Mallorca 312

The Mallorca 312

The Mallorca 312 is one of the most sought after sportives in Europe and one of the best cycling holidays we offer. We are proud to be their official tour operator and if you want to ride the event, click here. If you’re more interested in reading about what the event has to offer, read on for a full in depth guide of what you can expect.

Held in arguably the most popular cycling holiday destination, the Mallorca 312 offers three different routes. Take on the 167km route, the 225km route or the full distance 312km featuring over 5,000m of climbing, most of it through the epic Tramuntana mountains.

Held each year on the last Saturday of April, the event is sold out, usually inside 48 hours of general release. Luckily for you, Love Velo is one of the largest operators and we can guarantee race entry as well as the VIP pen open only to preferred operators such as ourselves. One of our team has ridden it every year for the last 7 years so there’s not much we don’t know about the 312.

We hope you find our guide to this epic event useful. Be sure to check out our other cycling trips too.

1. Event Summary

What Is The Mallorca 312?

The Mallorca 312 is a a sportive that takes place from Playa de Muro each year, in the north of Mallorca. Each of the 3 routes starts in Playa de Muro and takes in the climbs of the Traumntana mountains. The shorter and medium distances loop through the mountains whilst the longer distance does likewise (on a longer loop) before also taking in the flatlands in the north east of the island up towards Arta.

When Is The Mallorca 312?

The closed road sportive is the final Saturday of April each year. It has grown from a few hundred riders to almost 8,000 at the 2019 edition. The Mallorca 312 date for 2025 is 26 April 2025.

What Are The Mallorca 312 Routes?

The 312 is so popular because it offers 3 routes of varying distances and elevation.

The green loop in the picture below is the shortest at 167km and loops between Port Pollensa and Esporles. The purple loop is the 225km loop and takes on the whole of the Tramuntana, looping back around from Andratx. The orange loop is the full 312km route heading out to Arta and the north eastern flatlands. All routes take on some of the top climbs in Mallorca but if you take on the the larger of the two routes, you will get to experience some of the most stunning roads near Andratx which you can read more about here.

The beauty of the 312 is that you can choose your distance on the day. Simply follow the signposts for your chosen route.

How Hard Is Mallorca 312 Route?

The Mallorca 312 route is incredibly tough and you need to be in good physical condition to complete the ride.

Short Route

167 km in length

2,475 m in elevation

Medium Route

225 km in length

3,973 m in elevation

Long Route

312 km in length

5,050 m in elevation

Are There Cut Off Times For The Mallorca 312 Routes?

Yes there are! For the long route, you have to be back in Playa de Muro by 9pm. That’s a massive 14 hours on your bike as you will set off at 7am. For the 2 shorter distances, the Mallorca 312 cut off time is 10 hours meaning you have to be back by 5pm.

The route takes in much of the island and because it’s a popular destination amongst non cyclists, the event organisers are very strict with time controls, to allow the roads to reopen. Therefore you will need to pass checkpoints along the route to make sure that you are on time to be back in Playa de Muro by the cut off. This is exceptionally important to know because it means you need to start as close to the official starting time as possible, to give yourself as much opportunity to ride within the time allowed. The later you start, the more pressure you’re under. If you book with us, ask us about the VIP pen which allows you an unhindered start as soon as the gun goes off!

Where Does The Mallorca 312 Start And End?

The Mallorca 312 starts and ends in Playa de Muro, on the horseshoe Pollensa bay.

The beach is golden sand and a flat ride out to Port Pollensa to the west, and Alcudia to the east. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Palma airport.

2. Booking The Mallorca 312

When Is The Mallorca 312 On Sale?

The Mallorca 312 goes on sale in October but it sells out almost immediately.

Fortunately, if you book with us, we can guarantee your race entry. We can also provide separate accommodation, private or group airport transfers, as well as bike hire. We also sell it throughout the year, subject to availability, so if you know you want to take part long before the event goes on sale, just get in touch with us by enquiring here. Make sure you sign up to our newsletter so that you receive our Mallorca 312 news throughout the year.

What Pen Will I Be In?

We have plenty of entries in the standard pen and so long as you are at the start line on time, this works for most people.

However, we can also organise a space in the VIP entry pen which allows you to roll over the start line as soon as the race gun goes off, as well as providing a few other perks.

Where Can I Stay During The Event?

We have a variety of accommodation both in Can Picafort and Playa de Muro.

Our standard trip is from Can Picafort, 5km from the start as it’s the best base, but if you prefer to eliminate any extra mileage or simply want to roll out of bed on to the start line, then we can organise your stay in Playa de Muro.

Private Or Group Transfers?

Our standard trip offers group transfers and also includes bike carriage. You might however like to upgrade to private airport transfers which we can organise.

Bike Hire For The Mallorca 312

We can provide excellent bike hire for the 312.

Whether you want a standard carbon road bike, DI2s and disc brakes, or a top of the range Pinarello F12, we can organise that. The most important thing to note is that bike hire is completely unavailable anywhere on the island by the time the event rolls around so you need to book with us far in advance to guarantee your bike hire.

Guided Rides Before The Event

We will provide guided warm up rides on the Friday from our base in Can Picafort and Playa de Muro.

The rides are quite gentle spins outs along the flatlands immediately south and we encourage you to jump on and ride with us. More information on this will be provided at booking.

