and into Sóller. One of Mallorca’s jewels, this geographically isolated town boasts a stunning collection of Art Nouveau and neo-Gothic architecture, and an Old Town linked by charming electric tramcars. You loop the valley of Fornalutx, amid an idyllic landscape of mountain villages, orchards, orange trees, olive groves, and vineyards. This is the Mallorca of old, where locals come to connect with the natural world and its tiny villages that seem to have been forgotten by time.

Stop at a local market to browse an array of farm-fresh and handmade products and to mingle with Majorcans before lunch at a very special venue, Can Det, one of the oldest fincas (ranches) on the island. Aside from the addition of electricity, workers here have used the same techniques for some 500 years! The 17th-generation owner gives you a personal tour, complete with the lunch of local products, freshly pressed olive oil and orange juice plucked from trees dating to the 16th century. You will also see the oldest and only traditional olive oil press in use in Mallorca. Later, you may cycle a mostly flat route back to your hotel or opt for more challenging ride through a small mountain pass. In the afternoon, you might get in a swim in the outdoor pool, stroll to the beach, or pause a while to witness the sun setting over the glimmering Balearic Sea.

The evening is on your own to explore, relax, and find a spot for dinner that calls to you.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Fornalutx and Sollér — 14 km (8 miles)

Afternoon: Sollér to Port Sollér — 6 km (4 miles) OR Sa Figuera pass to Lighthouse and hotel PLUS — 15 km (9 miles)

What to Expect:

Start your ride from your hotel by the beachfront. You follow side roads with some occasional traffic and then more heavily trafficked ones when closer to Sóller. You loop the rural valley, ascending a longer incline to Fornalutx. Your short ride in the afternoon, mostly flat with some rolling hills will bring you back to your hotel. If you opt to challenge yourself, choose the longer ride. With its remarkable elevation and longer hill, the reward that awaits you is stunning views. The downhill with some tricky switchbacks, will bring you all the way back to the bay. Here you can decide to retrace to your hotel or to continue with longer option and challenge yourself on another incline to Lighthouse with stunning views of Port Sollér.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 29 km (8 –17 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After a bountiful buffet breakfast, travel to the region of Bunyola to start another rewarding day of cycling. You begin on rural farm roads past grazing sheep and lovely fincas with olive and almond groves and vineyards. As you ride, the majestic Tramuntana range marks your progress. This vast UNESCO World Heritage site—recognized for its farming terraces and ingenious irrigation systems—is home to a profusion of wildlife, including several birds of prey. After a stunning morning spin, you arrive in time for lunch on your own in Caimari, locally renowned for its olive oil tradition and fine herbal liquor. This is Mallorca at its most unspoiled, with steep forested slopes rising to high peaks. It exudes endless charms among its narrow streets.

This afternoon, you pass some larger vineyards and wide-open farm fields dotted with sheep or pigs. By ride’s end, you coast into Pollença in the island’s north. This medieval-era treasure is a delight to explore, with its crisscrossing narrow streets that hark back to its medieval origins. Avid travelers can take the time to walk up the town’s famous 365 steps to a chapel known as Calvary. Or visit the decidedly less demanding Museum of Pollença, an art museum in the old cloister of the Dominicans.

The evening is yours to explore, relax, and enjoy dinner in the heart of this charming town on your own.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Bunyola to Caimari — 32 km (19 miles)

Afternoon: Caimari to Pollença — 24 km (15 miles)

What to Expect:

Start the day on mostly flat side roads with some traffic. Then continue on rolling short inclines past Tramuntana hills and typical Majorcan farmlands. There’ll be some inclines as you approach Caimari village, where you stop for lunch at your leisure. Your morning ride ends here; you can decide to shuttle to your next hotel or continue cycling on these beautiful rural roads with almost no traffic.

Cumulative Distance Range: 24 – 56 km (15 – 34 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast

After a fresh breakfast, set out on a relaxing ride along narrow leafy lanes and past bubbling brooks toward the bay of Pollença. Your first destination is Alcúdia, a fascinating city with prehistoric, Roman, Arab, and medieval influences. Explore a bit before continuing your ride in the protected nature reserve of Victòria peninsula.

You will pedal past a few scenic coves before arriving at a prime swimming spot, the sea coves on the Bay of Pollença. Be sure to pack your swimsuit in case you should decide to take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. As you wade in the water, take in breathtaking views of Cape Formentor, its mountains, and the bay. Linger here a while for our picnic lunch, an inspiring setting.

Head back to your hotel on a spectacular coastal ride, along the S’Albufereta Nature Reserve, the largest wetland of the Balearics—an ideal environment for growing the island’s rice and a haven for migrating birds—enjoying vistas of Port Pollença.

