Driving the paved road to Puerto de Larrau
Spain, europe
15.3 km
1,615 m
hard
Year-round
# Puerto de Larrau: One of the Pyrenees' Most Epic Climbs
Perched at 1,615 meters (5,298 feet) on the French-Spanish border in the western Pyrenees, Puerto de Larrau is absolutely not for the faint of heart. This is proper mountain pass territory—the kind that'll test your legs, your lungs, and your commitment to cycling.
The pass sits between France's Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and Spain's Navarre region, and it's served up one seriously tough challenge. We're talking maximum gradients of 15% that'll have you questioning your life choices. The road itself is paved (thankfully), though it gets pretty narrow in spots—you're traveling on the NA-2011 on the Spanish side and the D26 over in France. Fair warning: the pass only stays open from May through November, so plan your visit accordingly.
This beast has earned its stripes too. It's been featured in the Tour de France, which tells you everything you need to know about its pedigree.
You've got three different ways to attack this summit. The shortest push is from Larrau at just over 14 km with 1,162 meters of climbing (8.2% average gradient). Coming from Auberge de Laugibar, you're looking at 15.3 km and 1,205 meters of elevation gain (7.9% average). And if you're feeling particularly ambitious, the Ochagavia route stretches 19.3 km with 815 meters of gain—a bit easier on paper, but longer in practice.
This is the real deal, folks. Bring your A-game.
Where is it?
Driving the paved road to Puerto de Larrau is located in Spain (europe). Coordinates: 41.6171, -4.8480
Road Details
- Country
- Spain
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 15.3 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,615 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 41.6171, -4.8480
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