Puerto de Cotos (El Paular)

Start Town	Altitude	Elevation Gain	Length	Gradient	Difficulty	Rating
El Paular Monastery	1,830m	637m	14.0 km	4.6%	340	***

Climb Description

Puerto de Cotos is a climb in the Guadarrama mountains to the north of Madrid. It is a popular climb with local riders and has also been used numerous times in the Vuelta a España - most recently in the 2015 edition during a stage won by Ruben Plaza.

Cotos is quite typical of the climbs in the area. The road is wide and in good condition, but it is also forested and so spectacular, expansive views are rare. Its proximity to the Spanish capital also means it is busy, particularly at weekends when the Madrileños come here on mass to hike or ski.

Puerto de Cotos is usually kept open throughout the year.

Roads & Traffic

The road surface is in very good condition throughout.

During the week there is no too much traffic on the road, although you can still expect to be passed fairly regularly by cars. At the weekends it is significantly busier, with a high volume of traffic and is best avoided on a bike at these times.

Alternative Routes

Puerto de Cotos can also be reached from the south-west, in a rolling route from the Puerto de Navacerrada.

Nearby Climbs

La Navacerrada

Bola del Mundo

La Morcuera

La Navafría

Abantos

Alto del León

Cycling Holidays

We don't currently run any tours in this part of Spain. If you would be interested in customizing an itinerary to this region, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss the options.

You may also be interested in the links below to some of the mountainous tours that we currently run elsewhere in Spain.