This evening is on your own. Perhaps you’ll browse some of the galleries in the Old Town before finding the perfect place for dinner.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Pollença to Alcúdia and coves — 26 km (16 miles)

Afternoon: Alcúdia to Pollença — 23 km (14 miles)

What to Expect:

Your morning ride starts in the countryside along narrow leafy lanes and bubbling brooks, with almost no traffic on a mostly flat route. Once on the peninsula, you visit Alcúdia. Leaving the city, you climb two shorter hills, then descend to a beach for your included picnic lunch. Your afternoon ride features some rolling hills on rural side roads, followed by a flat bike lane on a coastal ride with stunning views. The only challenge you may face could be a north coastal wind from Tramuntana.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 23 – 49 km (14 – 30 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Bid Pollença farewell this morning and cycle the rustic Majorcan countryside, skirting olive groves, lush vineyards, and more farmlands. Your first destination is Sencelles, a municipality in the heart of the island that offers a glimpse into Majorca’s past. Numerous well-preserved archeological sites from the Bronze Age’s Talayot period and ancient architecture prove that this region has been inhabited for thousands of years.

Continue today’s ride away from the tourist trail to Algaida, one of the best locales to soak up authentic Majorcan culture, especially good-quality cuisine and wines. The name Algaida originated from the Arabic word al-gaida, which means “the base.” The area around this little town has stone remains of Talaiotic settlements (1400-123 BCE). The historic windmills scattered in and around the town dominate the landscape. You pause in Algaida to sample local specialties and wine at one of the oldest wineries on the island, dating to 1229 when King James arrived on Mallorca. Your hosts, the Morauqes family, purchased the estate back in the 15th century and dedicated their lives to the vineyards, following the principles of organic farming.

Leaving the Tramuntanas behind, you next cycle south across the Pla i Llevent region, through the foot of the Ronda hills. The name translates roughly into “plain and east coast,” which sums up the flat terrain on the ride this afternoon.

Continue south to Fontsanta, where your boutique hotel and the only thermal spa on the island greet you. Wellness treatments are supplemented by the salts from the adjacent Salobrar salt marshes. Upon arrival, indulge in some pampering before gathering for an included dinner of local preparations.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Buger to Algaida — 33 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Algaida to Fontsanta — 35 km (21 miles)

Morning 1 from Can Simoneta: Pollença to Buger — 21 km (13 miles)

Morning 2 from Can Simoneta: Buger to Algaida — 33 km (20 miles)

What to Expect:

After a short journey, you leave the northern mountainous reaches behind for the island’s flatter southern area. You will cycle along rural roads past open fields and vineyards today, enjoying the longest ride of the week. Begin the day on moderate routes with some longer ascents leading to small hilltop hamlets and towns accompanied by stunning views. In the afternoon, continue along mostly flat byways or choose to shuttle back to the hotel.

*May 3 departure from Can Simoneta: You may opt to start your morning ride directly from your hotel to Buger with some rolling hills or take a short shuttle for an easier and shorter option. During your ride you will leave the northern mountainous reaches behind for the island’s flatter southern area. From Buger, you will cycle along rural roads past open fields and vineyards today. The beginning of this ride is more moderate with some longer ascents leading to small hilltop hamlets and towns accompanied by stunning views. After your home hosted lunch, a private coach will take you to your hotel.

Cumulative Distance Range: 33 – 68 km (20 – 41 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start your day with an al fresco breakfast in the gardens, then return to the saddle for a final day of exploring the diverse environs of Mallorca. Start with a ride to what many call the “salt of the earth” side of the island—Salinas d’Es Trenc. Salt has been extracted from these shores since ancient times. Today, you visit the salt pans and marble-white, dune-like mounds where a more modern operation processes the mineral. Continue along flat quiet roads into the protected National Park, a unique salt-marsh ecosystem that hosts some 200 bird species, including flamingoes and ospreys. About 178 plant species also thrive here, two dozen of them classified as endemic, rare, or vulnerable—each of them adapted to the extreme high-mineral content of the earth.

Continuing on, your path winds through the Mondrago Natural Park, where you cycle past fragrant almond and carob trees, and may even spot a lonesome kestrel winging its way across a stand of white pines. Toward midday, you arrive in the peaceful fishing village of Figuera, where the traditional seaside culture has been perfectly preserved. In the colorful bay of Cala Figuera, you find white fishing boats bobbing merrily in the turquoise waters beneath a tidy terrace of white, bayside cottages. For lunch on your own, you’ll find many places to relax under the shade of a fig tree and enjoy the view of the azure bay and fragrant hibiscus.

