A trip to the Balearic Island of Majorca would not be complete without an assent of the legendary climb of Sa Calobra. The trick in the tale is that Sa Calobra is essentially a dead end, so you have to laugh and smile all the way down the 11km decent, only to turn around and do the same in reverse, and that's the hard bit! There are several cafe/restaurants, and a beach at the bottom so it is a great place for a food stop!

The road was built in 1932, and designed by the Italian engineer Antonio Paretti, appropriately, as an aerial view of the road looks like someone dropped spaghetti on the mountain side.

We rode in from Port De Soller. Sa Calobra can be approached from three different directions, but all require a 700m to 1100m assent of Puig Major (Majorca's highest point). The climb from Soller is roughly 13km at an average of 6.2% from the foot of the first major climb. The roads are nicely sheltered with trees from the late September sun, and the road surfaces and traffic are all a cyclist could ask for.

Half way into the climb I found myself looking for the next switchback in the road to be the last, and laughing out loud when it wasn’t. You can’t deny that when you have new and amazingly stunning views around every corner that the climbing, dare I say it, becomes even more enjoyable.

For anyone that doesn’t fancy the climb up to the top before the descent, and then the climb back to the top, you can get a ferry in from Port de Soller, but you will be starting with cold legs and roughly 200 yards before the climb begins! Alternatively if you just want to enjoy the descent and take an early lunch, you can bail out at the bottom and catch the ferry back...