Ávila, Castile and León · Spain
Puerto del Pico
N-502Cuevas del Valle to Puerto del Pico
Hairpin climb over the Sierra de Gredos beside a famous old cobbled calzada.
The N-502 climbs over the Puerto del Pico in the Sierra de Gredos, a broad hairpin ascent from Cuevas del Valle that shadows a remarkably preserved old paved calzada, long known as a Roman road though its exact origins are debated. The summit lookout gives a sweeping view back down the stacked switchbacks and the ancient cobbled track. It is a wide, well-graded mountain road that flows well rather than fighting you. Mind grazing and migrating livestock, gusty crosswinds at the col, and the maximum gradient nudging into the low teens.
Scenery
Best seasons
In these collections
Where it runs7.4 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 2Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%859.9 – 1,388.1 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Puerto del PicoViewpoint5.3 mi in
- Mirador de Los MontesesViewpoint2.7 mi in
- Collado del PinarViewpoint0.5 mi in
Hazards
- Grazing and migrating livestock
- Gusty crosswinds at the col
- Steep ramps on the south side
Sources
“Set high in the Gredos mountain range, the pass is pretty defiant, hitting an 11-12% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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