Why Alaró Is a Better Cycling Base Than Port Pollença for a Mallorca Cycling Holiday

For years cyclists have been told that Port Pollença is the place to stay when visiting Mallorca. They see photos of Cap de Formentor, the long beachfront, and the rows of rental bikes parked outside the big hotel chains. They hear that it is the hub of cycling on the island. What many do not realise is that Port Pollença became popular not because it offers the best cycling, but because it offers the most hotels. If you want a cheap all inclusive week, a buffet every night, a basic room, and the same two or three cycling routes repeated again and again, then Port Pollença will give you exactly that.

But if you want the real Mallorca, the full island, the best routes, the best climbs, the most variety, the most authentic culture, and a luxury cycling holiday that feels personal and enriching, then the best place to stay is nowhere near Port Pollença. The best place is Alaró, in the heart of the island, surrounded by the Tramuntana Mountains and close to every iconic cycling route Mallorca is famous for.

Velocamp Mallorca chose Alaró for a reason. It is the base that allows you to ride everything. It is the base that shows you the true Mallorca. And once riders experience the difference, they often wonder why they ever believed Port Pollença was the ideal location.

Let us look at why.

The first and most important reason is simple. Location. Port Pollença sits at the far northern tip of the island. It is beautiful to look at, but as a base for cycling it limits you dramatically. Most cyclists who stay in Port Pollença end up repeating the same rides over and over. The lighthouse at Formentor. The Lluc climb. The loop to Sa Calobra if they are willing to put in the work. Beyond that, there is not much within reasonable distance.

The problem is that the best cycling in Mallorca is nowhere near Port Pollença. The famous MA10 coastal road that runs from Sóller to Andratx is one of the most spectacular cycling routes in Europe, yet it is so far from Port Pollença that most riders never reach it. The climbs around Calvià, the rolling routes toward Sant Elm, the hidden mountain roads that run along the western coast, the rich farmland in the centre of the island, the quiet villages full of Mallorcan culture. These are the rides that make Mallorca unforgettable. And Port Pollença puts you far away from all of them.

Alaró, by contrast, sits right in the centre of everything. The village is surrounded by mountains and farmland. From the moment you roll out of the Velocamp Mallorca villa, you have access to every iconic Mallorca route without long transfers or wasted energy. The MA10 is within reach. The climbs of Orient, Honor, Sóller, Deià and the linking roads across the Tramuntana are all close. You can ride east, west, north, or south and every direction offers a unique and beautiful ride.

This is why serious cyclists and luxury travellers prefer Alaró once they discover it. You can ride a completely different world class route every day for an entire week without repeating scenery or wasting time sitting in traffic leaving the tourist towns. You get the full island rather than a tiny portion of it.

Another major difference between Port Pollença and Alaró is the atmosphere. Port Pollença has become a classic tourist strip. Cheap all inclusive hotels. Buffet restaurants. Tacky souvenir shops. British pubs. Crowded pavements. Loud bars. It is convenient for family tourism, but it is not the real Mallorca. It feels like a resort designed to satisfy the lowest common denominator rather than the traveller who wants beauty, authenticity, and calm surroundings.

Alaró feels the opposite. It feels like Mallorca. Stone streets. Local cafés. Traditional bakeries. A quiet square with orange trees and small coffee shops. Families sitting outside in the sunshine. Old stone houses rising from the foot of the mountains. It feels peaceful, elegant, and timeless. When guests at Velocamp Mallorca step outside the villa, they feel like they are living inside the true Mallorcan culture, not an imitation of it.

Cyclists who stay in Port Pollença often spend their entire week surrounded by other tourists. They go to bed hearing noise from the streets below. They wake up in a crowded dining hall full of other groups wearing identical jerseys. Their cycling holiday becomes an extension of the same hotel experience rather than an immersion into the island.

In Alaró your cycling holiday feels personal and calm. You wake up to the sound of birds and the soft breeze coming over the mountains. Breakfast is prepared by a private chef and shared with a small group of riders, not hundreds of strangers. The atmosphere is warm and unhurried. Velocamp Mallorca created this setting deliberately because this is what an all inclusive luxury cycling holiday should feel like. Peaceful. Grounded. Exclusive. Authentic.

