Coll de Soller, Mallorca
(from north and south)

Coll de Sóller highlights

It is not often you come across the winning formula of very light traffic, incredible hairpins and views to match. These make the Coll de Sóller climb hugely enjoyable and memorable.

Route notes

From the north (i.e. from Sóller heading south to Palma)

1. The approach: 0-3 km

Sóller is a bit of a rabbit warren of one-way streets, so we start our route from the Ma-11 roundabout on the southern edge of town, closest to the Coll de Sóller. The Ma-11 is pretty wide, though the number of cars doesn’t make it a particularly pleasant ride.

2. The hairpins: 3-7 km

Immediately before you reach the tunnel (which bikes are not allowed through), take a sharp left onto the Ma-11a and follow this until you reach the top of the climb.

As soon as you leave the main road, you see what all the hype surrounding this climb is about and start to enjoy the quiet road and beautiful surroundings. The climbing begins immediately, and we counted 30 hairpins in total – but the truth is that it’s difficult to keep count!

It’s a pretty steady climb, but on a hot day, you’ll be grateful for climbing on the shady north side.

From the south (i.e. from near Bunyola heading north towards Sóller)

1. Varied start: 0-2.5km

Set out from the roundabout near the tunnel, climbing on the quiet road that snakes around the hillside. As you climb out of the valley, there are a few steep sections before you approach the hairpins of the higher slopes.

2. The hairpins: 2.5km to summit

You enter a series of switchbacks with beautiful, wide turns. The road is smooth and the gradient gentle enough to get momentum. With good visibility in the corners, it’s a great feeling to sweep through the bends, climbing in and out the saddle, as the views to the south open up alongside you.

Café stops

There are two food-related incentives to reach the top of Coll de Sóller: Ca’n Topa (located right by the brown summit altitude sign) and D’alt des Coll (a touch further on from Ca’n Topa when you’re coming from Sóller).

Ca’n Topa is a lovely café serving fresh cakes and straightforward food at the top of the Col de Sóller. It’s run by a British couple and you’ll find a friendly welcome. There’s also a small swimming pool that customers are welcome to use.  We’ve got more information in our post on Mallorca’s best cafés.

D’alt des Coll is a restaurant serving high-quality food that sounds delicious. It was closed when we visited – so definitely worth calling ahead if you’re intent on visiting. But we can vouch for the fantastic views from their shaded terrace.

For other ideas, don’t miss our post on Mallorca’s best cafés. If you’re in Mallorca out of season, remember that businesses might be closed.

Accommodation

We rode the Col de Sóller from our base at Hotel Illa d’Or in Port de Pollença. It’s a lovely hotel that caters very well to both cyclists and non-cyclists. It’s more boutiquey than classic cycling hotel, and an excellent option for cyclists that don’t like traditional all-inclusive style cycling hotels.

Not right for you?

Take a look at more of our accommodation suggestions in our ultimate guide to Mallorca for cyclists. Alternatively, our best towns for cyclists article should help you narrow down the best town for you.

Tips

Read our tips for cycling the Mallorca roads before you set out.

6 things to know before you ride Col de Sóller

1. The north side of the mountain (i.e. coming up from Sóller) is more shaded in the morning than the south side. Later on in the day, both sides (but particularly the south) can get hot as they are sheltered from any breeze in places.
2. If you descend the north side (i.e. down to Sóller), the route is through forest, and the road can be wet and slippy in places.
3. There is not a lot of traffic on the route, but don’t assume there will be none. Depending on the time of year you will probably come across cars and buses.
4. Take care on the descent. Watch out for gravel and small rocks in the road – we saw a few.
5. Don’t wimp out and try to ride your bike through the tunnel under the mountain: bikes are banned!
6. Coll de Sóller is open throughout the year.

Interested in the Coll de Sóller Strava leaderboard?

Are there any good routes incorporating this climb?

Found this guide useful?