Mallorca cycling weather: wind by month and which loops to ride when
See ten years of Mallorca wind, rain and heat by month and place, then match each day's loop to the wind.
The short answer
The best Mallorca cycling weather usually comes in May. Over ten years, Palma's riding-hour wind averaged 12.4 km/h (7.7 mph) that month, highs reached 22°C (71°F) and about six days were wet. April and October come close. January to March is windier and gustier, and July and August are hot.
Key takeaways
- May balances wind, warmth and dry roads best; April and October come next.
- The north coast around Pollença is the windiest place we studied.
- The mountains around Sóller have the most days with gusts of 50 km/h (31 mph).
- Summer wind swings onshore by mid-afternoon, so climb early.
- On north-wind days, the south coast is the calmer place to ride.
Definitions
- Riding hours
- In our figures, the hours stamped 08:00 to 17:00 local time, when most riders are on the road.
- Gusty day
- A day on which the strongest gust, at any hour, reached 50 km/h (31 mph) or more.
- ERA5 reanalysis
- A record of past weather that blends observations from around the world with a weather model to fill in every hour and place.
What is Mallorca's cycling weather like?
Mild and fairly dry, but windy and gusty from November to March. We took ten years of hourly ERA5 data in six grid cells across Mallorca, Spain, by month, place and time of day. The method, and the same test on famous routes worldwide, is in our hub on prevailing winds on the world's great cycling routes. For routes, road rules and travel, see our guide to cycling in Mallorca.
| Mallorca at a glance, 2015–2024 | |
|---|---|
| Windiest | Pollença and Formentor: 20.9 km/h (13.0 mph) in January |
| Calmest | Sóller and the Tramuntana: 9.1 km/h (5.7 mph) in July |
| Most gusty days | Sóller and the Tramuntana: 10.9 a month in March |
| Hottest | Inca, July: 31.4°C (88.4°F) average high |
| Tourism board's cycling months | January to May, September to November |
How do wind, rain and temperature change month by month?
Wind peaks from November to March and is lightest in July and August. Rain is lowest in summer and highest in autumn, so May strikes the best balance.
| Month | Wind in Palma, km/h (mph) | Gusty days in the Tramuntana | Average high in Palma, °C (°F) | Wet days in Palma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14.9 (9.3) | 10.3 | 14.5 (58) | 6.1 |
| Feb | 14.1 (8.8) | 8.1 | 14.9 (59) | 6.3 |
| Mar | 16.2 (10.1) | 10.9 | 16.1 (61) | 7.5 |
| Apr | 14.2 (8.8) | 7.1 | 18.2 (65) | 6.8 |
| May | 12.4 (7.7) | 4.1 | 21.9 (71) | 5.7 |
| Jun | 11.3 (7.0) | 2.3 | 26.3 (79) | 3.3 |
| Jul | 10.8 (6.7) | 2.0 | 29.4 (85) | 1.0 |
| Aug | 10.8 (6.7) | 2.5 | 29.5 (85) | 2.9 |
| Sep | 11.7 (7.3) | 4.1 | 26.6 (80) | 8.6 |
| Oct | 12.5 (7.8) | 5.5 | 23.1 (74) | 7.4 |
| Nov | 15.2 (9.4) | 10.1 | 18.6 (65) | 8.7 |
| Dec | 13.1 (8.1) | 8.6 | 16.2 (61) | 5.6 |
Wind is the riding-hour average; a gusty day has a gust of 50 km/h (31 mph) at any hour.
- March is the gustiest month in the mountains, with 3.5 days reaching 70 km/h (43 mph).
- May has fewer than half March's gusty days, and the fewest wet days of the tourism board's cycling months.
- Inland is warmer. Inca's highs run up to 2°C (4°F) above Palma's, most in summer.
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Which side of the island is windiest?
The north coast around Pollença, in every month. The calmest side depends on the wind direction, and that's how you choose a loop. We sorted every day by its island-wide wind direction in riding hours.
| Day's wind from (share of days) | Pollença and Formentor, km/h (mph) | Sóller and the Tramuntana, km/h (mph) | Palma, km/h (mph) | Campos and Ses Salines, km/h (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North (17.0%) | 20.2 (12.6) | 13.8 (8.6) | 13.5 (8.4) | 13.6 (8.5) |
| East (31.3%) | 17.1 (10.6) | 10.5 (6.5) | 11.9 (7.4) | 12.4 (7.7) |
| South (22.8%) | 10.6 (6.6) | 9.8 (6.1) | 11.4 (7.1) | 10.6 (6.6) |
| West (28.9%) | 19.0 (11.8) | 14.1 (8.8) | 15.6 (9.7) | 14.1 (8.8) |
North-wind days show the biggest gap. Strong northerly days, with island-wide wind of 25 km/h (16 mph) or more, came about 8.6 times a year, all between October and May. The Pollença cell is partly over the sea, so treat it as the exposed-coast figure.
