{"id":5053,"date":"2024-11-19T14:05:06","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T13:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aventurapatanegra.com\/the-best-road-bike-route-from-denia-coll-de-rates\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T09:07:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T07:07:41","slug":"the-best-road-bike-route-from-denia-coll-de-rates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aventurapatanegra.com\/en\/the-best-road-bike-route-from-denia-coll-de-rates\/","title":{"rendered":"The best road bike route from D\u00e9nia – COLL DE RATES"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although road biking isn\u2019t part of the activities we offer at AVENTURA PATA NEGRA<\/strong>, it has always been\u2014and continues to be\u2014one of my passions. I also worked for several years as a road cycling guide for Hotel Los Caballos, where I met lots of cycling enthusiasts who came to enjoy a full week in this prime destination for road cycling\u2014thanks to the excellent condition of our roads and the magnificent climate that allows us to ride year-round. <\/p>\n

So today and after my hours and kilometers pedaled, without a doubt if I had to recommend a road bike route leaving from Denia would be the Coll de Rates and return through Castell de Castells.<\/p>\n

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Technical Requirements and Route Profile<\/h2>\n

We\u2019re assuming you\u2019re a regular road cyclist and in reasonably good shape, since this is a challenging route covering about 85 km with 1,300 m of elevation gain. In other words, if you\u2019ve only been cycling for two days, I can assure you this route is going to be a real struggle. <\/p>\n

Depending on your average speed, it should take you between three and four hours of \u201ceffective cycling\u201d (actual time spent on the bike).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Coll de Rates: The “Mecca” of Cycling<\/h2>\n

The Coll de Rates<\/strong> Pass can be considered the “Mecca” of cycling in our area. None of us cycling enthusiasts who live around here\u2014or those who come to visit\u2014can leave without having conquered it. <\/p>\n

And if you come during the winter, it’s very likely that you’ll run into (or rather, have your “stickers removed” while hiking up) one of the many professional teams that come to our area to prepare for their season.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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From D\u00e9nia to Parcent: Start of the climb<\/h2>\n

The start of this mountain pass is in the town of Parcent. To get there, head to La Xara<\/strong>, where you\u2019ll take the CV-724 to Pedreguer<\/strong> and then the CV-720. <\/p>\n

In Pedreguer, a fairly gentle climb of about 6.5 km begins, passing through the small village of La Llosa de Camacho<\/strong>. This section has an average gradient of 3%, with a few spots that get a little steeper as we approach the area around Llosa de Camacho and continue to the end. <\/p>\n

From there, it\u2019s a gentle descent to the town of Alcalal\u00ed<\/strong>. Halfway down, you\u2019ll find a fountain on your left if you want to refill your water bottle. From Alcalal\u00ed, it\u2019s just under 3 km of ups and downs to Parcent<\/strong> (more uphill than downhill), and once you\u2019re in Parcent, the hard part is over. <\/p>\n

As soon as you reach the town and turn left (onto the CV-715), you\u2019ll find yourself at the start of this famous mountain pass, which is just over 6 km long. It\u2019s a fairly consistent climb with an average gradient of around 6%, where you won\u2019t find any flat sections but will encounter some more challenging stretches with gradients of up to 10%. The views as you climb are breathtaking; you can see the sea in the distance in the Bay of J\u00e1vea, as well as Mount Montg\u00f3<\/strong> and Cape Sant Antoni<\/strong>, which form a natural border between the towns of J\u00e1vea<\/strong> and D\u00e9nia<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Climbing toward T\u00e1rbena and stopping for lunch<\/h2>\n

Once you\u2019ve reached the top of the pass, there\u2019s a long stretch of ups and downs all the way to T\u00e1rbena<\/strong> (staying on the CV-715). The views from this other side of the mountain are also breathtaking, offering a glimpse into the valley and the Bernia mountain range<\/strong>; and once you reach T\u00e1rbena, you can even see the sea and the skyscrapers of Benidorm<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

These days, I can’t imagine going on a bike ride without stopping for lunch. On this route, I always stop in T\u00e1rbena at a little bar that’s a bit hidden away, right across from the turnoff we’ll take toward Castell de Castells. <\/p>\n

The bar is called Ca\u2019s Pelut<\/strong>, and it\u2019s one of those places you find in these little villages where you can enjoy a traditional lunch, coffee and toast with tomato, or even order a paella (which they make really well)\u2014all for a very reasonable price. Plus, the views from the terrace are incredible. Be sure to check\u2014they\u2019re closed on Tuesdays for a day off. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Sa Creuta Pass (“El Somo”) and the descent<\/h2>\n

Once we\u2019ve regained our strength, we still have a tough stretch ahead of us before reaching the highest point on the route (780 m). This is the Sa Creuta Pass,<\/strong> better known to locals as \u201cel Somo.\u201d <\/p>\n

To get there from T\u00e1rbena, take the CV-752 toward Castell de Castells. It\u2019s about 6 km\u2014quite a \u201cleg-burner\u201d\u2014with final gradients of up to 17%. But once you\u2019re there, it\u2019s a \u201cpiece of cake.\u201d The descent to Castell de Castells is quite \u201ctwisty\u201d (be careful, as there are a few pretty dangerous curves). From there, we rejoin the CV-720 and head toward Benigembla<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The “Bicycle Highway” to D\u00e9nia<\/h2>\n

This section is a “bicycle highway”. It is 10Km on a super wide road, with plenty of shoulder and very well groomed. It does not have any dangerous curve or too much slope (between 5% and 2%). So if you want to fly you will have to pedal. But you will see that as you go down you will wonder how they have “planted” that piece of road there, in the middle of the mountain. <\/p>\n

After Benigembla, we have a \u201cshort climb\u201d ahead of us to Murla<\/strong> (CV-719). We\u2019ll head down to Orba<\/strong> on the CV-715, and then, on the CV-731, we\u2019ll ride on flat terrain or a slight downhill through the towns of Benidoleig<\/strong>, Beniarbeig<\/strong>, and Ondara<\/strong> before arriving back in D\u00e9nia<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Historical Trivia: The “Strava” of the Past<\/h2>\n

Just as a fun fact, a few years ago\u2014before Strava and other similar apps existed\u2014a system was set up to time the climb. There was a booth down in Parcent and another one once you reached the top of the pass. <\/p>\n

You had to pick up a card at the booth down below and fill in your information by hand. Once you were ready, you\u2019d check a box to record the exact start time of your climb, and when you reached the top, you\u2019d check another box and drop the card into a mailbox. Those cards were collected every week and manually entered into a website where the data and rankings were posted. Hard to believe nowadays, isn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Route Map and Additional Routes<\/h2>\n

Here’s a link to the D\u00e9nia Turismo Wikiloc page with the route track, in case you’d like to download it:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/es.wikiloc.com\/rutas-ciclismo\/ruta-8-coll-de-rates-48100152<\/a><\/p>\n

Under that same user, you can find 15 other circular routes starting from D\u00e9nia. These are routes we originally planned at the request of the D\u00e9nia Tourist Office<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Recommended Bike Rental Places in D\u00e9nia<\/h2>\n

And finally, if you have not brought your bike and you want to rent one in the area, we recommend some reliable places where you can find good quality rental bikes that work all year round:<\/p>\n