Sineu to the Mountains — Castell d'Alaró

Sineu to Lloseta — the flat opening act

Km 0–25 · Gravel & tarmac · Flat

Leave Sineu early. The road east passes horse ranches and almond groves on tracks wide enough to ride two abreast. The surface varies — packed gravel, dirt, the occasional section of old stone lane. None of it is difficult. All of it is quiet.

This section exists to let you open your lungs before the mountains. Don't race it. The horse ranches are worth a moment's attention — working animals, not tourist facilities, with the kind of unhurried presence that reminds you what the island looked like before the motorways.

At Lloseta the railway crosses the road. Cross it and everything changes.

The climb to the castle

Km 25–55 · Singletrack & concrete road · Hard

The transition is abrupt. The flat plain ends, the pine forest begins, and the gradient kicks up immediately. Above Lloseta a stretch of singletrack threads through the trees — tight, technical, possibly requiring a brief walk with the bike on the steeper pitches. This is not a warning, it's a description. Hike-a-bike is part of gravel riding. Anyone who tells you otherwise hasn't ridden enough gravel.

Above the singletrack the character of the terrain shifts again. A concrete road with proper switchbacks takes over — the kind of surface built for maintenance vehicles, not cyclists, but perfectly rideable at a measured pace. The views over the Raiguer plain open up as the trees thin.

The final approach to the Castell d'Alaró is on foot. Leave the bike at the end of the road and walk the last 10 minutes to the castle walls. The effort is not optional — the views from the ramparts are what makes this route worth the 790 metres of climbing to get here.

The castle operates as a mountain refuge and hostel. If the day has been long, staying the night is not a bad answer.

The descent to Sineu

Km 55–75 · Mixed surface · Technical

The descent retraces part of the ascent before branching west through orchards and vineyard country back toward the Pla. The surface varies — some sections are fast and open, others require attention. The final kilometres through the flat interior are the mental decompression after a serious day out.

Arrive back in Sineu with whatever time remains in the afternoon and do what Sineu demands: sit somewhere quiet, eat something local, and let the day settle.

Practical notes

• The singletrack section above Lloseta may require carrying the bike — budget the time and don't fight it
• The castle walk from the road is mandatory and takes 10–15 minutes each way
• The mountain refuge at Alaró serves food — the tortilla is reliable
• Water in Lloseta (km 25) and at the castle refuge — nothing reliable in between
• The concrete road sections on the descent are fast but narrow — control your speed
• Combine with an overnight at the castle refuge for a very different kind of riding holiday