Another major difference is route quality. From Port Pollença everything begins with the same long road out of town. You pass hotels, supermarkets, and tourist shops before you reach anything scenic. If you want to reach Lluc, you must ride the same main road again. If you want to go to the lighthouse, you must battle traffic along one of the busiest tourist roads in Mallorca. And once you have done those rides two or three times, you have exhausted almost every worthwhile route within reach of your base.

From Alaró the riding begins instantly. The roads around the village are quiet and beautifully paved. You can head straight into the Orient Valley, which is one of the most spectacular cycling areas in Mallorca. You can climb directly into the Tramuntana Mountains. You can roll through vineyards and hidden lanes that feel untouched by tourism. You can ride to Sóller or Sineu, Valldemossa, Banyalbufar or Andratx without long transfers or crowded sections. You can ride the entire MA10 in both directions over the course of the week. This is the cycling holiday people dream about.

People searching online for cycling holidays Mallorca often do not realise how awkward the island can become when you stay in the wrong place. Staying in Port Pollença locks you into a small corner of the map. Staying in Alaró unlocks the entire island.

Another key point is the experience off the bike. At cheap hotel based cycling camps in Port Pollença, the food is buffet style. Large trays of the same dishes every day. Little flavour. Little care. Often dry or overcooked. Guests queue for the same meals prepared for hundreds of people at once. It is functional, but it is not enjoyable.

At Velocamp Mallorca, the food is part of the holiday. The private chef prepares meals fresh each day using local ingredients. Colourful salads. Fresh fish. Warm bread. Home baked cakes. Smoothies waiting after the ride. Fruit platters. Hummus and flatbreads. It feels nourishing and comforting. Guests gather at the villa dining table each evening and enjoy dinner together like a family. This is the difference between a holiday and a cheap camp.

Recovery is another area where the difference becomes clear. At a hotel based cycling camp there is no real recovery experience. You shower in a cramped bathroom. You lie on a hard bed. You stretch in a corridor. You hope your legs feel better the next day.

At Velocamp Mallorca recovery is part of the service. Daily sports massage. Compression boots. Stretching sessions. Quiet afternoons in the sun by the pool. Comfortable rooms. Time to breathe. Time to talk. Time to feel human. This is the level of care that affluent travellers from the United States and Canada expect when they book a cycling holiday in Mallorca. And this is the level of care that Velocamp Mallorca provides.

Travel convenience is another overlooked difference. Port Pollença requires a long transfer from the airport. Alaró is far closer. When guests fly in from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Dubai, the last thing they want after a long flight is a long transfer. They want to arrive quickly, settle in quickly, and start their holiday quickly. Alaró makes this possible.

Cyclists often ask whether staying in Port Pollença gives them access to the iconic routes. They believe the myth that Port Pollença is the centre of cycling because of the number of rental shops and hotels. The truth is that Port Pollença is the centre of tourism, not the centre of the island. If you want the full Mallorca cycling experience, you need to be in the centre. That is where the heart of the island is. And that is where Velocamp Mallorca is based.

When riders come to Alaró for the first time they realise how much they missed in previous trips. They ride roads they never knew existed. They see parts of Mallorca they never imagined. They climb mountains that never appeared on their maps. And they return home feeling like they finally discovered the real Mallorca rather than the postcard version.

Port Pollença offers convenience to tourists. Alaró offers access to everything that makes Mallorca magical.

This is why Velocamp Mallorca chose Alaró as its home. It is the best cycling base on the island. It gives our guests the most varied, scenic, and enjoyable routes. It provides a cultural experience that a beachfront resort never can. And it allows a cycling holiday to feel luxurious, authentic, personal, and complete.

If you want to experience the best cycling Mallorca has to offer, stay in the heart of the island where the mountains, villages, coastal routes, and quiet roads come together. Stay where the real Mallorca lives. Stay where you can ride every famous route without compromise.

Stay with Velocamp Mallorca.

To learn more about our luxury all inclusive cycling holidays, visit our available dates and discover why Alaró is the true home of world class cycling in Mallorca.