Got a week in the (hopefully) sun coming up. Can anyone recommend a good base? Ideally somewhere self catering fairly quiet and rural but not too far from shops/resturants. I've seen puerto pollensa mentioned a lot but it looks like quite a big place. Perhaps somewhere on the outskirts would be ok?
Cheers!
Port d'pollensa(?) isn't that big, i guess it depends what you're after. Calla St Vicenza is smaller and tucked away, but close enough to PDP to get your bike hire, access to the classic routes. Soller / port de soller is nice as well. Pollensa itself is a nice village, probably very pretty at night. I've been to PDP twice, big enough for everything you need, wasn't overly enamoured by the beech though, good access to all the classic cycle routes.
I rented a villa midway between Pollensa and Alcudia, it was 10 mins drive to either, 5 mins to the coast and perfect.
There are a good number of self catering places in the triangle of Pollenca, Puerto Pollenca and Alcudia. I guess it depends on size and budget, but I doubt you can go very wrong.
Bunyola seemed like a nice place, but only passed through a couple of times for lunch when I was riding out there earlier in the year. It's at the other end of the popular routes from Port Pollenca. Hard to see past Port Pollenca or even Pollenca itself really, as Pieface says, they're not exactly massive.
Port de Soller is definitely classier than Port de Pollensa but it's uphill in all directions so depends if you want that.
I’ve seen puerto pollensa mentioned a lot but it looks like quite a big place.
It's really not that big and there's some good cycle infrastructure to get out of the town. Anywhere in that area you should be good. You've got Cap de Formentor straight out of there on the North East. Head North West towards the mountains. Or straight out west is an abundance of nice quiet country lanes.
If you want pretty and rural prob steer clear of the pollensa alcudia strip, outskirts could well mean looking out onto builders rubble and scrub. We've stayed outside bunyola and it was great. Hilly but great. If you want flat go perhaps one of the villages on the south east edge of the transmutywhatsit mountains.
FYI Pollensa and Port de Pollensa are 2 separate places, not far from each other. We stayed self catering in Pollensa which suited us fine, and is actually closer to Sa Calobra etc. Loved it. Bus from the airport to accommodation, and then bus to bike hire in Port de Pollensa (pro cycle hire), ride back to accommodation.
Nice enough area
I guess it depends if you want to be by the beach? But Port de Pollensa is an ideal base for cycling. Fantastic cycling infrastructure to get you in and out of town in most directions. Lots of bike shops and hire places, lots of bike friendly cafes etc. 30ish minute ride from the mountains, or you can ride straight out to Cap De Formentor for a short ride.
Its a fairly quiet town really as well, not tacky and brash.
I am staying on Alaro this time, right next to Cycle Planet that do bike hire. It’s a small town, nice and quiet with little tourism. Routes, left right, north south - mountains close, flats close etc. Have also stayed in Port de Pollensa and it was always a ball ache getting out of town on a main road before turning on to the “bin” road (back road with lots of bins at the entrance). Also stayed in Establiments (just outside of Palma) and I’d say that was best so far…. But basically, you’ll be fine where ever !
We went last Easter stayed in Part Pollensa, it is quite a big place and I reckon I wouldn't like it in summer but out of season it was nice enough
We have been 5 times now, stay in port pollensa and hire from pro cycle hire. Loads of accomodation options. We have stayed at the port blue a few times in october which is ok for the money.
Pro cycle hire were good having all the bikes set up to dimensions ready to go but we did need to get the brake pads changed 1 day in on Mrs anagallis bike.
Was in Puerto Pollensa two weeks ago cycling. Its a nice enough wee resort but as others have said If I wasn't cycling I wouldn't choose to go there. Pollenca village seemed much nicer and really quaint, Alcudia is the busier of the two and I have been there in the summer and Its more a family resort. The restaraunts in Pdp were good and not overly expensive . We did the classic Sa Calobra which clocked in about 65 miles , Also The climb to the Petrol station where the soller / Calobra routes is and then went back inland towards Inca and back via Alcudia 67 miles then Formentor on the lasst day (about 30 miles). Whilst Im glad I went I wouldn't hurry back and probably prefered my trip to calpe a few years back more. Sa Calobra was fine but it is a out and back and the way down you have to be wary as you can find yourself going round a corner to a load of backed up traffic waiting on a bus so be careful. The highlight was probably from the service station back to Pollenca village which is about a 6 mile descent with good corners and clear roads.
Enjoy .