You return to your resort to enjoy an included treatment or time to relax by the outdoor or indoor pool. This evening, gather once more for a festive farewell dinner to toast your spectacular week in Mallorca.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Fontsanta, Trenc, and Cala Figuera — 32 km (19 miles)

Afternoon: Figuera to Fontsanta — 19 km (12 miles)

Morning Can Simoneta: Trenc to Cala Figuera — 30 km (18 miles)

Afternoon Can Simoneta: Figuera to Portocolom — 27 km (16 miles)

What to Expect:

Ride south across the National Park of Salinas d’Es Trenc into a unique salt-marsh ecosystem. Then follow quiet, mainly flat or rolling roads to Salines and to Cala Figuera, passing pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. If you choose the shorter morning option, you can skip six miles in Mondragó National Park. In the afternoon, you can enjoy a short and easy ride back to the hotel.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

*May 3 departure from Can Simoneta: After your guided tour, ride south across the National Park of Salinas d’Es Trenc into a unique salt-marsh ecosystem. Then follow quiet, mainly flat or rolling roads to Salines and to Cala Figuera, passing pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. If you choose the shorter morning option, you can skip six miles in Mondragó National Park. In the afternoon, you may opt for another splendid ride on quite small rural roads. The ride is mostly easy with some moderate parts in the middle complete with rewarding views and an enjoyable long downhill to Portocolom, from where you will be shuttled to your hotel.

Cumulative Distance Range: 19 – 51 km (12 – 31 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Your bike tour ends after a fresh Mediterranean breakfast this morning. VBT provides you with transportation to the Palma Airport for a short flight to Barcelona. Upon arrival at Barcelona Airport, a representative holding a VBT sign meets you as you exit the baggage claim area. Complimentary transportation will be provided to your hotel.

You have the remainder of the day to discover Barcelona at your leisure. Stroll Las Ramblas Boulevard, one of the prettiest pedestrian thoroughfares in all of Europe. Explore the narrow warrens of Ciutat Vella, or Old Town. Or marvel at the genius of La Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Gaudí’s still unfinished masterpiece. You will find a wide range of choices for lunch and dinner on your own. We provide detailed city information to help you plan your day.

Please note: If you arrive early, and your hotel room is not available prior to the designated check-in time, you may store your luggage with the reception desk. For those of you who have chosen the independent Post-Trip Extension, you will stay at this hotel for two additional nights.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation to the Barcelona airport will be provided (an approximately 20- to 30-minute drive, depending on traffic) for your departing flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

At 8:30 a.m., meet your VBT representative and the rest of the group in the lobby of the Hotel Saratoga. Please arrive dressed for cycling (and with your pedals or saddle if you use your own).

From Palma, journey to the very heart of a breathtaking plateau of vineyards, olive groves, and orchards. This is the wine region of Binissalém in the southern foothills of the Tramuntanas. Wine has been produced here since the days of ancient Rome—even during Moorish occupation, despite the prohibitions of the Koran.

Your loop warm-up ride follows flat local roads past rolling orchards and fields. Enjoy stunning views of the surrounding ranges. Your destination is a lovely finca, where a hearty lunch and delicious wine cap off a perfect spin.

For Spaniards, paella has always held the allure of a large and convivial social gathering. Today is no different. You learn to prepare this historic dish with your host in a spectacular setting. Though the dish originated in Valencia on the mainland, it migrated to Mallorca and thrived under the Moors. With the Christian Reconquest, rice disappeared but was reintroduced as an agricultural staple in the early 20th century in the salt-rich environment of S’Albufereta, where you cycle later.

After lunch, journey to the Es Port hotel, a fortified 17th-century mansion. Its beautifully landscaped 10 acres (four hectares) are bursting with native vegetation, century-old trees, and an organic vegetable garden. Enjoy sea and mountain vistas, indulge in a spa treatment or a dip in the indoor or outdoor pool, or take a one-minute walk to the waterfront for a lovely beach stroll and shopping.

This evening, savor a special welcome dinner of local specialties prepared by the chef. Weather permitting, dine al fresco on the hotel’s poolside terrace.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Warm-up — 27 km (16 miles) OR Warm-up PLUS — 35 km (21 miles)

What to Expect:

Start your warm-up ride on a flat, longer route, then cycle seldom-traveled roads among rolling orchards and farm fields. Pass through vineyards with stunning views of the Serra mountain range and local villages famous for their wine producers. For those who would like more mileage, opt for the longer ride today. Your ride culminates in a stop at a local finca. After your included lunch and wine tasting, you travel back to your hotel via shuttle.

