Sierra de Grazalema, Cádiz · Spain
Puerto de las Palomas (Grazalema)
CA-9104Zahara de la Sierra to Grazalema
The signature pass of Cadiz’s white villages, a hairpin ladder to 1,189 m.
The Puerto de las Palomas, the Pass of the Doves, is the finest road in the white-village country of Cadiz, climbing a stacked ladder of hairpins off Zahara de la Sierra above its turquoise reservoir to a 1,189 m mirador inside the Sierra de Grazalema natural park. This is the wettest corner of Spain, which keeps the sierra green and the upper bends damp and slow to dry, and it is thick with griffon vultures, one of Europe’s largest colonies riding the thermals right over the road. The drop into Grazalema on the far side is one of Andalusia’s prettiest arrivals. Watch for snow in the depths of winter and for the vultures and livestock at the top.
Puerto de las Palomas (Grazalema) on the map9.1 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 6Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%371 to 1,199 mFrom the road
Points of interest2 stops
- Mirador del Puerto de las PalomasViewpoint7.2 mi in
- Zahara-El Gastor reservoirViewpoint0.6 mi in
Hazards
- Tight hairpins with limited visibility on the upper bends
- Narrow carriageway
- Shaded upper sections stay damp and drain slowly after rain
- Possible snow closure in December and January
- Livestock and griffon vultures crossing at the higher sections
See the typical season and live conditions for the high passes ›
Sources
“The drive features countless curves and hairpin turns. The road is very steep, hitting a 14% maximum gradient through some of the ramps.”
“It is one of the most technically demanding short roads in Andalucia. The surface is consistently good but the road is narrow, the hairpins are tight, and visibility on several upper bends is limited.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
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