Weekend gravel cycling in Menorca
Wednesday evening, Port of Barcelona. We are ready for a ten hour long ferry ride. After locking the bicycles, we try to make ourselves comfortable in the seats and get some sleep. We have four days in Menorca ahead of us. According to the forecast they will be very windy, cloudy and rainy.
This is our second visit to Menorca. We visited the island during the year spent on Moonshine. It was a short, a few hours long visit that left us wanting more.
Planning started with looking for information online, browsing Komoot and Google Maps. I expected to find countless articles about road / gravel routes. Located nearby Mallorca is a magnet for cyclists from all around Europe; it’s one of the most trendy cycling locations in the world. I was therefore surprised to find very little resources about Menorca (excluding some popular round-the-island MTB routes).
Some more research helped me understand. Two extreme points of Menorca: Mahón in the east and Ciutadella in the west are connected via a main road (Me-1). Most of the other roads start from Me-1 or one of the cities and end at the coast. Going from one coastal town to another means going to Me-1 and taking the next local road from there. It’s hard to create a loop without passing the same road twice. After some planning in Komoot, potential routes were set.
Day 1
Our ferry arrives in Mahón a few minutes after 10am. We leave panniers in the hotel and hit the road. We have 85 kilometers to go with 800 meters of climbing through the northern part of the island. First few kilometers of the ride show that the weather forecast was right: it’s very windy, with gusts reaching 60 km/h. We get to see Mahón, Cabo de Cavalleria, Binimella beach and Es Macaret. We have a good look at El Toro, the highest hill of the island. We decide to tackle the climb on the next occasion.
Day 2
Four hours of sleep on the ferry, previous days windy kilometers and unstable weather convinced us to change plans. We get some rest and walk in the city. No regrets here; it’s worth visiting it.
Day 3
Well rested, full of local food and slightly concerned about the weather (and pretending we don’t see the dark clouds) we get on the bikes and cycle towards the western side of the island. Today we have 60 kilometers and 550 meters of climbing; with the goal of reaching Ciutadella. The route is planned with one objective in mind: avoid Me-1 at all cost. We visit Alaior, Es Migjorn Gran (very positive surprise!), Ferreries and Ciutadella.
Day 4
Last day and last route on Menorca. Today we visit Cala Macarella. It was recommended to us as one of the most beautiful beaches. 45 km and 400 meters of ascent, but the wind is our enemy till the very end.