Distance, gradient, climbing times and the loops we ride from Port de Sóller
Quick answer
- Puig Major from Sóller is 14.4 km at 5.7% average, with 815 m of climbing and a steepest ramp of 7.0%.
- At a steady 800 m of climbing per hour it takes about 60 minutes; at 600 m per hour, about 80.
- Sa Calobra is shorter and steeper: 9.5 km at 7.2%, with ramps of 11.4%.
- The road tops out at a tunnel below the summit, which is a military zone closed to riders.
- Our Puig Major & Orient loop from Port de Sóller is 98.6 km with 2,055 m of climbing.
Puig Major cycling: how hard is the climb?
Puig Major is Mallorca's longest climb, and a steady one: 14.4 km from Sóller at 5.7% average, 815 m of climbing and never steeper than 7.0%, according to our climb database. It is hard because of its length, not its gradient. A rider who can hold a rhythm for an hour will get to the top; the real question is how much is left for the rest of the day.
The climb sits in the middle of the Serra de Tramuntana on the Ma-10, the mountain road between Sóller and Lluc. It tops out at a tunnel below the peak, then drops past the Cúber and Gorg Blau reservoirs. The summit itself is a military zone and closed to riders. The full figures are on our Puig Major climb page.
The Puig Major climb in numbers
Puig Major has two sides, and they are different climbs. From Sóller it is the long ascent most riders mean when they talk about Puig Major. From the reservoir side, coming over from Lluc, the climb to the tunnel is 3.9 km at 4.3% with 173 m of climbing: a short rise after Coll de Sa Batalla, not a second big climb. The table compares the Sóller side with the other climbs you meet on the same rides.
| Climb | Length | Climbing | Average | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puig Major (from Sóller) | 14.4 km | 815 m | 5.7% | 7.0% |
| Coll des Reis (Sa Calobra) | 9.5 km | 660 m | 7.2% | 11.4% |
| Coll de Sa Batalla | 7.9 km | 386 m | 5.0% | 7.3% |
| Coll de Sóller (south) | 5.0 km | 258 m | 5.1% | 6.2% |
Read the maximum column first. Puig Major's steepest ramp is 7.0%, well below Sa Calobra's 11.4% and close to Sa Batalla's 7.3%, so there is no wall where you have to stand up and force the bike over. What makes it hard is 14.4 km of continuous work with more than twice the climbing of Sa Batalla.
How long does Puig Major take to climb?
Puig Major takes about 50 to 80 minutes from Sóller for a rider climbing at 600 to 1,000 m per hour. That climbing rate, which cyclists call VAM, is the simplest way to estimate your own time on a steady climb like this one:
- 1,000 m per hour: about 50 minutes.
- 800 m per hour: about 60 minutes.
- 600 m per hour: about 80 minutes.
These are our own calculations from the 815 m of climbing, not timed results, and they assume no stops. If your head unit or Strava shows your climbing rate on long climbs at home, use that number. At a constant 5.7% it carries over better than it would on a climb with steep ramps.
How to pace Puig Major
Pace Puig Major as one long effort you could hold for well over an hour. With a steepest ramp of 7.0%, nothing on the climb justifies a surge, and a pace that feels easy for the first 5 km is usually the right one for the whole climb.
Where can you stop for water? Fill both bottles in Sóller. Our route notes for this road flag long stretches without water or food, and the Mirador de Ses Barques on the way up is the natural stop, often with a café open nearby. If you carry on past the tunnel towards Lluc, the next reliable stop is the Sa Batalla café near Coll de Sa Batalla.
What should you wear at the top? Carry a gilet or arm warmers. The tunnel is 815 m higher than the start, and in the standard atmosphere air cools by about 6.5°C per 1,000 m, so expect it to be around 5°C colder at the top than in Sóller before you add the wind of the descent.
Is Puig Major harder than Sa Calobra?
Sa Calobra is harder per kilometre; Puig Major is harder for its length. Sa Calobra is 9.5 km at 7.2% with ramps of 11.4%, while Puig Major is 14.4 km at 5.7% and never above 7.0%. Riders who struggle on steep ramps will find Puig Major the easier of the two, and riders who fade on long efforts will find Sa Calobra easier.
