Why Pico de Veleta is Unlike Any Other Climb
Pico Veleta is Europe’s highest cyclable climb, rising above Granada’s skyline. Soaring up to 3,394 m (11,135 ft), Veleta is a regular entry on lists of superlative bike climbs like “world’s highest/toughest/hardest” and it more than deserves the distinctions. But Veleta has a few things that the others don’t. It’s the second highest peak on the Iberian Peninsula, and unlike the highest peak directly to the east, you can ride your gravel or road bike (with 28-32 mm tires) to within 25 meters (82 ft) of Veleta’s peak. If you time your climb to a summertime full moon, aim to reach the peak at sunrise for an experience that’s hard to match anywhere else.
image courtesy of Granada’s Provincial Board of Tourism
When to Ride: Full Moon Dates + Weather Tips
To get the most out of this nighttime adventure, plan your climb for June 29, July 28, or August 26, 2026. The full moon on these dates turns this climb into a surreal, glowing ascent. If there are no clouds, you can ride up Veleta without turning on your lights. In addition to front and rear lights, bring a thermal longsleeved shirt, a wind jacket, and tights or leg warmers for the ride down. Bring plenty of water and food because there’s not much available once you pass the 1700 meter mark (but nothing’s open at night so either way, bring supplies!)
First Moonlight Ride
Our first moonlight ride up Veleta in 2012 was organized and supported by local club, Granabike. The club has since made it an annual, fully-supported event with support and SAG and if there is to be a 2026 edition, info will probably be published on the club website.
We try to ride Veleta at least once per year for a variety of reasons. Mainly we ride Veleta to prove we can still do it. We also want to remind ourselves of why we chose to live here, plus we want to suffer a bit. These are probably good reasons for you to do it too. Drop us an email if you have questions or need more information about riding up Veleta.
Route options, bike choice, and safety notes
The red route is our actual ride and it took us up to the peak and over to the other side of the Sierra Nevadas. We spent the night in Capileira before heading home the following day. The yellow route is steeper and rougher but more direct. The purple route is remote, rocky, and best for strong riders. While we chose to ride our dual-suspension mountain bikes up and over Veleta, someone fitter and faster could do it on a gravel bike with front suspension. We locked out our suspension for most of the climb but a little suspension helped to reduce fatigue and maintain focus on the descent, which is loose and rocky singletrack for the first 10-15 km. We each hauled a couple liters of water and lots of food in addition to a change of clothes, flip-flops, toothbrush, toothpaste and shampoo. July and August are usually the best months to do this ride. If you go any earlier, you may run into snow around 2800 meters. Weather changes quickly above 2500 m.
GPX Files and Ride Stats
GPX FileOff-road (yellow) GPX FileRoad (purple) GPX File