Yes — Mallorca is one of Europe's best winter cycling destinations, but January, February and March ride like three different islands: January for empty roads, February for the almond blossom, March for the mountains coming back. The number that matters isn't Palma's 15 °C on the seafront; it's how cold the shaded gorges feel on a Tramuntana descent before the sun reaches them, and which hotels are actually open.
Quick answer
- January: the quietest month of the year — Palma averages a 15.4 °C high, but mountain mornings can sit close to freezing.
- February: same quiet roads plus the almond blossom, usually best in the second half of the month around Selva and Caimari.
- March: the warmest and sunniest of the three (17.2 °C, 205 h of sun) and the month mountain hotels start reopening.
- Rain: about 5–6 rain days a month at Palma (AEMET), mostly short showers rather than all-day washouts.
- Base: Palma in January and February, when many mountain-village hotels are still closed; the interior for the blossom.
Mallorca cycling weather in January, February and March
Palma's winter is mild: AEMET's climate normals give average highs of 15.4 °C in January, 15.5 °C in February and 17.2 °C in March, with rainfall falling from 42 mm to 28 mm over the three months. Those are coastal figures, though — the Serra de Tramuntana is noticeably colder, especially early in the day and in shaded sections.
| January | February | March | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (Palma Puerto) | 15.4 °C | 15.5 °C | 17.2 °C |
| Average low (Palma Puerto) | 8.3 °C | 8.4 °C | 9.6 °C |
| Average low (Palma Airport, inland) | 3.8 °C | 4.0 °C | 5.2 °C |
| Average rainfall | 42 mm | 37 mm | 28 mm |
| Days with ≥1 mm of rain | 5.8 | 5.6 | 4.5 |
| Average sunshine | 167 h | 170 h | 205 h |
Source: AEMET climate normals 1981–2010, Palma Puerto and Palma Airport stations.
The gap between the two stations is the whole story of winter riding here. Palma Airport, only a few kilometres inland, averages lows around 4 °C against roughly 8 °C at the port — and the mountains sit higher and shadier still. Climbing at 15 °C feels warm; descending the same road at speed through a gorge the sun hasn't reached yet does not.
January: the quietest month on the whole calendar
January is Mallorca's coolest and quietest cycling month: near-empty roads, low winter light over the Tramuntana and daytime temperatures that are comfortable for riding once you dress for a cool start. Many mountain-village hotels closed since mid-November are still shut, so Palma is the reliable base, and the island is in the middle of the pro teams' pre-season training-camp period.
The real caution is altitude and timing. Mountain mornings can sit close to freezing, so this is not a month to set off at 8 am towards the high roads. What you get in return is something no spring trip offers: the famous climbs and coast roads almost to yourself, and a good chance of sharing a café stop with a professional team without immediately realising it.
February: the almond blossom month
February rides almost exactly like January — Palma base, quiet roads, training-camp company on the climbs — with one addition worth booking this month for: Mallorca's almond blossom. For a few weeks, usually in the second half of February, the farmland around Selva, Caimari and the wider Es Raiguer belt below the Tramuntana turns white and pale pink.
The exact timing shifts with each winter's weather and varies by location and almond variety, so there is no single date when the whole island flowers — plan around the month, not a day. Riding through it is different from seeing it from a car: the roads through the almond country are quiet farm lanes rather than the famous coastal climbs, and some of the least-ridden tarmac on the island the rest of the year.
March: the month Mallorca reopens
March is the warmest, driest and sunniest of the three months — a 17.2 °C average high, 28 mm of rain and 205 hours of sunshine in Palma — and the month mountain-village hotels start reopening ahead of the April rush. That puts the big Tramuntana days back within easy reach before the Mallorca 312 crowds arrive, at the price of the least predictable weather of the three.
Hotels reopen progressively rather than all at once — properties around Sóller, Fornalutx and Pollença town are typically among the first — so check a specific property before building a route around it. Depending on the forecast, a March week can include:
Rain systems can still roll through the Tramuntana with little warning in March, so pack layers you are prepared to use and keep a lower-altitude alternative for the day the mountains say no.
January vs February vs March: which month should you choose?
Choose January for the quietest roads and lowest prices, February if the almond blossom is the reason for the trip, and March if you want long mountain days and more of the island open. January and February are close cousins and both Palma-based; March is a genuinely different trip, the first month you can credibly leave Palma behind for a few days.
| January | February | March | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Empty roads, lowest prices | Almond blossom + quiet riding | Longer mountain days |
| Hotel availability | Narrow — Palma is the reliable base | Narrow — Palma or the interior | Widening — mountain hotels reopen progressively |
| Roads | Essentially empty | Essentially empty | Quiet, building towards April |
| Typical start | Later morning | Later morning | Built around the forecast |
| Weather risk | Cold mountain mornings | Similar to January | Least predictable of the three |
| Extra draw | Pro training camps on the roads | Almond blossom in the interior | Sa Calobra and Puig Major before the crowds |
Based on AEMET climate normals and our own guiding experience in Mallorca.
Where to stay for winter cycling in Mallorca
Palma is the best winter base: it stays fully open, sits at the foot of the southern Serra de Tramuntana and puts varied climbing within reach without a long transfer — towards Andratx, Galilea, Establiments, Valldemossa and Banyalbufar. For the almond blossom, a rural hotel in the interior lets you wake up inside it rather than ride out to it.
The strongest interior option is Finca Binibona, a 4-star rural hotel in the foothills near Selva with secure bike storage, right in the almond belt and at the base of Coll de Sa Batalla (7.9 km at 5.0% from Caimari). From either base, Santuari de Cura (4.7 km at 5.5% up Puig de Randa) is a central-island climb that rides well all winter, sheltered from coastal wind.
