Spain: Balearic Islands, Mallorca & Ses Salines

All you have to do is get to the airport. On our Air Packages, we’ll take care of the rest, handling all the logistics, so you can travel with peace of mind. Spend your first night aloft and arrive refreshed for an unforgettable trip.

A VBT representative will greet you at the airport to start your adventure off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this vibrant city at your leisure.

After a delicious, locally sourced breakfast, meet your VBT representative at 8:30 a.m. The representative will be holding a VBT sign in the lobby of your hotel. Please arrive dressed for cycling (and with your pedals or saddle if you use your own) as the rooms in your next hotel will be not ready until 3:00 p.m. and you’ll set out for a warm-up ride before then.

From Palma, journey to the very heart of Port de Sóller, a pretty city nestled between the Tramuntana mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea. Your warm-up ride leads you to the beachfront and into Sóller. One of Mallorca’s jewels, this geographically isolated town boasts a stunning collection of art Nouveau and neo-Gothic architecture, and an Old Town linked by charming electric tramcars. You loop the valley of Biniaraix among an idyllic landscape of mountain villages, orchards, orange trees, olive groves, and vineyards. This is the Mallorca of old, where locals come to connect with the natural world and its tiny villages that seem to have been forgotten by time.

Take a break for lunch at a very special venue, Can Det, one of the oldest fincas on the island. Aside from the addition of electricity, workers here have used the same techniques for some 500 years! The 17th-generation owner gives you a personal tour, complete with a tasting of freshly pressed olive oils and orange juices plucked from trees dating to the 16th century. You will also see the oldest and only traditional olive oil press in use in Mallorca. Later, you may cycle more of this stunning region on a mostly flat route.

Settle in to the Es Port hotel, a fortified 17th-century mansion. Its beautifully landscaped ten acres are bursting with native vegetation, century-old trees, and an organic vegetable garden. Enjoy sea and mountain vistas, indulge in a spa treatment or a dip in the indoor or outdoor pool, or walk to the waterfront in just one minute for lovely beach strolls and shopping.

This evening, savor a special welcome dinner of local specialties prepared by the chef. Weather permitting, dine al fresco on the hotel’s poolside terrace.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Warm-up AM1 — 10 km (6 miles)

Afternoon: Warm-up PM1 — 7 km (4 miles)

What to Expect: Start your warm-up ride from your hotel by the beachfront. You follow side roads with some occasional traffic and some more heavily trafficked ones when closer to Sóller. Get accustomed to your gears as you loop the rural valley of Biniariax, ascending a longer incline. You may join another ride in the afternoon, mostly flat with some short rolling hills.

Cumulative Distance Range: 17 km (10 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a delicious outdoor breakfast of products from the surrounding farms and markets, make the short drive across the mountain range to a breathtaking plateau of vineyards, olive groves, and orchards. This is the wine region of Binissalem in the southern foothills of the Tramuntanas. Wine has been produced here since the days of ancient Rome—even during Moorish occupation despite the prohibitions of the Koran.

Your loop ride follows flat local roads past rolling orchards and fields. Enjoy stunning views of the surrounding ranges, particularly as you climb to the village of Alaró. Stop at a local market here to browse an array of farm-fresh and handmade products and to mingle with Majorcans. Your destination is a lovely finca, where a hearty lunch and delicious wine cap off a perfect spin.

For Spaniards, paella has always held the allure of a large and convivial social gathering. Today is no different. You learn to prepare this historic dish with your host in a spectacular setting. Though the dish originated in Valencia on the mainland, it migrated to Mallorca and thrived under the Moors. With the Christian Reconquest, rice disappeared, but was reintroduced as an agricultural staple in the early 20th century in the salt-rich environment of S’Albufereta, which you cycle into later. Today, Majorcans treasure their Mar y Muntanya paella, which means “Sea and Mountain,” which describes the seafood and meats that enhance their version of the mainland dish.

