Sa Calobra by the numbers
≈ 10km
length of the climb
7%
average gradient
660+m
elevation in one go
12%
max gradient
26
hairpins
680m
high point: Coll dels Reis
Some climbs you simply ride – and then there is Sa Calobra. No other ascent on Mallorca sits higher on the bucket list of road cyclists from around the world. This guide gets you safely to the top and calmly back down, with everything the locals know and most travel guides leave out.
“Sa Calobra is less a climb than a rite of passage, a monument and a photograph all in one.”
One quirk defines the whole experience: the road to Sa Calobra is a dead end. You first descend roughly 10 kilometres from the Coll dels Reis to the sea – and then climb the exact same road back up. Anyone standing on the beach still has the real work entirely ahead of them.
The elevation profile
Sea → Coll dels Reis · avg 7% · max 12%The landmark
The Nus de sa Corbata – the most famous hairpin in the world
Shortly before the summit the road loops through a full 270-degree turn back over itself – the “tie knot”. Seen from above, the passage looks exactly like a knotted tie. No stretch of road on Mallorca is photographed more often.
The man behind it is the Mallorcan engineer Antonio Parietti, who had the road blasted into bare rock in the early 1930s – without any tunnels. The same hand shaped the panoramic road out to Cap de Formentor. Parietti did not just build a connection to the sea; he built a work of art.
A mountain like this deserves the right bike
Light carbon road bikes from Canyon & Factor, climbing-friendly gearing, delivered to your hotel in the north – from €25 per day.
Getting there from the north
Sa Calobra lies in the heart of the Serra de Tramuntana. For guests around Alcúdia, Playa de Muro and Can Picafort the climb is well within reach as a day ride – depending on your route you will cover 110 to 150 kilometres.
Leg 1
Through Pollença to the Coll de sa Batalla
From the coast around Alcúdia and Can Picafort you climb gently through Pollença into the mountains. The Coll de sa Batalla is the gateway to the Tramuntana.
Leg 2
The MA-10 towards Puig Major
On along the spectacular MA-10 panoramic road, past the Lluc monastery, ever higher towards Puig Major – at 1,445 m the highest mountain on the island.
Leg 3
The Coll dels Reis turn-off
Shortly before the big tunnel, the Coll dels Reis turns off to the right. From here the descent to Sa Calobra begins – and with it your countdown to the real climb.
No bike with you? We deliver your road bike straight to your hotel – all the details on bike hire in Alcúdia.
Timing & insider tips
Early or not at all
Be at the Coll dels Reis before 8 a.m. From late morning, tour buses grind through the tight hairpins and the descent gets sketchy.
Best season
February to June and September to November. Rideable in high summer, but do not underestimate the heat in the sheltered ravine.
Carry your own
There are cafés down in Sa Calobra – but nothing along the 10 km back up. Two full bottles are non-negotiable.
Gearing & preparation
Sa Calobra is not a brutally steep wall but a steady, long, rhythmic climb. That is precisely the trap: the 7% feels relentless because it barely eases. Here is how to be ready:
Compact chainset 50/34
The classic choice for Mallorca’s mountains. Every one of our bikes comes with climbing-friendly gearing as standard.
Cassette with 30–32 teeth
At 7% over 10 km every easy gear counts. A 32 at the rear gives you reserve for the steeper ramps.
Pacing over bravado
Hold well below your threshold for the first few kilometres. Sa Calobra rewards a steady rhythm.
Tyres & brakes checked
The descent has 26 hairpins. Grippy tyres and working brakes matter more here than any watt.
Down at the bottom: Sa Calobra & the Torrent de Pareis
Before you take on the climb, it is worth the short walk to the mouth of the Torrent de Pareis – one of the most spectacular gorges in the Mediterranean, where towering rock walls open out to the sea. A café right on the cove takes care of the obligatory cortado before you face the climb back up. Enjoy it – the 26 hairpins will wait patiently.
You will find the full climb profile with elevation chart on our Sa Calobra route page.