Mallorca is a diverse, and diverting, place.  Its northern part is of greatest interest to the hoards of cyclists who literally descend (from the sky and from countries to the North - especially Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands) onto the island's northern roads seeking warm and challenging training.  There must be thousands out on any given Spring day, often riding in packs of ten to twenty and usually riding very strongly.  

The northern part is physically much like Corsica, a little wild, rocky, hilly, striking, maybe not quite as piratical.  The towns and communities are generally charming, especially Soller.  The resort towns are overrun with visitors.  The main city is historic Palma, laid out dramatically along the jagged coast.  Its "small" boat harbor is filled with mega-yachts. 

Mallorca's dominant feature is rock.  It forms the coast and - arrayed vertically - it underlies the winding northern roads that test cyclists and the tour buses trying to negotiate the switchbacks. Examined in hand, even small rocks have surprising personality, marked with little fissures and gas pockets and almost-human features.    The bigger rocks, densely scattered on the shorelines and hills, are almost sculptural.

First view; arriving over the coast of Mallorca; clouds almost obscure the dark and dramatic headlands below.

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The rocky beach of Palma is strewn with limestone outcrops.  This seeming face is about four feet wide. EF4A5669

Between the Palma coastal outcroppings are what seem to be the polished remains of molten rock.

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Another "face;" its front edge is about 12 inches high.

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These fissures in Palma coastal rock would not be out of place in an Alaskan glacier. EF4A5700

The result: part of the Sa Colombra climb

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In hand, even the small rocks (from the pebbled beach in front of Club Pollentia) have personality. EF4A6979 EF4A7631