
Puerto de las Coberteras, a challenging yet scenic road to the summit
Spain, europe
67 km
1,254 m
hard
Year-round
Hey adventurers, picture this: You're cruising through sunny Andalusia in southern Spain, specifically the Jaen province. You're heading into the Sierra Sur de Jaén mountains, and about to tackle the Puerto de las Coberteras, a pass sitting pretty at 1,254m.
Now, let's be real, this isn't your average smooth highway. The pavement's narrow, a little rough around the edges with some potholes and loose gravel. It was fixed up in 2018, but still expect an uneven ride. And keep an eye out for those pesky rock slides!
A heads up – the reservoir road is gated off every evening between 8 PM and 8 AM. The climb up from Embalse de Quebrajano reservoir is a steep one, a 6.7km push gaining 464m in elevation, averaging almost 7%. Some sections kick up to a leg-burning 15%! But hey, you'll be rewarded with some seriously amazing scenery along the way!
Road Details
- Country
- Spain
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 67 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,254 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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