
Collado de las Yeguas
Spain, europe
N/A
2,859 m
hard
Year-round
# Collado de las Yeguas
Nestled high in the mountains of Granada, Andalusia, Collado de las Yeguas sits at a breathtaking 2,859 meters (9,379 feet) above sea level. This is serious elevation—one of Spain's highest roads, no joke.
Getting up there is an adventure in itself. The route is a ski-station service road that doubles as a chairlift access trail, and it's genuinely steep. We're talking sections that hit 30% gradient, with loose gravel and rocky terrain that only gets gnarlier as you climb. The upper stretches are basically a boulder field on an incline.
Here's the catch: you've got a pretty narrow window to attempt this drive. Late August is really your only shot during summer. Even then, don't get cocky—snow can show up unexpectedly, and the wind here is relentless year-round. Winter? Brutally cold doesn't even cover it.
The combination of extreme altitude, unpredictable weather, those punishing gradients, and the generally unwelcoming conditions makes this a genuinely challenging drive. Altitude sickness is a real concern, and the road's accessibility is sketchy at best. This isn't a casual Sunday drive—it demands respect and serious preparation.
Where is it?
Collado de las Yeguas is located in Spain (europe). Coordinates: 40.1478, -2.7537
Road Details
- Country
- Spain
- Continent
- europe
- Max Elevation
- 2,859 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 40.1478, -2.7537
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