Puerto de Nacarare

Puerto de Nacarare cycling climb profile

Puerto de Nacarare is a category 2 climb in MX that looks deceptively manageable if judged only by its headline average. At 28 km with an average gradient of 3.08%, it does not read like a brute-force mountain pass. The more useful number is the total ascent: 1084 m, compared with a net elevation gain of 862 m from 1604 m to 2466 m.

That gap matters. It tells you this is not a perfectly even drag from bottom to summit. The road gives back elevation along the way, then asks for it again. For the rider, that means the climb is likely to feel rhythm-breaking rather than simply steady. The average stays low because the full distance includes easier ground, but the workload is still real because the body has to pay for every metre of ascent.

How the gradient unfolds

With a maximum gradient of 13.7%, Puerto de Nacarare has enough bite to punish riders who treat it as a long tempo rise. The profile numbers point toward a climb with two competing personalities: long enough to require endurance pacing, but variable enough that short steep ramps can spike effort well above sustainable climbing power.

The bottom starts at 1604 m and the summit sits at 2466 m, so the climb gains substantial elevation over a long distance rather than delivering one continuous wall. The 3.08% average means there will be recoverable stretches, but the 1084 m of total ascent says those easier moments should not be mistaken for free speed. They are chances to reset breathing, keep cadence alive, and avoid turning every rise into an acceleration.

Pacing and gearing notes

The correct pacing strategy is conservative early, controlled through the middle, and opportunistic only near the top if the legs are still there. On a 28 km climb, even small over-threshold efforts accumulate quickly. The danger is not the average gradient. The danger is responding too hard to the 13.7% ramps, then losing the ability to ride efficiently on the gentler sections that follow.

Use gearing that lets you stay seated on the steepest pitches without grinding. A setup that feels excessive on a 3.08% average climb may be exactly what keeps the effort under control when the road kicks up. If you are riding by power, anchor the effort near endurance or controlled tempo and allow brief rises only when the gradient forces them. If you are riding by feel, keep the early climb almost too easy and save muscular pressure for the final portion.

Puerto de Nacarare rewards patience. The rider who manages torque, cadence, and fueling across the full 28 km will usually climb better than the rider who chases speed on every ramp. For pacing discipline, think in terms of repeatable effort rather than chasing the average gradient. If needed, use /glossary/ftp as the reference point for setting a ceiling on the harder sections.