It is one of the climbs that I enjoyed the most in the southern area of the Sierra de Gredos. We start from Candelada, a town that is worth visiting and where there are all kinds of services, including a bicycle shop and workshop, taking a very narrow road that takes us directly to the sanctuary. It is a climb in steps, with 3 hard areas and 2 rest sections, the first steeper than the second.
When leaving Candeleda there is a small descent. When crossing a bridge, the climb begins with a hard ramp, and after 1 km, the hardest km of the climb arrives with an average of 9% and ramps above 10%. After overcoming it and leaving behind another kilometer that is gentler at 6%, there comes a rest, after which we tackle the second section of the climb, where we find the hardest ramp of the climb, with a maintained 13% area. After this point, a new break arrives, much shorter than the previous one. We thus approach the third section of the climb, the longest at approximately 4 km, with a hard ramp in the second km and the last two kilometers at 5%, to enjoy the landscape and views.
The road is very narrow, with smooth but irregular asphalt, very typical of secondary roads in this area.
Highly recommended!!