After lunch, journey back to your hotel, where you might get in a swim in the outdoor pool, stroll to the beach, or pause a while to witness the sun setting over the glimmering Balearic Sea.

The evening is on your own to explore, relax, and find a spot for dinner that calls to you.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Binissalem wine region loop — 45 km (27 miles)

What to Expect: Start your day on a flat route, then cycle seldom-traveled roads among rolling orchards and farm fields. Pass through vineyards with stunning views of Serra, then climb a longer hill to Alaró village. Your ride culminates with a lunch stop at a local finca. After your included lunch and wine tasting you travel back your hotel via shuttle.

Cumulative Distance Range: 45 km (27 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After a bountiful buffet breakfast, travel to Bunyola to begin another rewarding day of cycling. You begin on rural farm roads past grazing sheep and lovely fincas with olive and almond groves and vineyards. As you ride, the majestic Tramuntana range marks your progress. This vast UNESCO World Heritage site—recognized for its farming terraces and ingenious irrigation systems—is home to a profusion of wildlife, including several birds of prey. After a stunning morning spin, you arrive in time for lunch on your own in Caimari, locally renowned for its olive oil tradition and fine herbal liquor. This is Mallorca at its most unspoiled, with steep forested slopes rising to high peaks. It exudes endless charms among its narrow streets.

This afternoon, you pass some larger vineyards and wide-open farm fields dotted with sheep or pigs. By ride’s end, you coast into Pollença in the island’s North. This medieval-era treasure is a delight to explore, with its crisscrossing narrow streets that hark back to its medieval origins. Avid riders can take the time to walk up the town’s famous 365 steps to a chapel known as Calvary. Or visit the decidedly less demanding Pollença Museum of art, in the old cloister of the Dominicans.

The evening is yours to explore, relax, and enjoy dinner in the heart of this charming town on your own.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Bunyola to Caimari — 33 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Caimari to Pollença — 21 km (13 miles)

What to Expect: Start the day on mostly flat side roads with some traffic. Then continue on rolling short inclines past Tramuntana hills and typical Majorcan farmlands. There’ll be some inclines as you approach Caimari village, where you stop for lunch at your leisure. Your morning ride ends here; you can decide to shuttle to your next hotel or continue cycling on these beautiful rural roads with almost no traffic.

Cumulative Distance Range: 21— 54 km (13 — 33 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast

After a fresh breakfast, set out on a relaxing ride along narrow leafy lanes and past bubbling brooks toward the bay of Pollença. Your first destination is Alcúdia, a fascinating city with prehistoric, Roman, Arab, and medieval influences. Explore a bit before continuing your ride in the protected nature reserve of Victòria peninsula.

You will pedal past a few scenic coves before arriving at a prime swimming spot, the sea coves on the Bay of Pollença. Be sure to pack your swimsuit in case you should decide to take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. As you wade in the water, take in breathtaking views of Cape Formentor, its mountains, and the bay. Linger here a while for our picnic lunch, an inspiring setting.

Head back to your hotel on a spectacular coastal ride, along the s’Albufereta Nature Reserve, the largest wetland of the Balearics, an ideal environment for growing the island’s rice, and a haven for migrating birds. enjoying vistas of Port Pollença.

This evening is on your own. Perhaps you’ll browse some of the galleries in the Old Town before finding the perfect place for dinner.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Pollença to Alcúdia and coves — 26 km (16 miles)

Afternoon: Alcúdia to Pollença — 22 km (13 miles)

What to Expect: Your morning ride starts in the countryside along narrow leafy lanes and bubbling brooks, with almost no traffic on a mostly flat route. Once on the peninsula, you visit Alcúdia. Leaving the city, you climb two shorter hills, then descend to a beach for your included picnic lunch. Your afternoon ride features some rolling hills on side rural roads, followed by a flat bike lane on a coastal ride with stunning views. The only challenge you may face could be a North coastal wind from Tramuntana.

