Puerto de los Alazores

Puerto de los Alazores cycling climb profile

Puerto de los Alazores is a category 2 climb that asks for patience more than brute force. The headline numbers are 12.6 km at an average gradient of 4.13%, rising from 521 m to 1041 m. That gives the climb a net elevation gain of 520 m, with total ascent listed at 497 m.

Those figures point to a climb that is long enough to matter, but not consistently steep enough to reward over-aggression. The average gradient sits in the tempo-climb range for most trained riders, but the maximum gradient of 10.09% is the number that should shape your pacing plan. A climb with this average and that maximum is unlikely to feel like one uninterrupted ramp. The easier sections will make it tempting to ride above target, while the steeper pitches can punish that early enthusiasm.

How the gradient shapes the ride

From bottom to summit, the simplest way to read Puerto de los Alazores is as a controlled aerobic effort with intermittent pressure points. Starting at 521 m, the road gains steadily enough over 12.6 km that the climb never disappears from the legs, but the 4.13% average means there should be room to settle into rhythm rather than fight the bike from the first pedal stroke.

The key is not to treat the average gradient as the full story. A 10.09% maximum gradient changes the ride because it creates moments where torque demand rises sharply. If you arrive at those ramps already over threshold, the climb can quickly shift from manageable to ragged. If you stay composed early, those steeper sections become short accelerations in load rather than decisive cracks in pacing.

Pacing and gearing notes

For riders using power, this is a climb to start below ego and build into. Hold a sustainable tempo through the opening part, keep cadence comfortable, and save any above-threshold work for the steepest ramps. If you are pacing by feel, the right effort should feel almost too restrained early, especially because the summit still sits a full 12.6 km from the start.

Gearing should account for the 10.09% maximum, not just the 4.13% average. A setup that feels fine on moderate gradients can become costly if it forces low-cadence grinding on the steepest pitches. The goal is to keep one easier gear in reserve so the ramp does not dictate your effort for you.

For training, Puerto de los Alazores is well suited to sustained climbing work around /glossary/ftp, with controlled surges over the steeper sections. The best ride here is not the one that feels fastest at the bottom. It is the one that still has structure near the summit.