Mallorca by scooter or motorbike: which licence you need, what the rules say and which routes to ride

The driver regulation (BOE) defines four motorcycle licences. AM covers mopeds, which the DGT puts at up to 50 cc, and can be obtained at 15. A1 covers bikes up to 125 cm³, 11 kW and 0.1 kW/kg, from 16. A2 goes up to 35 kW and 0.2 kW/kg, from 18. A has no such limits and is available at 20. Those are the ages for the licence; the minimum age to hire is set by each rental company and may be higher.

With a car licence (B) you can ride 50 cc mopeds. For a 125 cc, article 4 of the regulation says that within Spain a B licence held for more than three years authorises the A1 bikes. Be careful if your licence is not Spanish: the text does not expressly extend that rule to licences from other countries, so we cannot promise that a rental company will accept it with a foreign B licence. Ask in writing before booking; with an A1, A2 or A licence there is no doubt.

There has been talk of a compulsory course for riding a 125 on a car licence. At the date of this guide it does not appear in article 4 of the consolidated regulation on the BOE or on the DGT's page on licence classes. If that changes, it should be announced there.

Decree 518/2026 of 24 June amended the General Traffic Regulation and came into force on 1 October 2026. For motorcyclists, article 118 now requires, for rider and passenger: an approved helmet (UNECE R22) properly fastened on every road, protective gloves on inter-urban roads and closed shoes covering the whole foot on every road. Flip-flops and sandals do not count. Until the order setting the technical specification for gloves is published, the decree says gloves like the current ones are used. If you hire a moped, helmets that are only certified, not approved, remain valid for one year from the date the decree came into force.

Motorbikes must also carry a high-visibility reflective vest as part of their equipment, and the rider must put it on when getting off and stepping onto the carriageway or hard shoulder of an inter-urban road. Ask the rental company whether the bike has one. And in daytime the dipped headlight must always be on (article 104).

Other rules people forget: a passenger must be over 12 and be listed as allowed on the vehicle's registration document; between 7 and 12 they may only ride with their father, mother or guardian, or an adult authorised by them, wearing a helmet. The alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l in blood or 0.25 mg/l in exhaled air, and 0.3 g/l or 0.15 mg/l during the first two years after passing the test. On conventional roads the general limit for motorbikes is 90 km/h and on dual carriageways 120, unless a sign says otherwise, and in the mountains it is worth always checking the signs.

In the city a few rules are worth knowing. The traffic regulation bans parking on pavements, promenades and pedestrian areas (article 94), and Palma's traffic ordinance, in its consolidated text, also bans riding on pavements and promenades and parking bikes on pavements, pedestrian squares or green areas, except in zones expressly signposted for it. Those zones are marked by a sign with a P and the word MOTOS and a dashed yellow line on the ground. In the regulated parking areas the ordinance calls 0/0, leaving a bike in a bay marked for cars is prohibited. That ordinance is updated: always follow the sign in front of you.

You cannot stop in lanes reserved for public transport or bicycles either (article 94). And one piece of good news: the Sóller tunnel, the only toll road in the Balearics, has been free since 28 December 2017, according to the local press, so there is nothing to pay to cross the mountains through it.

The Ma-10 runs through the mountains from Andratx to Pollença, more than a hundred kilometres of bends past Estellencs, Banyalbufar, Valldemossa, Deià, Sóller and Escorca, in a cultural landscape designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Difficulty: medium to high. It is not technical in a sporting sense, but it strings together blind bends, gradients and narrow stretches, and needs constant attention. The easiest way for a first time is a half-day section, for instance Valldemossa, Deià and Sóller with stops at the viewpoints, rather than the whole road in one go.

Safety warnings. Mallorca is one of Europe's most popular cycling destinations and the mountains draw many cyclists, especially in spring and autumn. Since 1 October 2026, article 85 requires you to overtake them leaving at least 1.5 metres, changing lane completely if there are two in your direction, and, outside built-up areas, slowing at least 20 km/h below the limit on the road. On some stretches coaches take up much of the width on tight bends: give way and do not overtake where you cannot see. Outside built-up areas the regulation also requires a motorbike to leave 1.5 metres when overtaking any vehicle. And the road has stretches with limits below the general one, and speed checks: obey the sign.