Cumulative Distance Range: 22 — 48 km (13 — 29 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Bid Pollença farewell this morning and cycle the rustic Majorcan countryside, skirting past olive groves, lush vineyards, and more farmlands. Your first destination is Sencelles, a municipality in the heart of the island that offers a glimpse into Majorca’s past. Numerous well-preserved archeological sites from the Bronze Age Talayot period and ancient architecture proves that this region has been inhabited for thousands of years.

Continue today’s ride away from the tourist trail to Algaida, one of the best locales to soak up the authentic Majorcan culture, especially good quality cuisine. The name Algaida originated from the Arabic word al-gaida, which means “the base.” The area around this little town has stone remains of Talaiotic settlements (1400-123 BCE). The historic windmills scattered in and around the town dominate the landscape. You pause in Algaida for lunch at your leisure, perhaps sampling a local specialty, arròs brut, saffron rice with chicken, pork, and vegetables. Or grab a sweet ensaïmades pastry for the road.

We leave the Tramuntanas behind and cycle south across the Pla i Llevent region through the foot of the Ronda hills. The name translates roughly into “plain and east coast,” which sums up the flat terrain on the ride this afternoon.

Continue south to Fontsanta, where your boutique hotel and the only thermal spa on the island greets you. Wellness treatments are supplemented by the salts from the adjacent Salobrar salt marshes. Upon arrival, indulge in some pampering before gathering for an included dinner of local preparations.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Buger to Algaida — 40 km (24 miles)

Afternoon: Algaida to Fontsanta — 34 km (20 miles)

What to Expect: After a short journey, you leave the northern mountainous reaches behind for the island’s flatter southern area. On this day, with the longest ride of the week, cycle along rural roads past open fields and vineyards. Begin the day on moderate routes with some longer ascents leading to small hilltop hamlets and towns accompanied by stunning views. In the afternoon, continue along mostly flat byways.

Cumulative Distance Range: 40 — 74 km (24 — 44 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Start your day with an al fresco breakfast in the gardens, then return to the saddle for a final day of exploring the diverse environs of Mallorca. Start with a ride to what many call the “salt of the earth” side of the island—Salinas d’Es Trenc. Salt has been extracted from these shores since ancient times. Today, you visit the salt pans and marble-white, dune-like mounds where a more modern operation processes the mineral. Continue along flat quiet roads into the protected National Park, a unique salt-marsh ecosystem that hosts some 200 bird species, including flamingoes and ospreys. About 178 plant species also thrive here, two dozen of them classified as endemic, rare, or vulnerable—each of them adapted to the extreme high-mineral content of the earth.

Next, you pedal to Santanyí, passing fragrant pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. Your scenic ride also takes you past the largest and oldest colony of Posidonia oceanic on the island. You might know it better as seagrass, and this species is endemic to the Balearic Islands.

Break for lunch on your own in Santanyí, a charming town whose buildings where carved from the local golden Mares sandstone. Evidence of its medieval city wall remains, adding to the historical allure. There’ll be time for a leisurely repast and stroll in its lovely plaza before you move on. You return to your resort to enjoy an included treatment or time to relax by the outdoor or indoor pool. This evening, gather once more for a festive farewell dinner to toast your spectacular week in Mallorca.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Fontsanta – Trenc – Santanyí — 33 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Santanyí to Fontsanta — 13 km (8 miles) | OR Santanyí to Fontsanta PLUS — 24 km (14 miles)

What to Expect: Ride south across the National Park of Salinas d´És Trenc into a unique salt-marsh ecosystem. Then follow quiet roads to Salines and to Santanyí , passing pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. In the afternoon you can choose between a shorter or longer option back to the hotel.

