Top 7 Mountain Passes around Montanejos

Demanding stretch if done uphill from Fanzara to Montanejos. You pass through the port of Vallat, one of the most colorful and picturesque of Alto Mijares. In addition to being colorful, this section is very quiet, practically without traffic and with pavement in excellent condition.

2nd category port in the Alto Millares region. Just 3 km from Montanejos begins the ascent to the port (also a viewpoint) with ramps between 8 and 11%. It is a short section that can be climbed at a good pace to enjoy the path and the views.

Yet another port in the confines of the province of Castellón. Although the ascent to Loma el Zorro begins at the Rodeche River on the border between Teruel and Castellón, we have not yet been able to take "in situ" data of the long version (approx. 8.5 km). So today we present the short west slope that begins in the town of Cortes de Arenoso, on the Balseta bridge. As soon as you leave the town, the road gets steep and does not stop until it reaches the brown plaque located at 1,103 meters above sea level. Very constant port of ramps that reach a maximum of 7%. Wide, well-paved road with open, bare landscapes. On the way to the top we find two accesses to the hermitage of San Cristóbal, yes, they are not paved and are more recommended for visits by mountain bike. Let's go with the data of the rise. https://www.dandolotodo09.com/2020/04/puertos-loma-el-zorro-por-cortes-de.html

Second ascent in the area of Caserío de Los Molares, on the inhospitable and deserted road that joins the towns of Montanejos and Cortes de Arenoso. It could have been included as an extension of the Puerto de los Molares, but there is a considerable drop between these two climbs that makes it inadvisable. After overcoming the dilapidated Caserío de Los Molares, this ascent of less than 2 kilometers begins whose summit slightly exceeds the Puerto de los Molares in altitude. Narrow and quite broken road that winds through a very dense forest area. Abundant shade, non-existent road traffic even in August. There is a maximum ramp at 13% but very short. After crowning there is a viewpoint to the left towards the Puebla de Arenoso reservoir, the Castle and Mount Santa Bárbara. It is not recommended to travel this path in reverse with the road bike, there are many holes.

Los Molares pass, one of the hardest in the Montanejos area, as it shows an APM hardness coefficient of 85 points. Normally we cycle through the stages and after a short time, with the data collected, we carry out the altimetry and the record. In this case, 4 years have passed between data collection and office work, that is what confinement has, in the absence of pedaling, we can use the abundant data that we have collected in the last 12 years. Let's go with the details of the Puerto de los Molares, a single slope ascent that takes you towards the limit of the province of Castellón, towards the area of the town of Cortes de Arenoso along a quite hidden road. We leave Montanejos towards Cortes de Arenoso along the CV-20 road, and immediately turn right towards the CV-195, crossing the Mijares bridge. The ascent begins smoothly and with good asphalt on the road that leads to Zucaina, but that joy only lasts 1 kilometer. We turn left and we get into a totally different ascent. Narrow and somewhat bumpy road, in a very leafy forest that shelters but prevents seeing landscapes. The next 4 kilometers are not excessively hard, finding some isolated ramp at 9%. A pity about the leafiness of the forest because it is intuited that with a more open landscape there would be beautiful views of the nearby Arenoso reservoir. At kilometer 5 we find an important turning point, marked by the crossing to the Shooting Range and the Canadian pass. After that point comes a descent of half a kilometer that does not bode well. That's right, the hardness of the pass is concentrated after the descent, in the last 2 kilometers. It is the area of the last 4 horseshoes, very constant, all the time above 7-8% and with punctual ramps at 10-11-12%. The final bulletin. The last 500 meters soften. After crowning and finishing the port, there is a short descent and the ruined village of Los Molares that gives its name to this leafy and generally quite hard ascent. https://www.dandolotodo09.com/2020/04/puertos-los-molares-por-montanejos-apm.html

You can walk down from the road

To eat cirat vista and good treatment gastrobar APANEM

A beautiful bike route, especially the section over Vallat. First class asphalt, great views and little traffic