The old and abandoned road to Puerto de Rañadoiro
Spain, europe
11.3 km
1,178 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, picture this: You're in northern Spain, in the gorgeous Asturias region, ready for an adventure. You stumble upon what used to be the epic Puerto de Rañadoiro, a mountain pass soaring to 1,178m (3,864ft).
Now, heads up, the old road over the top is currently a no-go for vehicles as it's being dismantled – a tunnel bypasses it now! But back in the day, this paved road, nestled in the Sierra de Rañadoiro mountains, was a stunner, and super steep. Think hardly any traffic and stunning views for 11.3km between Cangas del Narcea and Degaña, with an average gradient of 5.3%.
Known as ‘Camino Real del Trayecto’ this route was a medieval hotspot. Whilst technically open year-round, winter could throw a curveball with short closures due to bad weather. Nowadays you can whizz through the Rañadoiro tunnel, a 1.924m tunnel that’s part of the 3,930 meters bypass of the AS-15 that replaced the old 11.3km route over the port. Still, if you're into history, imagining what it was like on this old medieval highway is pretty cool, right?
Road Details
- Country
- Spain
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 11.3 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,178 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
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