What’s Else Is Included In The Mallorca 312 Entry?

When you sign up to take part, your entry comes with a free 312 jersey, food and drink at the feed stations and a medal on finishing.

3. Event Preparation

What’s The Weather Like In Mallorca In April?

The weather in Mallorca in late April should be warm with temperatures in the low twenties.

The is the ideal cycling weather for the event as it’s not too hot, although the early morning and later evening means you definitely need to be equipped. Read more about the weather in Mallorca in April here.

Do I Need A Mallorca 312 Training Plan?

If you’re not used to completing such long distances, whatever Mallorca 312 route you decide on, then we highly recommend a personalised training plan.

We like Training Peak’s custom plans although they can be expensive. Check out Zwift too as they released a custom Etape plan so may well do something for the Mallorca 312 going forwards.

What Should I Wear For The Mallorca 312?

The Mallorca 312 provides a free jersey and whilst they encourage you to wear it on event day, we don’t like the idea of wearing new kit at an event!

We suggest wearing whatever you have been training in, bib shorts, jersey and socks. However, you need to remember that the race starts very early and it will be mid teens when you leave the hotel and get on your bike. We always recommend taking an old jumper with that you don’t mind not being reunited with (!) or as we saw at the Maratona in 2024, bin bags taped to your kit to keep the wind off!

We also suggest taking arm warmers or a gillet, as even the early descents can be cold. They can easily fit in your back pocket so it’s a good idea. Also remember nutrition, it’s a hell of a long ride!

4. The Event

What Is The Best Part Of The Mallorca 312 Route?

The Coll De Femenia

The first climb that you hit on all 3 of the routes is the Coll de Femenia. We love this climb because it’s the gateway to the mountains. The ride is 7.5km in length at a gentle 5.5% gradient, although it kicks up to 10% in sections. It’s a great way to warm you body up for a tough day ahead. If you want to read about the climb, we have an in depth review of the Coll de Femenia here.

The Views Over The Reservoirs

The ride will take you up past the two beautiful reservoirs below Puig Major and you will summit at the Monnaber Tunnel.

The waters of Gorg Blau and the Embassment de Cuber shimmer in the light and make for a stunning view as you climb steadily into the mountains. From here, you will head back down into the heart of the mountains. Passing by Soller, you will ride past hilltop villages such as Valldemossa where views are of pine forests, the ocean to your right, and stone buildings.

Estellencs

If you’re doing the 167km route, you will loop back up the eastern side of the Tramuntana but if you’re doing the 225km or full course, you will be rewarded with a ride down the MA 10 which might possibly be the most stunning part of any ride in Mallorca.

You will ride through Estellencs with views over the cliffs as they plunge into the water below. You can read more about this road here, albeit those route notes are riding north rather than south.

Rural Mallorca

Once you have ridden past Andratx and start heading back north, you will climb through the eastern section of the mountains.

The riding is still tough but by the time you hit Alaro, the ride significantly flattens and you can enjoy the traditional stone lined roads of rural Mallorca. In particular, Campanet, famous for ancient caves discovered only in the 1940s, offer traditional flat stone lined roads, which make for stunning riding. From here, you head towards Muro and Sant Llorenc, in the heart of the flatlands.

Is The Mallorca 312 On Strava?

Yes the Mallorca 312 route is on Strava and you can join the club here. You can also join the Love Velo Strava club here.

How Are The Mallorca 312 Pens Allocated

Put simply, there aren’t a large number of pens like the Maratona or the Etape and so the most important piece of advice we can give any rider for starting the Mallorca 312 is arrive early or book yourself into one of our VIP pens. That way, you will guarantee that you will start the race on time. There can be large queues near the start which will start eating into your cut off time so either book a standard pen entry and get to the race line early, and by early we mean 5am early(!), or book one of our VIP pens which allows you to ride as soon as the race starts.

3. Event Preparation

Do not underestimate this challenge. The 312 is a huge ride and so you need to give yourself plenty of time to complete it. Taking an average of 30kph, a fast rider can complete the 312km in about 10.5 hours, the 225km in about 7.5 hours and the 167km is about 5.5 hours.

The start of the ride will not likely be at a 30kph pace given the mountains but by the time you’re into the foothills and then flatlands, the pace should quicken up. The event is also one of only a handful where pelotons and drafting is encouraged.

There are also some times from the 2024 event which should help guide you.

312km Route: Winner (male) – 8.49 Winner (female) – 9.56

225km Route: Winner (male) – 6.32 Winner (female) – 8.01

Where Are The Food & Nutrition Stops?

The route is very well oragnised in respect of feed stations.

There are a variety of feed stations listed below but it’s worth noting that the first isn’t until Puig Major, after you’ve climbed the Coll de Femenia and to the top of the Monnaber Tunnel. You need to make sure you’re well equipped for the first 55km as there is no support until then.

Mallorca 312 55.2 Puig Major 93.1 Coll den Claret 135.3 Es Capdella 192.7 Lloseta 241 Ariany 285.2 Artà

Mallorca 225 55.2 Puig Major 100.5 Coll de sa Bastida 135.3 Es Capdella 192.7 Lloseta (also medical)

Mallorca 167 55.2 Puig Major 93.1 Coll den Claret 132.1 Lloseta