Puerto de la Mujer

Overview

Puerto de la Mujer is a Category 2 climb that packs a genuine challenge into a compact 6.7 km. From a low start elevation of 45 m, the road hauls you up to a summit of 459 m — a net gain of 414 m over the ascent. The average gradient of 6.13% tells only part of the story: this is a climb with teeth, and a maximum pitch of 15.47% waiting somewhere along the way to remind your legs that the average is just that, an average.

At under 7 km, it sits in the sweet spot where a strong rider can attack it as a sustained effort, but the double-digit ramps mean nobody escapes without paying attention to pacing. The total ascent of 398 m across the recorded profile confirms this is almost entirely uphill work, with little in the way of recovery flat.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figures frame the shape well. A 6.13% average across 6.7 km is a steady, respectable grind — the kind of slope you can settle into a rhythm on. But the 15.47% maximum is more than double that average, which means the climb is not evenly graded. Expect the road to lift and settle, with at least one savage ramp that spikes well into the teens.

Because the net gain (414 m) exceeds the total ascent (398 m) marginally in the recorded data, you can read this as a climb that trends relentlessly upward with essentially no descending sections to break the effort. There is nowhere to freewheel and recover, so the work is continuous from the 45 m base to the 459 m top.

Pacing Notes

The smart approach is to ride the first stretch conservatively and hold power in reserve for the steepest pitch near 15.47%. Anchor your effort to your FTP: on a climb this short, you can afford to ride slightly above threshold on the ramps, provided you ease back to a sustainable tempo on the shallower sections in between.

If you don't know your threshold yet, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan your effort. Knowing that figure turns a 6.7 km climb from a guessing game into a paced target — you'll know exactly how hard you can push through the 15.47% wall without blowing before the 459 m summit.

Gearing

For a 6.13% average that spikes to 15.47%, gearing is where most riders make their day easier or harder. A compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible choice here. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the steeper ramps while keeping cadence respectable, but if you prefer to spin rather than grind — or you're carrying fatigue into the climb — a 34×34 gives you that extra margin on the 15.47% pitch. Given the sustained nature of the 414 m gain with no recovery flat, err toward the easier gear; there's no shame in saving your knees.

Summary

Puerto de la Mujer is a short, honest Category 2 climb: 6.7 km of near-continuous ascent at 6.13% average, with a genuine sting at 15.47%. Pace it to your threshold, gear it low, and enjoy the 459 m payoff.

Length: 6.7 km
Average gradient: 6.13%
Max gradient: 15.47%
Start: 45 m
Summit: 459 m
Net gain: 414 m
Total ascent: 398 m
Category: 2