Cumulative Distance Range: 13 — 57 km (8 — 34 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Your bike tour ends after a fresh Mediterranean breakfast this morning. VBT provides you transportation to the Palma Airport for a short flight to Barcelona. Upon arrival at Barcelona Airport, a representative holding a VBT sign meets you as you exit the baggage claim area. Complimentary transportation will be provided to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure—perhaps explore the city, rest up in the hotel, or select a local restaurant for lunch and dinner. We provide detailed city information to help you plan your day.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation to the Barcelona airport will be provided (an approximately 20-to-30-minute drive, depending on traffic) for your departing flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

At 8:30 a.m., meet your VBT representative and the rest of the group in the lobby of the Hotel Convent de la Missió (Carrer de la Missió, 7A, 07003 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain, telephone +34 971 227 347). Your VBT representative will be holding a VBT sign and will be easy to recognize. Please arrive dressed for cycling (and with your pedals or saddle if you use your own) as the rooms in your next hotel will be not ready until 3:00 p.m. and you’ll set out for a warm-up ride before then.

From Palma, journey to the very heart of Port de Sóller, a pretty city nestled between the Tramuntana mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea. Your warm-up ride leads you to the beachfront and into Sóller. One of Mallorca’s jewels, this geographically isolated town boasts a stunning collection of art Nouveau and neo-Gothic architecture, and an Old Town linked by charming electric tramcars. You loop the valley of Biniaraix among an idyllic landscape of mountain villages, orchards, orange trees, olive groves, and vineyards. This is the Mallorca of old, where locals come to connect with the natural world and its tiny villages that seem to have been forgotten by time.

Take a break for lunch at a very special venue, Can Det, one of the oldest fincas on the island. Aside from the addition of electricity, workers here have used the same techniques for some 500 years! The 17th-generation owner gives you a personal tour, complete with a tasting of freshly pressed olive oils and orange juices plucked from trees dating to the 16th century. You will also see the oldest and only traditional olive oil press in use in Mallorca. Later, you may cycle more of this stunning region on a mostly flat route.

Settle in to the Es Port hotel, a fortified 17th-century mansion. Its beautifully landscaped ten acres are bursting with native vegetation, century-old trees, and an organic vegetable garden. Enjoy sea and mountain vistas, indulge in a spa treatment or a dip in the indoor or outdoor pool, or walk to the waterfront in just one minute for lovely beach strolls and shopping.

This evening, savor a special welcome dinner of local specialties prepared by the chef. Weather permitting, dine al fresco on the hotel’s poolside terrace.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Warm-up AM1 — 10 km (6 miles)

Afternoon Warm-up PM1 — 7 km (4 miles)

What to Expect: Start you warm-up from your hotel by the beachfront. You follow side roads with some occasional traffic and some more heavily trafficked ones, when closer to Sóller. Get accustomed to your gears as you loop the rural valley of Biniariax, ascending a longer incline. You may join another ride in the afternoon, mostly flat with some short rolling hills.

Cumulative Distance Range: 17 km (10 miles)

Included Meals: Dinner, Lunch

After a delicious outdoor breakfast of products from the surrounding farms and markets, make the short drive across the mountain range to a breathtaking plateau of vineyards, olive groves, and orchards. This is the wine region of Binissalem in the southern foothills of the Tramuntanas. Wine has been produced here since the days of ancient Rome—even during Moorish occupation despite the prohibitions of the Koran.

Your loop ride follows flat local roads past rolling orchards and fields. Enjoy stunning views of the surrounding ranges, particularly as you climb to the village of Alaró. Stop at a local market here to browse an array of farm-fresh and handmade products and to mingle with Majorcans. Your destination is a lovely finca, where a hearty lunch and delicious wine cap off a perfect spin.

For Spaniards, paella has always held the allure of a large and convivial social gathering. Today is no different. You learn to prepare this historic dish with your host in a spectacular setting. Though the dish originated in Valencia on the mainland, it migrated to Mallorca and thrived under the Moors. With the Christian Reconquest, rice disappeared, but was reintroduced as an agricultural staple in the early 20th century in the salt-rich environment of S’Albufereta, which you cycle into later. Today, Majorcans treasure their Mar y Muntanya paella, which means “Sea and Mountain,” which describes the seafood and meats that enhance their version of the mainland dish.

After lunch, journey back to your hotel, where you might get in a swim in the outdoor pool, stroll to the beach, or pause a while to witness the sun setting over the glimmering Balearic Sea.