The bigger difference is the way back. Sa Calobra is a dead end: once you descend to the cove, the only way out by bike is the 9.5 km climb. Puig Major is a through road, so if you have had enough at the tunnel it is downhill to Sóller or onwards past the reservoirs. For an intermediate rider that makes Puig Major the safer first big climb of a week. Our guide to Sa Calobra by bike covers the other one in detail.
Can you ride Puig Major on an e-bike? Yes. The steady 5.7% suits an e-bike well, and our tours offer Trek Domane+ and Charter+ e-bikes for riders who want help on the climbs.
The best Puig Major loops from your hotel
The best way to ride Puig Major is inside a loop from Port de Sóller, so the 14.4 km climb comes early, on fresh legs. These are the Puig Major routes in our own route library, with distance and climbing from our GPX files:
- Puig Major & Orient, from Port de Sóller: 98.6 km and 2,055 m. Puig Major first, then down to the Orient valley and home over Coll d'Honor and the south side of Coll de Sóller.
- Sa Calobra epic climb, from Port de Sóller: 77.2 km and 2,118 m. Puig Major, the descent past the reservoirs, then Sa Calobra down and back up.
- Sa Batalla & Sa Calobra Medfeel Challenge, from Port de Sóller: 121.1 km and 2,622 m, for riders who want the big day of the week.
- Puig Major Climb descending Sa Batalla, from Valldemossa: 98.2 km and 1,686 m, the approach from the west coast.
- Coll de Sa Batalla descending Puig Major, from Valldemossa: 98.1 km and 1,691 m. The same roads the other way round, with Puig Major as a 14.4 km descent.
If you have one Puig Major day and want a loop rather than an out-and-back, ride Puig Major & Orient: the full climb early, two quieter cols on the way home and no stretch of road ridden twice. It starts at Jumeirah Mallorca in Port de Sóller. Every option is on our Mallorca routes map.
When to ride Puig Major, and what to watch for
Spring and autumn are the best seasons to ride Puig Major. At Palma airport, AEMET's 1981–2010 averages give highs of 19.8°C in April and 23.9°C in October, against 31.2°C in July, and the top of the climb is cooler than any of those. In July and August start early: our route notes carry a heat warning for this road. Our month-by-month guide to the best time to cycle Mallorca has the full picture.
The same notes flag damp north-facing descents in the early morning and in winter, buses near the viewpoints, fast junctions and goats on the road. Weather in the high Tramuntana changes faster than on the coast, so check the forecast for the mountains, not just for Sóller. Several mountain hotels close in winter, which shapes where you can base a December or January trip.
Ride Puig Major with Medfeel
Our Tramuntana Luxury Ride spends two nights at Jumeirah Mallorca in Port de Sóller, a short ride from the start of the climb, inside a 7-day week of 321 km and 5,974 m over 5 riding days. It is rated Intermediate, runs guided or self-guided, and starts from €4,850 per person in double occupancy. Flights, travel insurance and meals beyond breakfast are not included; we recommend travel insurance, and cancelling 35 days or more before departure gives a full refund (excluding non-refundable third-party costs). To build a Puig Major day into your week, send us your dates through Plan your trip.
FAQ: Puig Major cycling
Can you cycle to the top of Puig Major?
No. The summit of Puig Major is a military zone closed to the public. Cyclists ride the Ma-10 to the tunnel below the peak, 14.4 km and 815 m of climbing from Sóller.
Which side of Puig Major is best to climb?
Sóller, if you want the full climb: 14.4 km at 5.7%. From the reservoir side it is 3.9 km at 4.3%, so riding it from Lluc turns Puig Major into a long descent to Sóller instead of a long climb.
Is the Puig Major descent dangerous?
It is a 14.4 km descent to Sóller on the Ma-10, and the risks our route notes flag are damp north-facing bends early in the day and buses near the viewpoints. Put on a layer at the tunnel and keep your speed in hand.
Can I ride Puig Major and Sa Calobra in one day?
Yes. Our Sa Calobra epic climb route from Port de Sóller does both in 77.2 km with 2,118 m of climbing: Puig Major first, then the descent to the cove and the 9.5 km climb back out.
