As the first storm of the season drenches much of the UK, the appeal of an endless summer of cycling is clear to see. Just this time last week we were in Majorca for our very own Autumn Escape.
Regular readers will know that this author has a complicated relationship with Majorca - love, adoration, frustration and bemusement are just a few of the emotions that I have articulated. However, I am very pleased to write that our most recent visit was a fabulous experience both on and off the bike.
Our own trips have a slightly different recipe to our bespoke group trips as we are are far more part of the group and have greater ownership of the trip structure. However, one things remains the same - our mantra - Ride and Smile. Though on this recent trip one of our guests coined the wonderful phrase 'smiles not segments'
Majorca is much loved by bike riders from many countries - most specifically the UK and Germany. During our stay the island was awash with bike riders and there was the Majorca cycling masters event taking place too which attracted some excellent cyclists.
The islands favourite routes were busy with cyclists challenging themselves against the terrain, and occasionally against the coaches that can plague climbs like Sa Calobra. Rather than cover old and well travelled ground, I wanted to highlight the positive elements of our trip. The biggest of these was the positive and fun atmosphere amongst our group who had a lovely balance between a desire to ride hard and enjoy their surroundings.
As part of our trips we try and give our guests a sense of their surroundings. On day 1 we stopped in Pollensa old town for a lovely lunch, whislt we also visited Muro and Soller when out on rides and popped into Alcudia old town before dinner one evening. Finally, if time and flight schedules allow it is nice to finish a trip to the island with a Palma and see the cathedral and the plethora of super yachts.
We found this attitude to be shared by the many groups we encountered and chattered to. This meant that cafe stops were very sociable and 'bike waves' numerous with fewer riders 'doing efforts' and many more on the island to simply enjoy the ride. The climate at this time of year is also excellent for a UK cyclist - it was very warm and dry for much of our trip, but never so warm as to be uncomfortable and evening temperatures were still very pleasant for a stroll along the seafront.
As a group we were staying at the Cabot hotel(s) in Port de Pollenca, However, rather than all be based in the Pollensa Park hotel we were split between the hotel itself and the Cabot Las Velas apartments which are just 400m away. The accommodation at both venues was superb and we will certainly return to both in the future - we cannot fault the staff at either location and all guests were extremely satisfied.
Our experience this autumn left us in no doubt that we must return next year in the Autumn. We will once again return to Port de Pollenca and fill the week with fun bike rides - prioritising smiles not segments. All details can be found on our website and we would love to share the road with you and experience the very best the island has to offer.
