New blow for tourist haters in Majorca as island invaded by cyclists

Majorca's cycling season is in full swing again this autumn, bringing packed hotels and busy roads to the island just as the traditional summer tourism wave subsides. While most visitors associate the Balearic hotspot with sun-seekers in July and August, the island has quietly built a booming second tourism season focused on cycling.

Between February and May and again in September and October, thousands of cycling enthusiasts descend on Majorca to take advantage of its scenic routes and mild weather. This autumn is no exception. Resorts such as Playa de Muro - one of Majorca's key cycling hubs - are reporting near full capacity in early October, with the Majorca Hoteliers Federation confirming hotel occupancy is "more or less 100%" in many areas. The surge coincides with the Mallorca Masters Cycling event, which starts on October 14 in Arenal. The event attracts both amateur and club cyclists from across Europe, extending the tourist season well beyond the traditional summer months.

Cycling tourism now operates in two clear peaks: the busier February-May period, anchored by events such as the Mallorca Cycling Challenge and Mallorca 312 sportive, and a smaller but still significant season in early autumn.

While the high summer heat keeps numbers down between June and August, cyclists continue to arrive steadily in the shoulder months, sustaining local businesses long after the beachgoers have gone home. In towns like Playa de Muro, bike rental shops, repair services and specialist tour operators all benefit from this extended calendar. Even inland, some small hotels stay open through winter specifically to cater to cyclists.

For some residents, however, the cycling boom has become a fresh source of frustration. While cyclists typically arrive in smaller groups than package holidaymakers, their presence on rural roads and through resort towns can be both highly visible and controversial.

This tension has been most visible around the Mallorca 312 sportive - the island's flagship cycling event, which attracts 8,500 riders from around the world each April. First held in 2010, it is now based largely in Majorca's mountainous north and involves total road closures for routes of 312km, 225km and 167km through the Serra de Tramuntana.

Earlier this year, a dozen groups - including environmental campaigners and anti-tourism activists - issued a joint statement urging local authorities to cancel the 2025 edition of the Mallorca 312. They argued that its "abusive" road closures violate residents' fundamental rights to enter or leave their homes, harm the environment, and "intensify" overcrowding in spring.

"Once again, many residents will be seriously affected, with travel restricted for several hours - up to seven in some cases - if these coincide with the race route," said a statement released by the groups.

The joint statement, backed by platforms such as Alternative for Pollença, Youth for Climate Majorca and Son Bonet Green Lung, accused the Council of Majorca of turning the island into "a theme park that leads us towards collapse" to favour tourism businesses.

They argued that the sportive "does not respond to any social need or general interest. On the contrary, it generates a negative impact on the environment, favours a tourist sector that lives at the expense of the territory and resources, and harms the wellbeing of Majorca's residents."

The complaints over cycling come against the backdrop of a broader backlash against mass tourism on the island. In July 2024, around 10,000 people joined an anti-tourism march in Palma, calling for restrictions on visitor numbers, tighter controls on rental accommodation and measures to reduce the impact on residents.

"There will be no more regattas, tomorrow is the last cruise," protesters chanted. "Goodbye rental cars, goodbye rat businesses. Houses will be cheap and we won't see more cyclists. We will plough the highways, the hotels will be empty and so the world will understand that there are too many tourists."

Locals have blamed the tourism boom for pushing up house prices, raising the cost of living, straining public services and clogging rural roads. Cycling tourism, once seen as a quieter, more sustainable alternative to beach tourism, is now being swept into the wider debate.