Cumulative Distance Range: 27 – 35 km (16 – 21 miles)

Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

After a delicious outdoor breakfast of products from surrounding farms and markets, begin your cycling day in Port de Sóller, a pretty city nestled between the Tramuntana mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea. Today’s ride leads you to the beachfront of Fornalutx, and into Sóller. One of Mallorca’s jewels, this geographically isolated town boasts a stunning collection of Art Nouveau and neo-Gothic architecture, and an Old Town linked by charming electric tramcars. You loop the valley of Fornalutx, amid an idyllic landscape of mountain villages, orchards, orange trees, olive groves, and vineyards. This is the Mallorca of old, where locals come to connect with the natural world and its tiny villages that seem to have been forgotten by time.

Stop at a local market to browse an array of farm-fresh and handmade products and to mingle with Majorcans before lunch at a very special venue, Can Det, one of the oldest fincas (ranches) on the island. Aside from the addition of electricity, workers here have used the same techniques for some 500 years! The 17th-generation owner gives you a personal tour, complete with a lunch of local products, freshly pressed olive oil and orange juice plucked from trees dating to the 16th century. You will also see the oldest and only traditional olive oil press in use in Mallorca. Later, you may cycle a mostly flat route back to your hotel or opt for more challenging ride through a small mountain pass. In the afternoon, you might take time for a swim in the outdoor pool, stroll to the beach, or pause a while to witness the sun setting over the glimmering Balearic Sea.

The evening is on your own to explore, relax, and find a spot for dinner that calls to you.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Fornalutx and Sollér — 14 km (8 miles)

Afternoon: Sollér to Port Sollér — 6 km (4 miles) OR Sa Figuera pass to Lighthouse and hotel PLUS — 15 km (9 miles)

What to Expect:

Start your ride from your hotel by the beachfront. You follow side roads with some occasional traffic and then more heavily trafficked ones when closer to Sóller. You loop the rural valley, ascending a longer incline to Fornalutx. Your short ride in the afternoon, mostly flat with some rolling hills will bring you back to your hotel. If you opt to challenge yourself, choose the longer ride. With its remarkable elevation and longer hill, the reward that awaits you is stunning views. The downhill with some tricky switchbacks, will bring you all the way back to the bay. Here you can decide to retrace to your hotel or to continue with longer option and challenge yourself on another incline to Lighthouse with stunning views of Port Sollér.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 29 km (8 –17 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After a bountiful buffet breakfast, travel to the region of Bunyola to start another rewarding day of cycling. You begin on rural farm roads past grazing sheep and lovely fincas with olive and almond groves and vineyards. As you ride, the majestic Tramuntana range marks your progress. This vast UNESCO World Heritage site—recognized for its farming terraces and ingenious irrigation systems—is home to a profusion of wildlife, including several birds of prey. After a stunning morning spin, you arrive in time for lunch on your own in Caimari, locally renowned for its olive oil tradition and fine herbal liquor. This is Mallorca at its most unspoiled, with steep forested slopes rising to high peaks. It exudes endless charms among its narrow streets.

This afternoon, you pass some larger vineyards and wide-open farm fields dotted with sheep or pigs. By ride’s end, you coast into Pollença in the island’s north. This medieval-era treasure is a delight to explore, with its crisscrossing narrow streets that hark back to its medieval origins. Avid travelers can take the time to walk up the town’s famous 365 steps to a chapel known as Calvary. Or visit the decidedly less demanding Museum of Pollença, an art museum in the old cloister of the Dominicans.

This evening enjoy included dinner in the heart of this charming town.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Bunyola to Caimari — 32 km (19 miles)

Afternoon: Caimari to Pollença — 24 km (15 miles)

What to Expect:

Start the day on mostly flat side roads with some traffic. Then continue on rolling short inclines past Tramuntana hills and typical Majorcan farmlands. There’ll be some inclines as you approach Caimari village, where you stop for lunch at your leisure. Your morning ride ends here; you can decide to shuttle to your next hotel or continue cycling on these beautiful rural roads with almost no traffic.

Cumulative Distance Range: 24 – 56 km (15 – 34 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After a fresh breakfast, set out on a relaxing ride along narrow leafy lanes and past bubbling brooks toward the bay of Pollença. Your first destination is Alcúdia, a fascinating city with prehistoric, Roman, Arab, and medieval influences. Explore a bit before continuing your ride in the protected nature reserve of Victòria peninsula.

You will pedal past a few scenic coves before arriving at a prime swimming spot, the sea coves on the Bay of Pollença. Be sure to pack your swimsuit in case you should decide to take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. As you wade in the water, take in breathtaking views of Cape Formentor, its mountains, and the bay. Linger here a while for our picnic lunch, an inspiring setting.

