As lockdown eases, travelling by bike is a growing trend with a rising number of people taking to the saddle to avoid using public transport. The capital of the Balearic Islands, Palma, is a great city to discover by bike and the local tourism board together with the city council has announced increased investment of €100,000 on extending the current 90km cycling network initially by 2km in a step towards achieving the target of 100km of bike lanes in and around Palma by 2023.
Mallorca’s capital Palma and its surrounding area is a vibrant destination to be discovered by bike, especially outside of the peak summer months due to the mild climate and less crowded paths. For those who wish to explore Palma’s cycle network around the city, the city council has announced an ambitious plan to increase the cycle paths to connect Palma’s centre with other districts in one linked network.
The extension will make it easier riding from Palma’s Old Town to the surrounding areas where famous tourist attractions are located such as Castell de Bellver, a well-preserved 14th-century royal fortress with a museum and superb views over Palma Bay, or Pueblo Español, a replica ‘show village’ featuring a range of Spanish architecture. Another flatter and very popular cycling route is the one around Palma Bay. The route features S’Arenal; a beach located just a few miles outside of the city, and a very popular suburb of Palma, Portixol.
Since well before the Covid-19 pandemic, the city of Palma has been changing its tourism strategy to a more long-term and sustainable model. This included a series of measures to address the impact that visitors have on the environment, including the development of a low emission zone, the expansion of electric vehicle charging points and initiatives to reduce crowds in the city and better manage the flow of tourists. The development of Palma’s cycle network is part of this strategy and will also help to attract visitors to the city on a year-round basis; helping with issues around seasonality.
Pedro Homar, Manager of the Palma Tourism Board says: “Mallorca is well-known as a cycling destination and many cyclists; from amateurs to professionals choose Palma as their base. We hope the development of Palma’s cycle network will appeal to many visitors and encourage them to visit some of the superb beaches, museums and tourism highlights in and around the city. As well as the development of the cycling network; many of the hotels in the city offer excellent facilities for cyclists as well as bike rentals making the activity more accessible to all.”
