Starting right from the heart of Oviedo, Alto del Naranco is one of Asturias’s most accessible and best-known climbs, visible from much of the city thanks to the monument at its summit.
A steady climb straight from the city
From central Oviedo, it’s 6.8 km for 422 m of elevation gain, averaging 6.2% with a steepest section around 14%. The road tops out at 634 m at the Monumento al Sagrado Corazón, overlooking the city and the Cantabrian mountains beyond.
A Vuelta a España regular
Alto del Naranco has featured several times in the Vuelta a España over the decades and also has its own dedicated event, the Subida a Naranco, one of the oldest hillclimb races in Spain — a mark of how deeply the climb is woven into local cycling culture.
Getting the ride right
Starting from sea level in the city, the early gradient builds gradually before the steeper ramps appear closer to the top, so it pays to hold something back for the final kilometre.
When to go
March to November — Oviedo’s mild Atlantic climate keeps the climb rideable most of the year, though wet weather is common outside the drier summer months.
Good to know
Early on the route passes Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, two pre-Romanesque churches recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites — well worth a stop on the way up or down.