For a deeper look at the climbs from a Palma base, see our guide to cycling Mallorca in October, November and December — the same roads work all winter.
Can you ride Sa Calobra, Puig Major and Formentor in winter?
Yes — none of Mallorca's big climbs closes for the season. Sa Calobra and the climb back up from it are rideable year-round, and Puig Major's cycling road stays open apart from rare short closures for snow, ice or roadworks at altitude. What decides the day is wind, temperature on the descent and whether the road is dry, not the month.
A few specifics worth knowing: the summit area of Puig Major is a military zone, so you ride the road, not the top. Cap de Formentor is exposed, so wind direction matters more there than temperature. And Sa Calobra commits you — once you descend, the only way out by bike is back up 9.5 km at an average 7.2%, so decide at the top, not at the bottom. After heavy rain or a strong Tramuntana wind, check conditions before an exposed descent.
Riding alongside pro cycling's pre-season
Through January and February a meaningful slice of the professional peloton trains in Mallorca, drawn by mild temperatures, quiet roads and short transfers between terrain types. Late January also brings the Challenge Ciclista Mallorca stage race, which briefly puts a pro peloton on some of the same roads — worth knowing mainly because it means road closures and tighter hotel availability around Palma that week.
Many teams use this window for base miles on the island's interior roads, then sharpen up as March lengthens the days — a rhythm worth borrowing for your own trip. Our guide to Remco Evenepoel's heartland training routes maps out exactly where one of them rode.
Does it rain all day in Mallorca in winter?
Rarely. AEMET records about 5.8 days with at least 1 mm of rain in January, 5.6 in February and 4.5 in March at Palma Puerto — and a "rain day" in the statistics can be a single 40-minute shower. Expect a handful of wet spells across a week, usually short and sharp rather than all-day washouts, with March the least predictable of the three months.
The practical answer is planning, not luck: check the hourly forecast the evening before, keep a shorter backup loop and a café stop in the plan, and move the big mountain day to whichever date has the settled window.
What to wear, and when to start
Dress in layers rather than heavy winter kit, and start later than you would in spring. A thermal base layer, arm and leg warmers (or winter bib tights), full-finger gloves, a windproof gilet and a light waterproof cover most days — plus an extra layer for long descents, which is the one riders most often leave behind.
In January and February, time the start around the temperature at altitude rather than the clock; in March, longer daylight gives you far more flexibility to fit a full Tramuntana day.
Our take
We don't call January, February and March "the off-season" — they are three different versions of the island. If you want Mallorca to yourself, come in January and base in Palma. If the almond blossom is the reason, come in the second half of February and stay inland near Selva. If you want your first long mountain days of the year before the April crowds, come in March and check your mountain hotel is open. Whichever you choose, read the day before you ride it: winter here rewards riders who adapt the route to the conditions.
Planning a winter cycling trip to Mallorca? Tell us your dates, your level and whether the blossom or the mountains matter more to you — we'll build the route and the base around the season.
Plan your winter trip with Medfeel · or start with the Mallorca Weekend Cycling Escape (3 days, from €950)
Frequently asked questions
Is Mallorca warm enough to cycle in winter?
For most riders, yes. Palma's average highs are around 15 °C in January and February and 17.2 °C in March, which is comfortable for climbing — far more so than the 25–30 °C of summer. It isn't beach weather, and mountain mornings are much colder than the coast, so the answer depends less on the month than on dressing in layers and starting once the sun is up.
Can beginners or e-bike riders cycle Mallorca in winter?
Yes, if the routes match the rider. Lower-altitude roads through the interior, shorter days and flexible start times make winter accessible to newer cyclists, and an e-bike lets riders of different levels share the same route while taking the edge off longer climbs and windy days. The mistake is copying an advanced rider's Tramuntana itinerary just because you're on the island.
Are Mallorca's hotels open in January and February?
Palma's hotels stay open all winter, but many smaller mountain-village and rural hotels close from around mid-November and reopen progressively through March. That's why January and February are Palma-based months for most riders. If a specific rural or mountain property matters to your plan, confirm its winter opening dates before you book flights.
Are bike shops and rentals open in winter?
Some are; low season brings shorter hours and occasional closed days even at established shops, so independent riders should confirm before relying on one. With Medfeel it isn't something to plan around: your bike is fitted to your measurements before you arrive and delivered to your hotel, with daily insurance included.
Is Mallorca cheaper for cycling in winter?
Generally, yes — January and February sit at the annual low for hotel and rental rates, and March is still well below summer before prices firm up for spring. There's no single island-wide discount, though: prices depend on the hotel, room, bike, service level and exact dates, so compare the specific trip rather than a headline percentage.
Is a guided trip worth it in winter?
Winter is when local knowledge pays off most. A guide adapts the route each day to wind, temperature, daylight and road conditions — swapping a high Tramuntana day for a sheltered interior loop when the mountains say no — instead of sticking to a plan made months earlier. That flexibility is the difference between a cold, frustrating day and one of the best rides of the trip.
Sources & methodology
- Weather: AEMET climate normals 1981–2010, Palma Puerto and Palma Airport stations.
- Climb data: Medfeel's route database (length and average gradient), checked October 2026.
- Professional cycling: official Challenge Ciclista Mallorca information.
- Hotel seasons, almond blossom and riding advice: Medfeel's guiding experience in Mallorca. Blossom timing and hotel opening dates vary each year — check them for your dates.