The evening is on your own to explore, relax, and find a spot for dinner that calls to you.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Binissalem wine region loop — 45 km (27 miles)

What to Expect: Start your day on a flat route, then cycle seldom-traveled roads among rolling orchards and farm fields. Pass through vineyards with stunning views of Serra, then climb a longer hill to Alaró village. Your ride culminates with a lunch stop at a local finca. After your included lunch and wine tasting you travel back your hotel via shuttle.

Cumulative Distance Range: 45 km (27 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After a bountiful buffet breakfast, travel to Bunyola to begin another rewarding day of cycling. You begin on rural farm roads past grazing sheep and lovely fincas with olive and almond groves and vineyards. As you ride, the majestic Tramuntana range marks your progress. This vast UNESCO World Heritage site—recognized for its farming terraces and ingenious irrigation systems—is home to a profusion of wildlife, including several birds of prey. After a stunning morning spin, you arrive in time for lunch on your own in Caimari, locally renowned for its olive oil tradition and fine herbal liquor. This is Mallorca at its most unspoiled, with steep forested slopes rising to high peaks. It exudes endless charms among its narrow streets.

This afternoon, you pass some larger vineyards and wide-open farm fields dotted with sheep or pigs. By ride’s end, you coast into Pollença in the island’s North. This medieval-era treasure is a delight to explore, with its crisscrossing narrow streets that hark back to its medieval origins. Avid riders can take the time to walk up the town’s famous 365 steps to a chapel known as Calvary. Or visit the decidedly less demanding Pollença Museum of art, in the old cloister of the Dominicans.

The evening is yours to explore, relax, and enjoy dinner in the heart of this charming town on your own.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Bunyola to Caimari — 33 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Caimari to Pollença — 21 km (13 miles)

What to Expect: Start the day on mostly flat side roads with some traffic. Then continue on rolling short inclines past Tramuntana hills and typical Majorcan farmlands. There’ll be some inclines as you approach Caimari village, where you stop for lunch at your leisure. Your morning ride ends here; you can decide to shuttle to your next hotel or continue cycling on these beautiful rural roads with almost no traffic.

Cumulative Distance Range: 21— 54 km (13 — 33 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast

After a fresh breakfast, set out on a relaxing ride along narrow leafy lanes and past bubbling brooks toward the bay of Pollença. Your first destination is Alcúdia, a fascinating city with prehistoric, Roman, Arab, and medieval influences. Explore a bit before continuing your ride in the protected nature reserve of Victòria peninsula.

You will pedal past a few scenic coves before arriving at a prime swimming spot, the sea coves on the Bay of Pollença. Be sure to pack your swimsuit in case you should decide to take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. As you wade in the water, take in breathtaking views of Cape Formentor, its mountains, and the bay. Linger here a while for our picnic lunch, an inspiring setting.

Head back to your hotel on a spectacular coastal ride, along the s’Albufereta Nature Reserve, the largest wetland of the Balearics, an ideal environment for growing the island’s rice, and a haven for migrating birds. enjoying vistas of Port Pollença.

This evening is on your own. Perhaps you’ll browse some of the galleries in the Old Town before finding the perfect place for dinner.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Pollença to Alcúdia and coves — 26 km (16 miles)

Afternoon: Alcúdia to Pollença — 22 km (13 miles)

What to Expect: Your morning ride starts in the countryside along narrow leafy lanes and bubbling brooks, with almost no traffic on a mostly flat route. Once on the peninsula, you visit Alcúdia. Leaving the city, you climb two shorter hills, then descend to a beach for your included picnic lunch. Your afternoon ride features some rolling hills on side rural roads, followed by a flat bike lane on a coastal ride with stunning views. The only challenge you may face could be a North coastal wind from Tramuntana.

