The road to Alto de Despiernacaballos, a hidden gem

Alto de Despiernacaballos is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.580m (5,183ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Jaén, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southern Spain.

Alto de Despiernacaballos

Tucked away in the Sierra de Segura mountain range, within the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, in the eastern and northeastern part of the province of Jaén, the road to the summit is paved but narrow and steep. It was fully asphalted in 2012.

The road was improved to shorten the distance through the towns of the Segura Valley. Starting from the challenging yet scenic JF-7038 road, the drive is 11.6 km (7.20 miles) long, and runs from La Toba towards Santiago de la Espada. The climb will be featured in the Vuelta a Andalucia 2021, a professional cycling race. The road is really steep, with an average gradient of 5,8% and hitting a grueling 21,8% through some of the ramps.

When the snow falls - which it does in the winter – things get tough and slippery. Check out the weather forecast before you start your journey: the road can be accessed year round but may be closed for short periods in winter when the weather is bad. It is prone to rockfalls and landslides after rains.
Road suggested by: jorge manuel gómez sánchez

 

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