Driving a paved mountain road to San Glorio Pass in Picos de Europa
Spain, europe
36.8 km
1,604 m
moderate
Year-round
# Puerto de San Glorio
Want to experience some serious mountain driving? The Puerto de San Glorio is a stunning high-altitude pass sitting at 1,604m (5,262ft) right on the border between Cantabria and Castile and León in northwestern Spain. It's the kind of place that makes your heart race just thinking about it.
The 36.8 km (22.86 miles) route connects the charming village of Potes in Cantabria with Portilla de la Reina in León, snaking through the dramatic Picos de Europa mountain range. You'll be tackling the N-621—a fully paved road that used to go by San Clovis or San Clovio—and yes, it gets seriously steep. We're talking maximum gradients of 11.0% on some sections that'll definitely test your nerve and your brakes.
The summit area is pretty cool too. There's a parking lot where you can catch your breath, plus a paved road leading to the Collado de Llesba viewpoint—perfect for those Instagram-worthy mountain vistas. Word on the street is they're planning to build a ski resort up here, which would be incredible.
Good news: the pass stays open year-round, so you can tackle it whenever you want. Fair warning though—this pass is famous enough to regularly feature in the Vuelta a España cycling race, so you know it's no joke. Oh, and keep an eye out for local wildlife; the area is crucial habitat for Spain's bear population, so drive respectfully through this natural treasure.
Where is it?
Driving a paved mountain road to San Glorio Pass in Picos de Europa is located in Spain (europe). Coordinates: 40.7597, -4.2117
Road Details
- Country
- Spain
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 36.8 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,604 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- 40.7597, -4.2117
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