Hotel Rocamarina – Sant Salvador & Cura Climbs

The Sant Salvador and Cura loop is the hardest of the three road rides from Hotel Rocamarina in Cala d’Or: 114.9 km that combine the two classic climbs of eastern and central Mallorca. The first is Sant Salvador, the hilltop sanctuary above Felanitx; the second is the Puig de Randa, which climbs to the Santuari de Cura in the centre of the island. Between and after them the route crosses the plain through Porreres, Llucmajor, Campos, Ses Salines and Santanyí. It is a full day out for experienced riders: allow five to six hours, plus stops at the top of each climb.

The ride starts north from Cala d’Or through Calonge and s’Horta towards Felanitx. Shortly before the town, a turn off the main road between two stone pillars leads onto the PMV-4011 and the climb to Sant Salvador. The ascent is about 5 km long and gains around 350 m, at close to 6% on average, with a few tighter hairpins where the gradient briefly reaches double figures. The road is narrow and carries steady tourist traffic, so take care on the switchbacks, especially on the descent back towards Felanitx.

At the top of Sant Salvador, at around 500 m, the sanctuary has a bar and a restaurant, a drinking fountain and a large terrace. A monumental stone cross and a statue of Christ stand on the ridge, and the views take in the south-east coast, the Migjorn plain and, on clear days, the Serra de Tramuntana. It is the best place to refill your bottles before the long middle section of the ride.

From Felanitx the route heads west through farmland to Porreres and on to the village of Randa, where the second climb begins. The road up the Puig de Randa (Ma-5018) is about 4.5 km long and gains around 260 m, at just under 5% on average. The steepest ramps, around 10%, come at the start through the village, after which the gradient settles at 5–6%. The surface is generally good and the road is wider than the one up Sant Salvador. On the way up you pass the sanctuaries of Gràcia and Sant Honorat before reaching Cura at the summit.

The Santuari de Cura is closely linked to Ramon Llull, the medieval Mallorcan philosopher who retired to the Puig de Randa to write, and it was the island’s first monastery. Today it has a café-restaurant and a viewpoint with a panorama across most of Mallorca, from the bay of Palma to the mountains in the north. After the summit you descend the same way to Randa and continue south to Llucmajor.

The last 45 km, from Llucmajor through Campos, Ses Salines and Santanyí back to Cala d’Or, run across the flat Migjorn plain. The terrain is easy, but after two climbs and more than 70 km in your legs it is exposed to the wind, and a headwind can make this part harder than either ascent. Keep something in reserve for it.

There are cafés and water in every town on the route and at both summits, so you only need two bottles. In summer, start early to tackle Sant Salvador and Cura before the heat of the day; in winter, carry a windproof and gloves for the descents. The roads are paved throughout. In Spain a helmet is compulsory for cyclists on roads outside towns, and drivers must leave at least 1.5 m when overtaking. Because the Sant Salvador and Cura loop includes two out-and-back climbs, you can shorten it by skipping one of them if your legs or the weather suggest it.

The route starts and finishes at Hotel Rocamarina, close to Cala Gran in Cala d’Or. For a lighter day, the hotel also has the easy Portocolom loop and the Ses Salines loop across the plain, a good warm-up before Sant Salvador.