When does the sea breeze arrive?
By early afternoon on summer days. From June to August, morning wind came most often from the north-east; by mid-afternoon it had swung onshore on each coast and strengthened. Our Mallorca route guide explains this embat sea breeze.
| June to August | Morning, 08:00–10:00: commonest direction, km/h (mph) | Afternoon, 14:00–17:00: commonest direction, km/h (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| Palma | North-east, 9.5 (5.9) | South-west, 12.1 (7.5) |
| Campos and Ses Salines | North-east, 9.2 (5.7) | South, 12.1 (7.5) |
| Artà | North-east, 10.3 (6.4) | South-east, 13.8 (8.6) |
| Pollença and Formentor | North-east, 12.1 (7.5) | East, 13.6 (8.5) |
In Palma, summer wind rose from 9.0 km/h (5.6 mph) at 08:00 to 12.3 km/h (7.6 mph) at 15:00. From February to April the clock matters less: Pollença stayed between 18.1 and 19.0 km/h (11.2 and 11.8 mph) through riding hours.
Which loops and climbs suit which conditions?
Match the loop to the day's wind direction and gusts, and the start time to the season.
- Sa Calobra and Puig Major. Both lie nearest the Sóller and Tramuntana cell, with light average wind but the most gusty days: 8.1 to 10.9 a month from November to March. On a descent gusts matter more, so pick east or south days (10.5 and 9.8 km/h, 6.5 and 6.1 mph).
- Cap de Formentor. The Pollença cell covers the start of the peninsula road and is the windiest in every wind type. Save it for south days, 10.6 km/h (6.6 mph), or summer mornings. Car rules: route guide.
- Palma and the south coast are the refuge on north days, about 7 km/h (4 mph) calmer than Pollença.
- The central plain is calmest on west days: 12.6 km/h (7.8 mph) at Inca.
- The Mallorca 312: its windy parts.
Our verdict: when is the best time to cycle in Mallorca?
May, for most riders: light wind, 4.1 gusty days in the mountains, highs near 22°C (71°F) and the fewest wet days of the cycling months. April and October come next.
January to March suits winter camps at 14.5–16.1°C (58–61°F), but bring plans for wind. June to September is hot, and September is wetter than spring.
How should camps and tour operators plan around the wind?
Plan loops by wind direction, start times by season, and the final call by the forecast.
- Build a spare loop for each wind. North-wind days send you south; west-wind days suit the centre.
- Start early in summer. Breezes peak mid-afternoon, so climb in the morning.
- Set gust limits. Use how windy is too windy to cycle; official warnings always come first.
- Check each day's forecast against the route the evening before. Reading a forecast for a bike ride and organising a group ride cover the rest.
For more trips, see the best cycling routes in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mallorca too windy to cycle in winter?
Usually not, but plan for it. In January, riding-hour wind averaged 14.9 km/h (9.3 mph) in Palma and 20.9 km/h (13.0 mph) round Pollença. The mountains had a gust of 50 km/h (31 mph) on 10.3 January days, so keep a sheltered loop in reserve.
How hot does Mallorca get for cycling in summer?
Hot enough to change your day. In July and August, Palma averaged highs of 29.4–29.5°C (85°F), and inland Inca 31.4°C (88.4°F) in July. Start at first light, when the wind is lightest too, and finish by early afternoon. See our guide to [cycling in the heat](/blog/cycling-in-the-heat/).
Does it rain much in Mallorca in spring?
Not much. In Palma, March averaged 7.5 wet days (1 mm or more) and 37.0 mm (1.5 in) of rain, April 6.8 days and 39.0 mm (1.5 in), and May 5.7 days and 28.3 mm (1.1 in). Autumn is wetter: 7.4–8.7 wet days and 52.5–55.8 mm (2.1–2.2 in) a month from September to November.
Is October a good month for a Mallorca cycling holiday?
Yes, for most riders. October averaged 12.5 km/h (7.8 mph) of riding-hour wind in Palma, a high of 23.1°C (73.6°F) and 7.4 wet days. The mountains had 5.5 gusty days, against 7.1 in April. It's wetter than May but warmer than April.
