Top 5 Road Cycling Climbs in Andalucia

The road cycling in Andalucia may not be as well known as some other cycling holiday/training camp destinations, but undoubtedly we enjoy some of the best roads in Europe. Most people look to the roads of Mallorca, Gran Canaria, and Girona for their next cycling holiday/training camp, whilst these are all great options, Andalucia matches and even outdoes each of the aforementioned as a road cycling holiday or training camp destination. Why you may ask? Mallorca, for example, a major destination for cyclists looking to escape to nice weather and roads. Whilst the roads are well surfaced in Mallorca they are far busier than the roads here in Andalucia. What about the climbs? It is a struggle to reduce our local climbs into a top list, whereas Mallorca is essentially one well-known climb, Sa Calobra, with hundreds of cyclists on it at any one time, not to mention the traffic…..again!

1.  Las Palomas. 12.4km of steady climbing that tops out at 1347m above sea level. This stunning road runs from Zahara de la Sierra to Grazalema with breathtaking views all the way to the top. This road follows the old goat herders route between the afore mentioned villages. My all time fave climb.
   

   THE STATS

   • LENGTH OF CLIMB – 12.4KM
   • SUMMIT ELEVATION – 1,347M
   • START ELEVATION – 535M
   • ELEVATION GAIN – 812M
   • GRADIENT (AVG) – 6.6%
2. Puerto El Boyar. 14.7km of steady climbing, note there are some false flats near the top that are actually around 8%, (your eyes will deceive you) that tops out at 1103m above sea level. This road runs from El Bosque to Grazalema. The middle 5km are, for me, the toughest and then the views open out with 4km to go, as can the headwind!! This road follows the old travellers route between Arcos and Ronda. It’s the climb that we named ‘The Beast’. It’s not that bad, it just rhymes with El Boyar!! Give it a go and let me know what you think? Beast or not?
   

   THE STATS

   • LENGTH OF CLIMB – 14.7KM
   • SUMMIT ELEVATION – 1,103M
   • START ELEVATION – 272M
   • ELEVATION GAIN – 831M
   • GRADIENT (AVG) – 7.2%
3. Puerto Madroño. 20km of steady climbing starting at the beach that tops out at 1065m above sea level. This road is the main link between the Costa del Sol and Ronda and is probably the busiest in terms of traffic. On a clear day you can see Africa when descending towards the Costa del Sol. The first 3km out of San Pedro and the final 2km are the toughest on this climb but generally you can ride up this reasonably comfortably
   

   THE STATS

   • LENGTH OF CLIMB – 20KM
   • SUMMIT ELEVATION – 1,065M
   • START ELEVATION – 5M
   • ELEVATION GAIN – 1060M
   • GRADIENT (AVG) – 5%
4. Penas Blancas 15km of climbing that tops out at ?? above sea level. This road climbs up out of Estapona on the Costa del Sol and drops down into the Genal Valley. It is stunning in both directions. The are numerous ramps on the way up but also some flatter faster sections too.
   

   THE STATS

   • LENGTH OF CLIMB – 15.5KM
   • SUMMIT ELEVATION – 974M
   • START ELEVATION – 5M
   • ELEVATION GAIN – 969M
   • GRADIENT (AVG) – 6.2%
5. Pico Veleta. You can not miss this from any list of climbs in Andalucia. The highest pathed road in Europe an epic 40km of climbing from Granada that tops out at 3,300m above sea level. You can stop at the Ski station in the Sierra Nevada for refreshments before continuing to the top. No cars are allowed past the Ski Station. Definitely a Bucket List Ride!
   

   THE STATS

   • LENGTH OF CLIMB – 40KM
   • SUMMIT ELEVATION – 3,300M
   • START ELEVATION – 745M
   • ELEVATION GAIN – 2,555M
   • GRADIENT (AVG) – 6.4%

You can ride all of these climbs with the Andalucian Cycling Experience throughout the year on either our Classic Road Cycling holidays, our Winter Training Camps or our Pico Veleta road cycling weeks.