
Ermita de la Virgen de Lomos de Orios
Spain, europe
30 km
1,433 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, road trip fans, let's head to northern Spain! Deep in La Rioja, you'll find the Ermita de la Virgen de Lomos de Orios, a sweet little chapel perched way up high at 1,433 meters.
The road to get there? Picture this: twisty asphalt ribbon winding through the Sierra de Cebollera Natural Park. It's a bit narrow in places, so keep it chill at 30km/h. Good news: there's a big parking area at the top! The climb kicks off in Villoslada de Cameros and stretches for 8.5 km, gaining 393 meters in elevation. That's an average gradient of 4.62%, so nothing too crazy. FYI, this climb is so scenic it has even been featured in the Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja! One thing to keep in mind: being so high up, expect some serious snow in the winter. The road can get closed if it's not cleared, so plan accordingly.
Road Details
- Country
- Spain
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 30 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,433 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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