Head back to your hotel on a spectacular coastal ride, along the S’Albufereta Nature Reserve, the largest wetland of the Balearics—an ideal environment for growing the island’s rice and a haven for migrating birds—enjoying vistas of Port Pollença.

This evening is on your own. Perhaps you’ll browse some of the galleries in the Old Town before finding the perfect place for dinner.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Pollença to Alcúdia and coves — 26 km (16 miles)

Afternoon: Alcúdia to Pollença — 23 km (14 miles)

What to Expect:

Your morning ride starts in the countryside along narrow leafy lanes and bubbling brooks, with almost no traffic on a mostly flat route. Once on the peninsula, you visit Alcúdia. Leaving the city, you climb two shorter hills, then descend to a beach for your included picnic lunch. Your afternoon ride features some rolling hills on rural side roads, followed by a flat bike lane on a coastal ride with stunning views. The only challenge you may face could be a north coastal wind from Tramuntana.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 23 – 49 km (14 – 30 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Bid Pollença farewell this morning and cycle the rustic Majorcan countryside, skirting olive groves, lush vineyards, and more farmlands. Your first destination is Sencelles, a municipality in the heart of the island that offers a glimpse into Majorca’s past. Numerous well-preserved archeological sites from the Bronze Age’s Talayot period and ancient architecture prove that this region has been inhabited for thousands of years.

Continue today’s ride away from the tourist trail to Algaida, one of the best locales to soak up authentic Majorcan culture, especially good-quality cuisine and wines. The name Algaida originated from the Arabic word al-gaida, which means “the base.” The area around this little town has stone remains of Talaiotic settlements (1400-123 BCE). The historic windmills scattered in and around the town dominate the landscape. You pause in Algaida to sample local specialties and wine at one of the oldest wineries on the island, dating to 1229 when King James arrived on Mallorca. Your hosts, the Morauqes family, purchased the estate back in the 15th century and dedicated their lives to the vineyards, following the principles of organic farming.

Leaving the Tramuntanas behind, you next cycle south across the Pla i Llevent region, through the foot of the Ronda hills. The name translates roughly into “plain and east coast,” which sums up the flat terrain on the ride this afternoon.

Continue south to Ses Salines, where your boutique hotel will greet you. Perhaps, indulge yourself in the private garden with the outdoor pool, before you explore this lovely village and find a spot for dinner that calls to you.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Buger to Algaida — 33 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Algaida to C'An Bonico — 39 km (23 miles)

What to Expect:

After a short journey, you leave the northern mountainous reaches behind for the island’s flatter southern area. You will cycle along rural roads past open fields and vineyards today, enjoying the longest ride of the week. Begin the day on moderate routes with some longer ascents leading to small hilltop hamlets and towns accompanied by stunning views. In the afternoon, continue along mostly flat byways or choose to shuttle back to the hotel.

Cumulative Distance Range: 33 – 72 km (20 – 43 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Start your day with an al fresco breakfast, then return to the saddle for a final day of exploring the diverse environs of Mallorca. Start with a ride to what many call the “salt of the earth” side of the island—Salinas d’Es Trenc. Salt has been extracted from these shores since ancient times. Today, you visit the salt pans and marble-white, dune-like mounds where a more modern operation processes the mineral. Continue along flat quiet roads into the protected national park, a unique salt-marsh ecosystem that hosts some 200 bird species, including flamingoes and ospreys. About 178 plant species also thrive here, two dozen of them classified as endemic, rare, or vulnerable—each of them adapted to the extreme high-mineral content of the earth.

Continuing on, your path winds through the Mondrago Natural Park, where you cycle past fragrant almond and carob trees, and may even spot a lonesome kestrel winging its way across a stand of white pines. Toward midday, you arrive in the peaceful fishing village of Figuera, where the traditional seaside culture has been perfectly preserved. In the colorful bay of Cala Figuera, you find white fishing boats bobbing merrily in the turquoise waters beneath a tidy terrace of white, bayside cottages. For lunch on your own, you’ll find many places to relax, perhaps under the shade of a fig tree where you may enjoy the view of the azure bay and fragrant hibiscus.

You return to your hotel to enjoy your time to relax. This evening, gather once more for a festive farewell dinner to toast your spectacular week in Mallorca.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Ses Salines, Trenc, and Cala Figuera — 37 km (22 miles)

Afternoon: Figuera to C'An Bonico — 14 km (9 miles)

What to Expect:

Ride south across the National Park of Salinas d’Es Trenc into a unique salt-marsh ecosystem. Then follow quiet, mainly flat or rolling roads to Salines and to Cala Figuera, passing pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. If you choose the shorter morning option, you can skip six miles in Mondragó National Park. In the afternoon, you can enjoy a short and easy ride back to the hotel.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 51 km (9 – 31 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Your bike tour ends after a fresh Mediterranean breakfast this morning. Say farewell to your trip leaders and travel companions, and depart by the hotel’s check-out time of 11:00 a.m. The hotel can assist with departure transportation arrangements to Palma for your onward travels. You may opt to join our air transportation to the Palma airport, depending on departure times to Barcelona for the rest of your small group.

