Cabeza de Manzaneda (Bibei River)

Start Town	Altitude	Elevation Gain	Length	Gradient	Difficulty	Rating
Bibei River	1,760m	1,448m	30.5 km	4.8%	975	****

Climb Description

Cabeza de Manzaneda is a high mountain climb in the Galicia region which finishes above a ski resort. It is one of the highest and longest ascents in this part of Spain and climbs to the very top of the mountain, which offers fine views of the surrounding countryside.

The first part of the climb to Manzaneda is gentle and with no real difficultires, but the section from here to the ski area is significantly tougher, with several stretches in excess of 10%. At the ski resort you turn off and head towards the communication tower on the top of the mountain - this is fairly steady and is the most enjoyable part of the climb in terms of scenery.

Cabeza de Manzaneda is open as far as the ski resort throughout the year; although sometimes it is necessary to take the alternative OU-0703 road, which is the normal driving route. We recommend climbing it between May and October.

Roads & Traffic

The road is surface in reasonable condition. It is fully asphalted and there are no large holes, but it is quite a bumpy surface in places. This is more unpleasant on the descent than when climbing.

There is little traffic on the climb.

Alternative Routes

Cabeza de Manzaneda can also be climbed via several other combination of roads, although the final 5km from the ski resort to the top of the mountain are always the same. Many of these routes, however, are rolling for long sections before they begin to climb steadily. This is the most authentic climbing route.

Nearby Climbs

Llano de las Ovejas

Laguna de los Peces

El Peñon

Cycling Holidays

We currently do not have any tours that visit this part of Galicia. If you would be interested in customizing an itinerary to this region, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss the options.

You may also be interested in the links below to some of the holidays that we run nearby in north-west Spain.