A one-week loop from Palma: the Ma-10 clinging to the cliffs along the whole Serra de Tramuntana, Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller, the descent to Sa Calobra, Alcúdia and Formentor, then the coves of the east. Distances are short and the island has no tolls; what gets complicated is access: Formentor closed to cars during the day in summer, Sa Calobra car parks overflowing, central Sóller reserved for electric cars.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Palma | Start |
| Day 2 | Valldemossa | 70 km · 1h25 |
| Day 3 | Sóller | 21 km · 30 min |
| Days 4 to 5 | Alcúdia | 91 km · 2h05 |
| Day 6 | Cala Rajada | 47 km · 50 min |
| Day 7 | Santanyí | 57 km · 1h |
| Day 8 | Back to Palma | 54 km · 50 min |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May to June and September to October: lighter traffic and warm enough to swim. In July and August, the Sa Calobra car park overflows and the road to the Formentor lighthouse stays closed to cars from 10:00 to 22:00 until 18 October; winter suits the Tramuntana and the villages better than the beaches.
🚗 70 km · 1h25 of driving from Palma
Ma-1 to Andratx, then the Ma-10 along the cliffs via Estellencs and Banyalbufar: narrow, winding, lots of cyclists.
🚗 21 km · 30 min of driving from Valldemossa
Ma-10 via Son Marroig and Deià, a short clifftop stretch. Central Sóller is a low-emission zone (ZBE): park before you reach it.
🚗 91 km · 2h05 of driving from Sóller
Ma-10 east, there and back on the Ma-2141 to Sa Calobra (hairpins, coaches, cyclists), then Lluc and Pollença.
🚗 47 km · 50 min of driving from Alcúdia
Via Can Picafort and Artà, easy roads across the plain.
🚗 57 km · 1h of driving from Cala Rajada
Via Porto Cristo and its caves, then south, set back from the east coast.
🚗 54 km · 50 min of driving from Santanyí
Keep the Tramuntana and the north: one night in Palma, two in Sóller via the whole Ma-10, two in Alcúdia with Sa Calobra and Formentor. Back to Palma on the Ma-13.
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €16 a day (Kayak, Palma airport, Sept. 2026) |
|---|---|
| All categories, January | ≈ €10 a day |
| All categories, April (most expensive month according to Kayak) | ≈ €20 a day |
| SUV, annual average | ≈ €37 a day |
| Young driver fee (Hertz Spain) | €31.76 a day, capped at €444.68 |
| Vehicle | A small city car: hairpins on the Ma-2141, narrow lanes in Deià and Valldemossa, tight car parks at the coves. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | At Palma airport, on the day you set off for the Tramuntana. It is a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Emissions label | Spanish-registered car: the DGT label is read from the number plate, free entry to Palma's low-emission zone (ZBE). |
| Insurance | Without excess waiver cover, the rental company blocks a deposit on your card; Goldcar adds a fuel deposit. |
| Age and card | Hertz: 25 as a rule, from 19 for some categories. Credit card in the driver's name. |
⚠️ In central Sóller, only electric or authorised cars may drive: €200 fine. A petrol or diesel hire car has to use the paid car parks on the edge of town.
Any valid European Union licence is enough, with no international permit. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. Spanish cars, and therefore hire cars, have carried a connected V-16 warning beacon since 2026.
In towns: 50 on streets with two lanes in each direction, 30 with one lane, 20 with no pavement.
0.3 g/l for licences held under 2 years. A cut to 0.2 g/l was rejected in March 2026.
New from 1 October 2026: outside built-up areas, overtake at 20 km/h below the limit.
From 15 May to 18 October 2026, beyond the beach (km 8.7). Fine of €100 to €200.
No toll roads on the route; the Sóller tunnel (Ma-11) has been free since late 2017.
Palma: B, C, ECO and 0 labels. Central Sóller: electric and authorised vehicles only.
The old town is split into ACIRE restricted-access zones: leave the car in a car park.
Under 135 cm: an approved child seat, never in the front.
≈ €2.03 per litre for both unleaded 95 and diesel (24 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: Geoportal Gasolineras (Spanish ministry) →
⛽ 340 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €50 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Average of Mallorca's stations as reported to the ministry, about 10 cents above the Spanish average (€1.93).
| Roads and motorways | No tolls on the route; the Sóller tunnel has been free since 28 December 2017 |
|---|---|
| Bus 334 to the Formentor lighthouse | From Alcúdia or Port de Pollença; times and fares on tib.org |
| Sóller-Port de Sóller tram | €10 per journey (2026) |
| Palma-Sóller heritage train (alternative) | €23 one way, €30 return (2026) |
| Coves del Drac | €18.50 online, €19.50 at the ticket office (adult) |
| Parking in Sóller (blue zone) | Paid every day from 1 March to 15 November, 09:00-20:00 in the centre |
| Sóller green zone | Residents only, €90 fine |
| Formentor lighthouse road (Ma-2210, km 8.7 to 19.6) | Closed to cars from 15 May to 18 October, 10:00-22:00 |
|---|---|
| Formentor beach road (km 2 to 8.7) | Same period: access blocked once the car park is full |
| Sa Calobra (Ma-2141) | Car park full (about 300 spaces): barriers, diverted to Cala Tuent |
| Central Sóller (ZBE) | Electric and authorised vehicles only, number plate cameras, €200 fine |
| Palma low-emission zone (ZBE) | B, C, ECO and 0 labels only, 24 hours a day |
Allow 7 to 8 days for this loop of 6 stages and 7 nights: Palma, Valldemossa, Sóller, Alcúdia (two nights), Cala Rajada and Santanyí. Drives are short, often under an hour, but the Ma-10 is slow. In 5 days, keep Palma, Sóller and Alcúdia and head back on the Ma-13.
Small car hire: about €16 a day on average at Palma airport (Kayak), so just over €110 for 7 days, excluding zero-excess insurance. About 350 km: roughly €50 of petrol at September 2026 prices. No tolls; add parking and admissions (Coves del Drac €18.50, Sóller tram €10).
Not during the day in summer: from 15 May to 18 October 2026, the road is closed to cars from 10:00 to 22:00 beyond Formentor beach (km 8.7), with a fine of €100 to €200. Take bus 334 from Alcúdia or Port de Pollença. Outside those hours and that period, the road is open all the way to the lighthouse.
No, it gets saturated. The Ma-2141 crosses the Coll dels Reis (682 m) then winds down in hairpins, including the Nus de sa Corbata where the road loops under itself. In summer, 700 to 800 cars a day head for a car park with just over 300 spaces: once it is full, barriers go down and traffic is diverted to Cala Tuent. Otherwise, take the boat from Port de Sóller.
Not with an EU licence: any valid European Union licence is enough. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required. Rental companies set their own rules: at Hertz, 25 as a rule, 19 for some categories, with a young driver fee of €31.76 a day. Bring a credit card in the driver's name.
In Palma, yes with a hire car: the low-emission zone admits B, C, ECO and 0 labels, but the old town has controlled access; aim for a car park. In Sóller, the centre is reserved for electric or authorised vehicles (€200 fine): use the paid car parks, 09:00-20:00 from 1 March to 15 November.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/mallorca · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
