On the border between Castile and León and Galicia, Puerto de Ancares climbs through a little-visited biosphere reserve in the Cantabrian Mountains, a regular feature of the Vuelta a España.
A demanding final ramp
From Tejedo de Ancares, it’s 7.6 km for 679 m of elevation gain, averaging 8.9%. The final kilometre, the hardest, sits close to 14%, up to a pass that tops out at around 1,650 m.
A recent Vuelta a España regular
The pass most notably featured in stage 13 of the 2024 Vuelta a España, won solo by Michael Woods after attacking 4.8 km from the line, in a stage marked by manoeuvring among the main general-classification contenders.
When to go
May to October — this remote Cantabrian pass can stay snow-covered late into the season.
Good to know
The neighbouring villages of Balouta and Piornedo, known for their traditional stone-and-thatch “pallozas,” are worth a stop to see the rural heritage of this remote biosphere reserve.