If you would rather not ride, the Sóller train and the bus are alternatives for reaching the mountains; we cover them in our Sóller train guide.

The road to Sa Calobra leaves the Ma-10 in the municipality of Escorca and drops to the cove through a series of hairpins, among them the Nus de sa Corbata (the Tie Knot), a bend that passes under itself. Difficulty: high if you are not used to mountain roads. It is worth it for the drive itself and for the Torrent de Pareis at the end, but it is narrow and shared by cars, coaches and cyclists.

Safety warnings. In spring and summer traffic builds up: according to the local press (Última Hora, April 2026), the most congested stretch is from the Coll dels Reis to Sa Calobra, and coaches struggle to pass cars on the tightest bends. Set off early, give way to coaches, do not stop on the carriageway and allow plenty of time for the climb back. The Consell has a project to renovate the road and limiting traffic is under discussion, but we have not found any measure in force; if that changes, its official channels will say so. More context in our Sa Calobra guide and, if you are interested in cycling, in the Mallorca cycling guide.

The Ma-2210 leaves Port de Pollença for the tip of the island, with the Mirador des Colomer, Formentor beach and the lighthouse at the end. Difficulty: medium; the road is winding and, in season, traffic is what has led to it being regulated.

The restrictions change every year, because the DGT issues a new resolution. In 2026 the measures applied from 15 May to 18 October, from 10:00 to 22:00. In the first section, as far as the car park at Formentor beach (kilometre point 8+000), private vehicles may enter without authorisation while there is space; when it is full, a barrier at kilometre 2+000, on the Pollença side, lets only authorised vehicles through, and entering without permission is fined. The second section, to the lighthouse, has a barrier at 8+700 and only authorised vehicles pass. Motorbikes do not appear in the list of vehicles the DGT can authorise, so do not count on reaching the lighthouse by bike during those hours and, if in doubt, check with the DGT before you go.

The alternative is TIB bus line 334 (Alcúdia, Port de Pollença and the Formentor lighthouse), with stops at the Mirador des Colomer, Formentor beach and Cala Figuera-Cala Murta. Outside those dates and hours, the resolution's measures do not apply. Before going in 2027 or any other year, check the DGT's page on access to the Formentor lighthouse for the dates in force: at the date of this guide it says nothing about 2027.

If you want a bike without the tension of the mountains, the east and the south are gentler. Difficulty: low to medium. The terrain is softer, with local roads between stone villages such as Artà, Capdepera or Santanyí, and the municipalities of Ses Salines and Felanitx let you link coves, salt pans and markets in a day. It is a good area to start out on a 125 or a scooter.

The warnings are the usual ones on an island with so much cycling: cyclists use these roads too, so the overtaking rules in article 85 apply just the same. The best-known coves are reached by narrow local roads; leave the bike only where it is allowed and do not take it onto pavements or footpaths. To decide where to go, see the page for each village, with its coves and best season.

The law requires the owner of any motor vehicle to hold third-party liability insurance (article 2 of the law on civil liability and motor insurance), so a reputable company's bike will have it. What differs from one contract to another is everything else: the excess you would pay for damage to the bike itself, whether theft is covered, roadside assistance, the deposit and how it is paid, whether a helmet is included and how many, whether there is a vest, the mileage (unlimited or capped), how fuel is handled on return, the minimum age and years of licence, and the cancellation terms. Take photos of the bike when you collect it and ask for anything you are told verbally in writing.

BikesBooking is a comparison site for scooter and motorbike hire that gathers companies, prices, conditions and pick-up points in Mallorca; the site itself warns that the documents required depend on each rental company, so read the listing of the offer you choose. We link it as an affiliate: if you book, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. To hire a bicycle, do not use it: see our cycling guide.

We do not list any guided scooter or motorbike tours, and we would rather say so than make one up. The closest thing in our directory is a guided trike tour, on a motorised tricycle, from Paguera along the south-west coast and the Tramuntana: about 130 km per trike for up to three people, with fuel, helmet and drinks, and fully comprehensive insurance paid separately. It is a way to see the mountains without keeping an eye on the map. For quads, buggies and jeeps, see our guide to buggy, quad and jeep tours.