Cap de Formentor and Alcúdia from Palma

Mallorca’s wildest cape and its best walled old town in one day — and the car is the wrong tool for half of it.

Cliffs of Cap de Formentor falling to the sea on Mallorca's northern tip

Getting there~1 h Palma–Alcúdia by bus

The catchFormentor road closed to cars in season

ShuttleTIB bus 334

Car banMay 15–Oct 18, 10:00–22:00

Time on the ground6–8 hours

Best monthsMay–June, September

The short version

Private cars are banned from the Formentor road from May 15 to October 18 between 10:00 and 22:00, with fines of €100–200. The TIB 334 shuttle covers the cape instead — rules at mallorca.es.
Build the day around Alcúdia: buses from Palma reach it in about an hour, and its walled medieval old town is the best on the island.
The Mirador des Colomer viewpoint and the lighthouse at the road’s end are what the cape is for; the 334 serves both.
Walk Alcúdia’s wall circuit, then the Roman ruins of Pollentia just outside the gate — theatre included.
Beaches: Formentor’s pine-backed strand or Port d’Alcúdia’s long sand. Pick one; the day fits one.

Serious Day Tour Man saysDo not drive to Formentor between mid-May and mid-October — the road closes to private cars at ten in the morning and the fine runs up to €200. Ride the 334 shuttle from Port de Pollença or Alcúdia instead. It runs all day and drops you at the viewpoint and the lighthouse.

Getting there

TIB buses run from Palma’s Estació Intermodal to Alcúdia and Port de Pollença in about an hour. In season, the 334 shuttle takes over from there, running the closed road out to the Mirador des Colomer, Formentor beach, and the lighthouse. Out of season the road reopens to cars, and the drive is one of the island’s famous ones — narrow, winding, and worth the patience.

The day

Formentor first, while the light is low: the Mirador des Colomer’s cliff-edge balconies, then the lighthouse at the cape’s end where the island simply stops. Back in Alcúdia, the medieval walls ring an old town of stone lanes and shaded squares — walk the ramparts, then step out the gate to Pollentia, the Roman capital of the Balearics, with its small theatre cut into the rock. Market mornings, Tuesday and Sunday, fill the old town with stalls. If the day needs a swim, Formentor’s beach hides under pines on the cape road, and Port d’Alcúdia’s long shallow arc suits families.

When to go

May, June, and September carry the day: warm, open, and free of August’s density. In high summer, go early — the shuttle and the viewpoints load up by late morning. From late October to spring the cape road reopens to cars and the cape empties, at the price of shorter days and shut beach services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Formentor road closed to cars?
Summer traffic overwhelmed a narrow cliff road. From May 15 to October 18, private vehicles are banned 10:00–22:00 and the TIB 334 shuttle carries visitors instead; fines run €100–200.

Can you still drive it in winter?
Yes. Outside the ban dates the road is open to private cars, and the empty-season drive to the lighthouse is one of Mallorca’s best.

Is Alcúdia worth time on its own?
Yes — the walled old town is the island’s finest, the wall walk is free, and the Roman ruins of Pollentia sit just outside the gate.

What is at the cape itself?
The Mirador des Colomer viewpoint, the Formentor beach under pines, and the lighthouse at the end of the road, 13 km of switchbacks from Port de Pollença.

When are Alcúdia’s market days?
Tuesday and Sunday mornings, inside and around the old town walls. Go early; the stalls wind down after lunch.