Puerto de Pajares
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2025) |
| Pajares Pass | |
|---|---|
| Puerto de Pajares | |
 View of the N-630 crossing Puerto de Pajares from the east, with Ubiña Massif in the background | |
| Elevation | 1,378 m (4,521 ft) |
| Location | Villamanín, León and Lena, Asturias |
| Range | Cantabrian Mountains |
| Coordinates | 42°59′34″N 5°45′34″W / 42.99278°N 5.75944°W |
  Location within Spain | |
The Puerto de Pajares is a mountain pass through the Cantabrian Mountains between the provinces of Asturias and Léon, Spain.[1] The pass has been historically important to Asturias as the lowest elevation direct route between the capital, Oviedo, and the rest of inland Spain via Léon. The pass delineated, for a time, the frontier between the Christian Kingdom of Asturias and the Moorish extent of the Umayyad Caliphate.
Today, the pass is crossed by the N-630 highway which links Oviedo and Léon, in addition to the Venta de Baños–Gijón railway which passes through a series of high elevation tunnels near the summit of the pass. The importance of the pass has diminished in recent years as the N-630 highway has been supplanted by the A-66 freeway which bypasses Puerto de Pajares through the Negrón Tunnel since 1997, 6 km (3.7 mi) to the west. In addition, a 25 km (16 mi) long railway tunnel bypassing the pass, the Pajares Base Tunnel, was opened in November 2023 as part of the León-Asturias High Speed Line, after 18 years of construction and several delays due to leakage issues.
There is a restaurant located at the summit of the pass offering views in both directions. The Valgrande-Pajares ski resort is located near the pass.
The Tour of Spain has passed over Puerto de Pajares 18 times.