Included Meals: Breakfast

At 8:30 a.m., meet your VBT representative and the rest of the group in the lobby of the Hotel Convent de la Missió. Please arrive dressed for cycling (and with your pedals or saddle if you use your own).

From Palma, journey to the very heart of a breathtaking plateau of vineyards, olive groves, and orchards. This is the wine region of Binissalém in the southern foothills of the Tramuntanas. Wine has been produced here since the days of ancient Rome—even during Moorish occupation, despite the prohibitions of the Koran.

Your loop warm-up ride follows flat local roads past rolling orchards and fields. Enjoy stunning views of the surrounding ranges. Your destination is a lovely finca, where a hearty lunch and delicious wine cap off a perfect spin.

For Spaniards, paella has always held the allure of a large and convivial social gathering. Today is no different. You learn to prepare this historic dish with your host in a spectacular setting. Though the dish originated in Valencia on the mainland, it migrated to Mallorca and thrived under the Moors. With the Christian Reconquest, rice disappeared but was reintroduced as an agricultural staple in the early 20th century in the salt-rich environment of S’Albufereta, where you cycle later.

After lunch, journey to the Es Port hotel, a fortified 17th-century mansion. Its beautifully landscaped 10 acres (four hectares) are bursting with native vegetation, century-old trees, and an organic vegetable garden. Enjoy sea and mountain vistas, indulge in a spa treatment or a dip in the indoor or outdoor pool, or walk to the waterfront in just one minute for lovely beach strolls and shopping.

This evening, savor a special welcome dinner of local specialties prepared by the chef. Weather permitting, dine al fresco on the hotel’s poolside terrace.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Warm-up — 27 km (16 miles) OR Warm-up PLUS — 35 km (21 miles)

What to Expect:

Start your warm-up ride on a flat, longer route, then cycle seldom-traveled roads among rolling orchards and farm fields. Pass through vineyards with stunning views of the Serra mountain range and local villages famous for their wine producers. For those who would like more mileage, opt for the longer ride today. Your ride culminates in a stop at a local finca. After your included lunch and wine tasting, you travel back to your hotel via shuttle.

Cumulative Distance Range: 27 – 35 km (16 – 21 miles)

Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

After a delicious outdoor breakfast of products from surrounding farms and markets, begin your cycling day in Port de Sóller, a pretty city nestled between the Tramuntana mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea. Today’s ride leads you to beachfront, Fornalutx, and into Sóller. One of Mallorca’s jewels, this geographically isolated town boasts a stunning collection of Art Nouveau and neo-Gothic architecture, and an Old Town linked by charming electric tramcars. You loop the valley of Fornalutx, amid an idyllic landscape of mountain villages, orchards, orange trees, olive groves, and vineyards. This is the Mallorca of old, where locals come to connect with the natural world and its tiny villages that seem to have been forgotten by time.

Stop at a local market to browse an array of farm-fresh and handmade products and to mingle with Majorcans before lunch at a very special venue, Can Det, one of the oldest fincas (ranches) on the island. Aside from the addition of electricity, workers here have used the same techniques for some 500 years! The 17th-generation owner gives you a personal tour, complete with the lunch of local products, freshly pressed olive oil and orange juice plucked from trees dating to the 16th century. You will also see the oldest and only traditional olive oil press in use in Mallorca. Later, you may cycle a mostly flat route back to your hotel or opt for more challenging ride through a small mountain pass. In the afternoon, you might get in a swim in the outdoor pool, stroll to the beach, or pause a while to witness the sun setting over the glimmering Balearic Sea.