Cumulative Distance Range: 22 — 48 km (13 — 29 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Bid Pollença farewell this morning and cycle the rustic Majorcan countryside, skirting past olive groves, lush vineyards, and more farmlands. Your first destination is Sencelles, a municipality in the heart of the island that offers a glimpse into Majorca’s past. Numerous well-preserved archeological sites from the Bronze Age Talayot period and ancient architecture proves that this region has been inhabited for thousands of years.

Continue today’s ride away from the tourist trail to Algaida, one of the best locales to soak up the authentic Majorcan culture, especially good quality cuisine. The name Algaida originated from the Arabic word al-gaida, which means “the base.” The area around this little town has stone remains of Talaiotic settlements (1400-123 BCE). The historic windmills scattered in and around the town dominate the landscape. You pause in Algaida for lunch at your leisure, perhaps sampling a local specialty, arròs brut, saffron rice with chicken, pork, and vegetables. Or grab a sweet ensaïmades pastry for the road.

We leave the Tramuntanas behind and cycle south across the Pla i Llevent region through the foot of the Ronda hills. The name translates roughly into “plain and east coast,” which sums up the flat terrain on the ride this afternoon.

Continue south to Fontsanta, where your boutique hotel and the only thermal spa on the island greets you. Wellness treatments are supplemented by the salts from the adjacent Salobrar salt marshes. Upon arrival, indulge in some pampering before gathering for an included dinner of local preparations.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Buger to Algaida — 40 km (24 miles)

Afternoon: Algaida to Fontsanta — 34 km (20 miles)

What to Expect: After a short journey, you leave the northern mountainous reaches behind for the island’s flatter southern area. On this day, with the longest ride of the week, cycle along rural roads past open fields and vineyards. Begin the day on moderate routes with some longer ascents leading to small hilltop hamlets and towns accompanied by stunning views. In the afternoon, continue along mostly flat byways.

Cumulative Distance Range: 40 — 74 km (24 — 44 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Start your day with an al fresco breakfast in the gardens, then return to the saddle for a final day of exploring the diverse environs of Mallorca. Start with a ride to what many call the “salt of the earth” side of the island—Salinas d’Es Trenc. Salt has been extracted from these shores since ancient times. Today, you visit the salt pans and marble-white, dune-like mounds where a more modern operation processes the mineral. Continue along flat quiet roads into the protected National Park, a unique salt-marsh ecosystem that hosts some 200 bird species, including flamingoes and ospreys. About 178 plant species also thrive here, two dozen of them classified as endemic, rare, or vulnerable—each of them adapted to the extreme high-mineral content of the earth.

Next, you pedal to Santanyí, passing fragrant pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. Your scenic ride also takes you past the largest and oldest colony of Posidonia oceanic on the island. You might know it better as seagrass, and this species is endemic to the Balearic Islands.

Break for lunch on your own in Santanyí, a charming town whose buildings where carved from the local golden Mares sandstone. Evidence of its medieval city wall remains, adding to the historical allure. There’ll be time for a leisurely repast and stroll in its lovely plaza before you move on. You return to your resort to enjoy an included treatment or time to relax by the outdoor or indoor pool. This evening, gather once more for a festive farewell dinner to toast your spectacular week in Mallorca.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Fontsanta – Trenc – Santanyí — 33 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Santanyí to Fontsanta — 13 km (8 miles) | OR Santanyí to Fontsanta PLUS — 24 km (14 miles)

What to Expect: Ride south across the National Park of Salinas d´És Trenc into a unique salt-marsh ecosystem. Then follow quiet roads to Salines and to Santanyí , passing pine forests, almond tree plantations, and carob and oranges trees. In the afternoon you can choose between a shorter or longer option back to the hotel.

Cumulative Distance Range: 13 — 57 km (8 — 34 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Your tour ends after a fresh Mediterranean breakfast this morning. You say farewell to your trip leaders and travel companions and depart by the hotel’s check out time of 11:00 a.m. The hotel can assist with departure transportation arrangements to Palma for your onward travels. You may opt to join our air transportation to the Palma airport depending on your companions’ departure times to Barcelona.

Included Meals: Breakfast