2023 Day 1
Palma to Can Picafort (Both routes at bottom of page)
Tick boxes for today: John and I first visit to Muro, Andy, Dennis experience Batella climb.
We arose early enough and headed down for breakfast before walking along the seafront towards (Nigel left to drag the case #jusysaying) the bus stop which would take us into Palma and our hire bikes from Nano cycles (which we've used since our first visit). A taxi driver pulled up and offered to take us along for the same price as the bus so we jumped in.
Once we sorted the bikes we headed out of the city (which was the hardest part of the navigation) and headed East keeping low level until our cake and coffee stop at Binissalem in the square (recommended by David Maughan) then onwards to Inca where Dennis and Andy would head north to Selva, then on to Caimari which leads on to Coll de sa Batella climb (Cat 2/7.9km/5%) which heads up to the Repsol garage near Lluc. They would turn right before dropping down Col De Femenia and onwards to Port Pollensa. Andy was keen to do the lighthouse (Cap De Formentor) despite me saying it would add 30 miles to their 65 mile day. They thought better of it and turned along the sea front at Puerto Pollensa, thru Alcudia and onward to meet John and I at Can Picafort.
In the meantime John and I had headed south at Inca along a straight, featureless, boring road which was busy with cars towards Sineu before eventually picking up some quiet country lanes as we cut across to Muro. We managed to locate a pleasant outside seating area at a café in the middle of the town where I ‘persuaded’ John to join me for a cervaza. Great to people watch and there were many cyclists coming thru (hope they hadn’t ridden that horrid road south of Inca). From there it was a drop down to sea level and almost pan flat run in to Can Picafort where we quickly found our hotel (Hotel Villa Barbara).
Without getting changed we dumped our bikes and bags and headed to the seafront where we all went for a swim in the sea followed by another call for “Cuatro cervazas grandes por favor“ (4 large beers please) and people watched on the sea front.
Quick change back at the hotel, washed our day 1 cycling clothes and headed out to Can Picafort 'The Strip' for food then back to busiest looking bar, Barracuda.
Palma to Can Picafort (Both routes at bottom of page)
Tick boxes for today: John and I first visit to Muro, Andy, Dennis experience Batella climb.
We arose early enough and headed down for breakfast before walking along the seafront towards (Nigel left to drag the case #jusysaying) the bus stop which would take us into Palma and our hire bikes from Nano cycles (which we've used since our first visit). A taxi driver pulled up and offered to take us along for the same price as the bus so we jumped in.
Once we sorted the bikes we headed out of the city (which was the hardest part of the navigation) and headed East keeping low level until our cake and coffee stop at Binissalem in the square (recommended by David Maughan) then onwards to Inca where Dennis and Andy would head north to Selva, then on to Caimari which leads on to Coll de sa Batella climb (Cat 2/7.9km/5%) which heads up to the Repsol garage near Lluc. They would turn right before dropping down Col De Femenia and onwards to Port Pollensa. Andy was keen to do the lighthouse (Cap De Formentor) despite me saying it would add 30 miles to their 65 mile day. They thought better of it and turned along the sea front at Puerto Pollensa, thru Alcudia and onward to meet John and I at Can Picafort.
In the meantime John and I had headed south at Inca along a straight, featureless, boring road which was busy with cars towards Sineu before eventually picking up some quiet country lanes as we cut across to Muro. We managed to locate a pleasant outside seating area at a café in the middle of the town where I ‘persuaded’ John to join me for a cervaza. Great to people watch and there were many cyclists coming thru (hope they hadn’t ridden that horrid road south of Inca). From there it was a drop down to sea level and almost pan flat run in to Can Picafort where we quickly found our hotel (Hotel Villa Barbara).
Without getting changed we dumped our bikes and bags and headed to the seafront where we all went for a swim in the sea followed by another call for “Cuatro cervazas grandes por favor“ (4 large beers please) and people watched on the sea front.
Quick change back at the hotel, washed our day 1 cycling clothes and headed out to Can Picafort 'The Strip' for food then back to busiest looking bar, Barracuda.