The evening is on your own to explore, relax, and find a spot for dinner that calls to you.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Fornalutx and Sollér — 14 km (8 miles)

Afternoon: Sollér to Port Sollér — 6 km (4 miles) OR Sa Figuera pass to Lighthouse and hotel PLUS — 15 km (9 miles)

What to Expect:

Start your ride from your hotel by the beachfront. You follow side roads with some occasional traffic and then more heavily trafficked ones when closer to Sóller. You loop the rural valley, ascending a longer incline to Fornalutx. Your short ride in the afternoon, mostly flat with some rolling hills will bring you back to your hotel. If you opt to challenge yourself, choose the longer ride. With its remarkable elevation and longer hill, the reward that awaits you is stunning views. The downhill with some tricky switchbacks, will bring you all the way back to the bay. Here you can decide to retrace to your hotel or to continue with longer option and challenge yourself on another incline to Lighthouse with stunning views of Port Sollér.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 29 km (8 –17 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After a bountiful buffet breakfast, travel to the region of Bunyola to start another rewarding day of cycling. You begin on rural farm roads past grazing sheep and lovely fincas with olive and almond groves and vineyards. As you ride, the majestic Tramuntana range marks your progress. This vast UNESCO World Heritage site—recognized for its farming terraces and ingenious irrigation systems—is home to a profusion of wildlife, including several birds of prey. After a stunning morning spin, you arrive in time for lunch on your own in Caimari, locally renowned for its olive oil tradition and fine herbal liquor. This is Mallorca at its most unspoiled, with steep forested slopes rising to high peaks. It exudes endless charms among its narrow streets.

This afternoon, you pass some larger vineyards and wide-open farm fields dotted with sheep or pigs. By ride’s end, you coast into Pollença in the island’s north. This medieval-era treasure is a delight to explore, with its crisscrossing narrow streets that hark back to its medieval origins. Avid travelers can take the time to walk up the town’s famous 365 steps to a chapel known as Calvary. Or visit the decidedly less demanding Museum of Pollença, an art museum in the old cloister of the Dominicans.

The evening is yours to explore, relax, and enjoy dinner in the heart of this charming town on your own.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Bunyola to Caimari — 32 km (19 miles)

Afternoon: Caimari to Pollença — 24 km (15 miles)

What to Expect:

Start the day on mostly flat side roads with some traffic. Then continue on rolling short inclines past Tramuntana hills and typical Majorcan farmlands. There’ll be some inclines as you approach Caimari village, where you stop for lunch at your leisure. Your morning ride ends here; you can decide to shuttle to your next hotel or continue cycling on these beautiful rural roads with almost no traffic.

Cumulative Distance Range: 24 – 56 km (15 – 34 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast

After a fresh breakfast, set out on a relaxing ride along narrow leafy lanes and past bubbling brooks toward the bay of Pollença. Your first destination is Alcúdia, a fascinating city with prehistoric, Roman, Arab, and medieval influences. Explore a bit before continuing your ride in the protected nature reserve of Victòria peninsula.

You will pedal past a few scenic coves before arriving at a prime swimming spot, the sea coves on the Bay of Pollença. Be sure to pack your swimsuit in case you should decide to take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. As you wade in the water, take in breathtaking views of Cape Formentor, its mountains, and the bay. Linger here a while for our picnic lunch, an inspiring setting.

Head back to your hotel on a spectacular coastal ride, along the S’Albufereta Nature Reserve, the largest wetland of the Balearics—an ideal environment for growing the island’s rice and a haven for migrating birds—enjoying vistas of Port Pollença.

This evening is on your own. Perhaps you’ll browse some of the galleries in the Old Town before finding the perfect place for dinner.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Pollença to Alcúdia and coves — 26 km (16 miles)

Afternoon: Alcúdia to Pollença — 23 km (14 miles)

What to Expect:

Your morning ride starts in the countryside along narrow leafy lanes and bubbling brooks, with almost no traffic on a mostly flat route. Once on the peninsula, you visit Alcúdia. Leaving the city, you climb two shorter hills, then descend to a beach for your included picnic lunch. Your afternoon ride features some rolling hills on rural side roads, followed by a flat bike lane on a coastal ride with stunning views. The only challenge you may face could be a north coastal wind from Tramuntana.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 23 – 49 km (14 – 30 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Bid Pollença farewell this morning and cycle the rustic Majorcan countryside, skirting olive groves, lush vineyards, and more farmlands. Your first destination is Sencelles, a municipality in the heart of the island that offers a glimpse into Majorca’s past. Numerous well-preserved archeological sites from the Bronze Age’s Talayot period and ancient architecture prove that this region has been inhabited for thousands of years.

Continue today’s ride away from the tourist trail to Algaida, one of the best locales to soak up authentic Majorcan culture, especially good-quality cuisine and wines. The name Algaida originated from the Arabic word al-gaida, which means “the base.” The area around this little town has stone remains of Talaiotic settlements (1400-123 BCE). The historic windmills scattered in and around the town dominate the landscape. You pause in Algaida to sample local specialties and wine at one of the oldest wineries on the island, dating to 1229 when King James arrived on Mallorca. Your hosts, the Morauqes family, purchased the estate back in the 15th century and dedicated their lives to the vineyards, following the principles of organic farming.