Where does this Mallorca weather data come from, and how far can I trust it?
From ERA5, the reanalysis that ECMWF runs for the Copernicus Climate Change Service, downloaded from the Copernicus Climate Data Store for 2015 to 2024. Each grid cell is about 21 by 28 km (13 by 17 miles), so it smooths the mountains and coast. It's good for what usually happens in a month; the forecast for your dates tells you about your ride.
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Set up your tour →Sources and method
- Copernicus Climate Change Service (ECMWF) (2026). ERA5 hourly time-series data on single levels from 1940 to present
- Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society (2020). The ERA5 global reanalysis (Hersbach et al.)
- ECMWF (2026). ERA5: data documentation (native resolution 31 km; 10 m gust parameter)
- Illes Balears tourism (Govern de les Illes Balears) (2026). The Balearic Islands, Europe's cycle tourism paradise
Windline's data desk took hourly 10 m wind (the u and v components, turned into speed and direction), 10 m gust, 2 m temperature and total precipitation from the Copernicus Climate Data Store, dataset ERA5 hourly time-series data on single levels (reanalysis-era5-single-levels-timeseries, doi:10.24381/1cf1ad76), for 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2024 (ten full years). ERA5 is described by Hersbach et al. (2020). We used six 0.25° grid cells over Mallorca, each named after the places nearest it: Pollença and Formentor (40.0° N 3.0° E, which covers Port de Pollença and the base of the Formentor peninsula and is partly over the sea), Sóller and the Tramuntana (39.75° N 2.75° E, also the nearest cell to Puig Major and Sa Calobra), Inca and the central plain (39.75° N 3.0° E), Artà (39.75° N 3.25° E), Palma (39.5° N 2.75° E) and Campos and Ses Salines (39.5° N 3.0° E). The Cap de Formentor lighthouse is nearest a seventh cell (40.0° N 3.25° E) that we did not study. A 0.25° cell is about 21 by 28 km (13 by 17 miles) at this latitude, and ECMWF gives the model's native resolution as about 31 km, so these are area averages that smooth the mountains (which are likely wetter and gustier than shown) and the coast. Riding hours are the values stamped 08:00 to 17:00 local time inclusive, with Spanish summer time applied; monthly wind is the average speed over all riding hours in that calendar month. Gusty days: days whose highest hourly gust (the maximum 10 m gust in each hour, any hour of the local day) reached 50 km/h (31 mph), or 70 km/h (43 mph) where stated, averaged per month over the ten years. This differs from our Mallorca route guide, which counted riding-hour gusts pooled over three cells, so its figures are lower. Average high is the mean of each local day's highest hourly 2 m temperature; wet days have 1 mm or more of rain in the local day; rain totals are monthly sums averaged over the ten years. Day types: for each day, we averaged the wind vectors of all six cells over riding hours and classed the day by that island-wide direction: north (315° to 45°), east (45° to 135°), south (135° to 225°) or west (225° to 315°), as a share of all days in all months; each cell's figure is its average riding-hour speed on those days. A strong northerly day has an island-wide direction from north-west to north-east and an island-wide average speed of 25 km/h (16 mph) or more; the 8.6 a year is the sum of the monthly averages. Sea breeze: June to August, morning hours stamped 08:00 to 10:00 against afternoon hours stamped 14:00 to 17:00; the direction is the commonest of eight compass sectors, and hours under 5 km/h (3 mph) count as calm. Hour-by-hour speeds average every day in June to August, or February to April, at each hour stamp. "Up to 2°C warmer inland" compares Inca's monthly highs with Palma's (0.2 to 2.0°C more, largest in July). "About 7 km/h calmer" is Pollença's 20.2 km/h on north days minus Palma's 13.5 and Campos's 13.6. Best-month verdict: our judgement from the table, weighing wind, gusty days, wet days and heat. The cycling months January to May and September to November are the Balearic tourism board's, checked on 11 October 2026. Every other figure is in results.json in the study's data folder (sites.mallorca). These are averages of past seasons, not forecasts. Conversions use 1 mile = 1.609 km, 1 in = 25.4 mm and °F = °C × 1.8 + 32, rounded. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (ERA5, 2015–2024); neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use of this information.
About the author
Wes Thomson, Founder, Windline. Wes Thomson builds Windline, live wind and weather forecasts timed to when riders reach each stretch of road. He built it for his own 2,093 km tour from Pont Drift to Cape Town, and writes these guides with the same focus: what the wind will do to your ride, and how to plan around it.