Puerto de la Morcuera
Spain, europe
14 km
1,796 m
hard
Year-round
# Puerto de la Morcuera
Ready for some serious elevation gain in central Spain? Head to Puerto de la Morcuera, a mountain pass sitting pretty at 1,796 meters (5,892 feet) in the northern reaches of Madrid. The road up is called M-611, and while it's paved, don't expect smooth sailing—it's rough around the edges and gets genuinely steep in spots, with some sections hitting 11% grades. This climb has even been featured in Spain's legendary Vuelta race.
You've got options depending on where you're starting from. Coming from Rascafría? That's a 14 km grind with 658 meters of elevation gain (average 4.7%). Prefer the shorter route from Miraflores de la Sierra? Go for the 9.2 km push that climbs 603 meters at a steeper 6.6% average. Or tackle the beast from Guadalix de la Sierra—17 km and 926 meters of elevation gain (5.4% average).
Fair warning: this is high-altitude territory, so winter snowfalls are no joke. The road can shut down completely when snow takes over, so check conditions before you head up. It's all part of the adventure though, right?
Where is it?
Puerto de la Morcuera is located in Spain (europe). Coordinates: 40.7740, -3.0428
Road Details
- Country
- Spain
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 14 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,796 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 40.7740, -3.0428
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