Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Carrer de l'Església 2; Mass)
Next to the main square in the heart of town, the Església
de Sant Mateu was built in 1230 but largely redone in 1756. You'll only be allowed to
peek inside during Mass.
Sa Gubia
ROCK CLIMBING
Just west of Bunyola, where the foothills of the Tramuntana thin to the flatlands around
Palma, rises this magnificent rock amphitheatre - a holy grail to climbers, who come to
play on 125 multipitch routes graded 4 to 8, including some excellent, fully bolted long
climbs. The Cara Oeste (West Face) ranks as one of Europe's most impressive limestone
walls.
Rock and Ride
(
0664 734512;
www.rockandride-mallorca.com
)
offer guided climbs.
Eating
Ca'n Topa
MALLORCAN €
( 971 14 84 67;
www.cantopa.com
; Careterra Palma a Soller Km 22.1; snacks €5-10; hours
vary)
'It's all downhill from here' is the strapline of Ca'n Topa - not a reference to the
food, but to its high-on-a-hill location on the windy mountain road to Sóller. It's a much-
loved pitstop of cyclists, who love its languid rhythm, poolside deck, snacks (pizzas,
bo-
cadillos
and the like) and ice-cold drinks after tearing around the Tramuntana.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Orient
Orient is one of the loveliest little hamlets on the island with its huddle of ochre houses
clustered on a slight rise. A few houses seem to slide off as if they're an afterthought on
the north side of the road.
Activities
The 9km road (the Ma2100) that wends northeast from Bunyola to Orient attracts
swarms of lithe, lycra-clad cyclists. The first 5km is a promenade along a valley brushed
with olive and cypress trees that slowly crests a plain and the
Coll d'Honor
(550m) be-
fore tumbling over the other side of a forested ridge. The next 2km of serried switch-
backs flatten out on the run into Orient. All the way, the
Serra d'Alfàbia
is in sight to the
north.
