
Driving the curvy EN15 to Alto de Espinho
Portugal, europe
46.6 km
1,025 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: You're cruising through Northern Portugal, winding your way up the Serra do Marão mountains. You're on Estrada Nacional 15 (EN 15), the old road connecting Porto and Bragança, a totally epic route known as Alto de Espinho.
This paved road stretches for 46.6 km (29 miles) between Amarante and Parada de Cunhos. You'll climb to a cool 1,025m (3,362ft) above sea level, so get ready for some views!
Fair warning: this isn't a straight shot. Expect countless turns, some pretty narrow stretches, and some seriously steep climbs - we're talking gradients of up to 9.2%! Though it's a pretty quiet road, keep an eye out for cyclists, especially on weekends.
This pass has even been featured in the Vuelta a Portugal cycling race, with stages finishing atop Monte Farinha. History buffs will dig that this road used to be *the* main route, but a new road (IP4) and the A4 expressway (with the Túnel do Marão) now handle most of the traffic. So get ready for an adventure!
Where is it?
Driving the curvy EN15 to Alto de Espinho is located in Portugal (europe). Coordinates: 38.5648, -8.6522
Road Details
- Country
- Portugal
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 46.6 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,025 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 38.5648, -8.6522
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