Leaving the Tramuntanas behind, you next cycle south across the Pla i Llevent region, through the foot of the Ronda hills. The name translates roughly into “plain and east coast,” which sums up the flat terrain on the ride this afternoon.

Continue south to Fontsanta, where your boutique hotel and the only thermal spa on the island greet you. Wellness treatments are supplemented by the salts from the adjacent Salobrar salt marshes. Upon arrival, indulge in some pampering before gathering for an included dinner of local preparations.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Buger to Algaida — 33 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Algaida to Fontsanta — 35 km (21 miles)

Morning 1 from Can Simoneta: Pollença to Buger — 21 km (13 miles)

Morning 2 from Can Simoneta: Buger to Algaida — 33 km (20 miles)

What to Expect:

After a short journey, you leave the northern mountainous reaches behind for the island’s flatter southern area. You will cycle along rural roads past open fields and vineyards today, enjoying the longest ride of the week. Begin the day on moderate routes with some longer ascents leading to small hilltop hamlets and towns accompanied by stunning views. In the afternoon, continue along mostly flat byways or choose to shuttle back to the hotel.

*May 3 departure from Can Simoneta: You may opt to start your morning ride directly from your hotel to Buger with some rolling hills or take a short shuttle for an easier and shorter option. During your ride you will leave the northern mountainous reaches behind for the island’s flatter southern area. From Buger, you will cycle along rural roads past open fields and vineyards today. The beginning of this ride is more moderate with some longer ascents leading to small hilltop hamlets and towns accompanied by stunning views. After your home hosted lunch, a private coach will take you to your hotel.

Cumulative Distance Range: 33 – 68 km (20 – 41 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start your day with an al fresco breakfast in the gardens, then return to the saddle for a final day of exploring the diverse environs of Mallorca. Start with a ride to what many call the “salt of the earth” side of the island—Salinas d’Es Trenc. Salt has been extracted from these shores since ancient times. Today, you visit the salt pans and marble-white, dune-like mounds where a more modern operation processes the mineral. Continue along flat quiet roads into the protected National Park, a unique salt-marsh ecosystem that hosts some 200 bird species, including flamingoes and ospreys. About 178 plant species also thrive here, two dozen of them classified as endemic, rare, or vulnerable—each of them adapted to the extreme high-mineral content of the earth.

Continuing on, your path winds through the Mondrago Natural Park, where you cycle past fragrant almond and carob trees, and may even spot a lonesome kestrel winging its way across a stand of white pines. Toward midday, you arrive in the peaceful fishing village of Figuera, where the traditional seaside culture has been perfectly preserved. In the colorful bay of Cala Figuera, you find white fishing boats bobbing merrily in the turquoise waters beneath a tidy terrace of white, bayside cottages. For lunch on your own, you’ll find many places to relax under the shade of a fig tree and enjoy the view of the azure bay and fragrant hibiscus.

You return to your resort to enjoy an included treatment or time to relax by the outdoor or indoor pool. This evening, gather once more for a festive farewell dinner to toast your spectacular week in Mallorca.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Fontsanta, Trenc, and Cala Figuera — 32 km (19 miles)

Afternoon: Figuera to Fontsanta — 19 km (12 miles)

Morning Can Simoneta: Trenc to Cala Figuera — 30 km (18 miles)

Afternoon Can Simoneta: Figuera to Portocolom — 27 km (16 miles)

What to Expect:

Ride south across the National Park of Salinas d’Es Trenc into a unique salt-marsh ecosystem. Then follow quiet, mainly flat or rolling roads to Salines and to Cala Figuera, passing pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. If you choose the shorter morning option, you can skip six miles in Mondragó National Park. In the afternoon, you can enjoy a short and easy ride back to the hotel.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

*May 3 departure from Can Simoneta: After your guided tour, ride south across the National Park of Salinas d’Es Trenc into a unique salt-marsh ecosystem. Then follow quiet, mainly flat or rolling roads to Salines and to Cala Figuera, passing pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. If you choose the shorter morning option, you can skip six miles in Mondragó National Park. In the afternoon, you may opt for another splendid ride on quite small rural roads. The ride is mostly easy with some moderate parts in the middle complete with rewarding views and an enjoyable long downhill to Portocolom, from where you will be shuttled to your hotel.

Cumulative Distance Range: 19 – 51 km (12 – 31 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Your bike tour ends after a fresh Mediterranean breakfast this morning. Say farewell to your trip leaders and travel companions, and depart by the hotel’s check-out time of 11:00 a.m. The hotel can assist with departure transportation arrangements to Palma for your onward travels. You may opt to join our air transportation to the Palma airport, depending on departure times to Barcelona for the rest of your small group.

Included Meals: Breakfast