The Journey

Welcome to La Maison: Tapas and Drinks with Joel and Manuel

From your flights first touch down at Palma International Airport your Mallorca Luxury Cycling experience will begin. After walking out into the welcoming afternoon Mediterranean sun among the throngs of travelers returning home and tourists arriving searching for taxis you will spot the Mallorca Luxury Cycling welcome team. We will assist you with your bags and accompany you to La Maison.

After your initial entrance into La Maison you will experience a proper Mallorca Luxury Cycling welcome party attended by the owners Joel and Manuel. While the logistics are taken care of by the staff such as check in and bringing your bags to your room you will be shown around the grounds while you enjoy a tapas and drinks welcome party, where you will get to know the people you will be sharing your trip with. The first day will be topped off by a laidback, friendly cocktail party followed by an expertly prepared dinner by our resident private chef all under the soothing and soulful melodies of one of Mallorca’s most prominent Flamenco Jazz fusion Guitarists.

Straddle your Perfect Pinarello bike for the first time get behind your US champion guide, Joel and set your sights on the jaw dropping Cap De Formentor, it is here along its winding climbing roads that you will begin to form a picture of the experiences that lay ahead of you. But there will be little time for such contemplation as up, up, up, you’ll go to its peak before that sweet decent under Spanish clear as crystal skies and a sea of a thousand blues. Down through the rolling decent in between your two full service support vans the road will bring you into the Port De Pollensa where the group will make our pilgrimage to the iconic cyclist pit stop for pros and adventures armatures alike Tolo’s Restaurant.

Our start point for our Tuesday morning ride is the Sanctuary de Lluc a pillar of Mallorquin heritage, stunning 13th century stone work and dazzling mosaics set the stage for the first stop on the ride. Pedaling off from Santuari de Lluc we will lean back in the saddle down the breezy blue sky decent of Sa Calobra, taking it nice an easy through the hairpins following Joel all the way to the monumental sea side chasm that enclaves the Torrent de Pareis beach. After a moment to take it all in at the beach its back in the saddle with your handle bars framing the sight of the Cala Tuent climb overlooking the meeting point of the wild and willful sea and the unrelenting Mallorca stone cliffsides, the final stretch, before taking our lunch break at a Mallorca sea cliff restaurant in the town of Cala Tuent.

After Lunch its back to La Maison for some downtime and a shower before we head out for our nightly excursion to the town of Alcudia. Greeted by medieval architecture under a twilight sky, Alcudia leaves an impression of historic beauty on those that come through it that has seldom been matched. Allotting the appropriate amount of time for a walk about to discover the town we will reunite at the heart of any proper Mallorquin town, no not the church, you guessed it the local seafood restaurant. As much a part of the history of the stone medieval architecture is a history of seafood. For dinner we will be treated to a “Mariscada” seafood extravaganza. After a day of discovering the island on the back of a Pinarello it is time to venture into the island life in the oldest and most enjoyable way.

Discovery of a Spanish island from a seat at the dinner table. Buen Provecho !

After a restful nights sleep at La Maison its time to work off Tuesday night’s dinner and what more helpful way is there to promote good digestion than being vertical on a mountain side. That’s right, Wednesday is a climb day. Follow Joel up, up, and up the switch back roads of Coll de Soller until the peak. Stay focused and stay on the climb for the prize is at the top and on the other side, the Port de Soller will be your point of refuge for the morning.

After a short break its back on the bike and through Spanish mountain villages gliding down hill all the way to Valldemossa following the scenic roads of the Serra Trumantana and then its sights set for home and back to La Maison.
After our break at home we will set out for Bodegas Ribas the oldest and most prominent winery on all the Spanish islands, proudly producing wine since 1711. There we will meet our Vintner host to give us a private tour of the vineyard culminating in a wine pairing and dinner accompanied by the sounds of a flamenco guitar.

Following Wednesdays climb a well-earned day of rest is in order, Thursdays on the island are for taking it easy. Today we roll right out the front door of La Maison and travel through the villages of Bunyalbufar to Puigpunyent and onward towards Galilea. The striking scenery of private wineries and tight snaking switch backs will take us through some charming towns and hidden historic churches as we take the time to stop and try local food markets and discover the more hidden parts of the island.

Lunch will be prepared by our Chef in residence back at La Maison. Then then off we go to the east side of the island to visit the famous Cuevas del Drach (Dragon Caves). Then we will go to the Majorica Pearl Factory museum and store. Manuel’s mom worked at the Majorica factory for 40 years and helped make them the best man made pearls in the world. No tourist trap souvenir shops and generic thrift stores when you travel with us you are taking the authentic tour of all the shopping and gifts the island has to offer from local friends and family. Following our visit to Majorica Pearls we are off to dinner where we will be greeted by Maitre D’ David Serrano, Manuel’s childhood friend, who will lead us to our private table at Chef Andreu Genestra’s Michelin Star restaurant.

Flamenco Show, Dinner y Ole!!

The final ride after breakfast, we start at Banyalbufar where we ride along the roads of Serra de Tramuntana in a day full of sea breeze and wind in your face taking us down to Port d’Andratx. Along the route we will make some stops to take in the cliffside views that were given Status as a World Heritage UNESCO sight. We will have lunch in Port D’Andratx at a carefully selected port side seafood restaurant.

Then its back to La Maison for down time and a massage while the staff prepares the grand finale Flamenco Dinner and Show. We will enjoy tapas throughout the evening as we are entertained by a private Flamenco Performance, by an acclaimed Flamenco Group. It will be a night full of inside jokes, shared memories of the trip, tapas drinks and as always gracious hosting by Manuel and Joel.

New friends and great memories have been made. Alas it’s not Adios but Hasta Luego.

After breakfast we will accommodate your transportation to the airport or your next stop.

And so we say with confidence and minimal sadness Hasta Luego, until we see you again, for there is seldom a rider who has passed through Mallorca that hasn’t left a small part of his heart on this island and sooner or later he will be back to re visit it.