Puerto de Mijares, an absolute must for road lovers

Puerto de Mijares is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.575m (5,167ft) above the sea level, located in the south of the province of Ávila, in Castile and León autonomous community, in north-western Spain.

Puerto de Mijares

Tucked away in the Sierra de Gredos, a mountain range, within the Tiétar Valley, the road to the summit is called AV-901. The road is asphalted, with a few potholes and concrete sections near the summit. The road is not easy, with countless turns and twists and has some narrow parts, impassable for 2 medium cars.

It’s a cliff road with dangerous drop offs and without marked central lines. Traffic is light. The road can be accessed year round but may be closed for short periods in winter when the weather is bad. The pass has been featured in the Spanish Vuelta race. It’s a steep climb, hitting a 10.0% of gradient through some of the ramps. The pass road is 24.4 km (15.16 miles) long, running north-south from Villanueva de Ávila to Mijares.