The most spectacular road of Mallorca is a must for any motorcyclist. It's a 12 km long ride from 800 meters down to sea level, with magnificent views of the mediterenean sea and the serpentine road below. Plenty of corners, hairpins and blind turns, the famous "necktie knot", where the road makes a 270 degree turn passing underneath itself make this road a wonderful motorcycling adventure. The road was built in the 1930's with the idea of creating a tourist attraction. More ore less by hand because no modern machinery was available yet. It's hard to imagine that vision seeing it's remote location and the means of transport available in those days.
Sa Calobra is the little town at the end of the road on the sea. At Sa Calobra you can park (motorcycles free) and go on foot to the Torrent the Pareís, a spectacular canyon that ends there in the sea. You get there walking along the azure colored water through two pedestrian tunnels. It's breathtakingly beautifuf. From the pebblestone beach you can take a swim in the wavy water. This is a tourist hot spot in high season between 10:00 and 17:00, so best to avoid during that time. For bikers the road is the main attraction so there is no shame in just turning around at the bottom or to go to Cala Tuent, nearby.
It does have become the tourist attraction that was envisioned and even beyond. Antonio Parietti, the creator of this road, could probably not have imagined the size of currrent day buses that go up and down this road. One of Mallorca's most popular excursion is to take the Soller train from Palma, then the tram to Port de Soller and then to go by boat to Sa Calobra to see the Torrent the Pareis. In the morning people are bussed from all over the island to the train station in Palma or directly to Sa Calobra to do the tour in reverse and in the afternoon vice versa. This means that plenty of busses go up and down this serpentine road mostly between 10:00 and 15:00.
With admiration for the skills of these bus drivers, it's fair to say that it does ruin the experience having them in front of you going either up or down. They block your view, go too slow collecting a snake of traffic behind them and they are really hard to overtake.
So here a 5 tips to enjoy this "snake" road, the meaning of the word Colobra of which Calobra is an ancient version in the Catalan/Mallorquin language.
Tip 1: Go off season
From November - March/April you will not run into buses at all and hardly any other traffic. Winter weather in Mallorca is beautiful and most likely sunny but beware of the temperature. Elevation of 800m and being in the sun or the shade makes a huge difference. Winter gear required. Bring you picnic because nothing is open for food or drinks until you either reach Soller or Lluc.
Tip 2: Best times to go in season
- Go early. Sa Calobra is far away for everybody, so cyclist and bus tourists need to leave early and will take time to get there. If you can get there before nine and be out of there by 10 you will think you are there off-season. Earlier even better.
- Go in the afternoon. By 15:30 most busses are gone and be 18:00 most day tourists that come by car will have left. The evening sun sheds a more soothing light on the spectular scenery as well.
- If you want have lunch in Cala Tuent which I would very much recommend, time your descent at around 13:00. Buses won't be going down anymore at that hour and down below busses have to wait until 13:30 before going up so they can't run into each other.
Tip 3: Where to eat
Have lunch in Cala Tuent. Not long before you get to the parking of Sa Calobra, there is a fork in the road with a sign Cala Tuent. A small village in the next bay that is only accesible through this road. It has one great restaurant called Es Vergelet. Call them before you head out to make a reservation and make sure they are open. The little bar in the viaduct of the "knot tie" curve is a good option if you want a typical Pa amb Oli Mallorquin (two slices of bread with ham, cheese or sobrasada). Reasonably priced and quick service. It's probably best to avoid all restaurants at Sa Calobra. All geared to the bus tourists that will only come once. Overpricing and bad service seems to be more rule than exception.
Tip 4: Chill
Enjoy the views. If traffic is busy, you can just stop at one of the incredible viewpoints and wait for a few minutes. There are always quieter moments in between and it will take quite some time to catch up with other vehicles that have a 2 minute headstart. If you do happen to be behind a bus you can also pray that the bus gets stuck and upcoming traffic has to backup so on your motorbike this is the moment you can sneak in between.
Tip 5: Get a cool photo of yourself on the bike
Many days there will be a professional photographer somewhere on the side of the road that will snap pictures of cyclist and motorcyclists. He should have a web address on a sign next to him, so make sure to remember or write it down as well as the time that you passed that point. One of them is www.mallorcacyclingphotos.com/ but there might be others. Prices are very reasonable.
