This route is 52km, with one big climb, a sweeping descent and a quiet amble through a secret valley home.
From Campanet, you start with 5.5 flat km traversing the southern slope of the mountain west to Selva (you could edge north as you traverse on smaller roads, to arrive in Caimari, but the climb out of Selva and the dip down and view across the raised valley to Caimari from Selva is not to be missed).
You climb though Selva up to the arched bridge over the road that frames the sky. Then down, sweep around the corner and the village of Caimari comes into view—balancing on a little bump below the mountains, with Massenella (Mallorca’s second-highest peak) above it to the left.
The real climb starts as you leave Caimari; it’s 10km at around 5% up the to pass (the Col de Sa Batalla) that cuts through the centre of Mallorca’s mountain range. At the top you’ve a choice of left (West, traversing along the North side of the mountains and descending to Soller) or right (past the Luc monastery, traversing East along the North side of the mountains and descending to Pollenca).
The donkeys you’ll be going too fast to see
This route goes right; it’s 21km down to Pollenca; the road is smooth as you descend initially (you pass the monastery turn at 1.5km down), then rougher on a flat and uphill section for a while (be careful for roaming goats here), then beautiful new tarmac returns in time for the real descent. You’ll be going too fast to spot the donkeys.
Leave Pollenca south on the Ma-2200 (it’s the one section of large road on the route) for 5km, then turn right onto the Cami Vell de Pollenca—it winds gently along the flat for 10km, then climbs back into Campanet right by the villa. The valley (“vell” is some kind of park area: the “Monument Natural de ses Fonts Ufanes”.
Click ‘download’ at the bottom of this page for the gpx file of this route.