N 340 Road markers. locally known a Mojones © Chris Chaplow
The N-340 Highway: Andalucía’s Legendary Coastal Road
There are roads that take you from one place to another, and then there are roads that become the journey itself. The N-340 is one of them. Spain’s answer to Route 66, this legendary highway follows a route through some of Andalucía’s most captivating landscapes, where the mountains tumble towards the sea, whitewashed villages cling to hillsides, and the Mediterranean shimmers beneath an almost endless blue sky.
Once stretching 1,248 kilometres from Cádiz to Barcelona, the N-340 was Spain’s longest road. Today, although much of the original highway has given way to modern motorways, its surviving sections offer something increasingly rare: the pleasure of taking the slow road, where every bend reveals another panorama and the temptation to stop is impossible to resist.
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Pilgrimages, such as this one in Tarifa also travel on the N-340 © Michelle Chaplow
In Andalucía, the adventure begins near Cádiz, travelling through sunlit countryside towards the hilltop beauty of Vejer de la Frontera before the old road sweeps south towards Tarifa. Here, the landscape opens to vast Atlantic beaches, wind-shaped hills and distant views of Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar. Continuing east towards Algeciras, the road threads between mountains and sea, passing through a landscape shaped by salt air, shifting light and centuries of maritime history.
The Orginal N-340 passed by the Puerta de Jerez in Tarifa © Michelle Chaplow
This is a drive of contrasts and unexpected delights: golden beaches giving way to rugged headlands, quiet stretches of countryside punctuated by the sight of a traditional ventas, and little roads inviting you to turn off in search of a hidden cove or a village where lunch is still a leisurely affair. On a clear day, the sea seems to stretch forever; when the wind rises around Tarifa, you feel the raw, untamed energy of the coast.
The N-340 rewards those who resist the urge to hurry. Forget the fastest route and embrace the scenic one. Stop for the views, linger over a coffee, explore the villages and let the changing landscape set the pace. Whether you follow a few memorable kilometres or embark on a longer road-trip adventure, this is Andalucía at its most exhilarating, a journey where the road, the scenery and the freedom to explore are every bit as memorable as the places you discover along the way.
The N-340 predominantly runs along the coast, and has now been by re-classified in many sections by the Autovía A-7 and Autopista AP-7.
N-340 Route overview - Cadiz to Barcelona
Since the N-IV occupies the single road access along the peninsular into Cadiz city, the 'Kilometre 0' of the N-340 is actually at the rather less romantic Tres Caminos industrial estate at Puerto Real near San Fernando. Nowadays, its first section is renamed the A-48; when this dual carriageway Autovía ends near Vejer de la Frontera, one can continue south on the N-340 to Tarifa and then east towards the port city of Algeciras.
Beyond Algeciras, the Autovía A-7 runs up the coast as far as Almeria. Many sections of the N-340 have been buried and upgraded to dual carriageways. At points, a service road alongside the highway is the original N-340. In other places, you can leave the A-7, which generally bypasses coastal towns, and take a more interesting route by following the old N-340 through the towns themselves, including Estepona (partly pedestrianised in 2024), Marbella, Fuengirola, Benalmadena, Torremolinos and Malaga city.
North of Malaga, the A-7 is an expensive and imposing new construction clinging to the mountainside through a series of viaducts and tunnels. You can follow the old coastal N-340 to Nerja, through >Almuñecar, Solobreña, Motril and Adra, all the way into Almeria.
From Almeria, the N-340A cuts inland, heading west to Tabernas. The A-92 motorway follows the route, and leaving Andalucia it goes through Lorca, Murcia and Elche.
The road then branches off along the Rio Torremanzanas towards Alicante. Through traffic now takes the Autovía A-36. The road then heads inland, crossing a junction with the Autovía A-35 before traversing the Sierra de Benicadell through Alcoy. South of Valencia, the road becomes the Autovía V-31 and then reverts to the N-340 at junction 536 km of the A-7.
North of Valencia, much of the road has been superseded by the Autovía CV-10 and Autovía V-21 to Valencia. It eventually passes through Castellón de la Plana, before heading along the coast to Peníscola, changing to the A7 near Cambrils, crossing the River Ebro (delta) and continuing on towards Tarragona.
The road reaches Vilafranca del Penedès and crosses the Llobregat valley, including a junction with the Autovía A-2 and Autovía B-24.
The road finally enters Barcelona, and winds through a series of suburbs and industrial areas with a variety of names. It is intermittently called; Carretera de Cadiz, later Carretera de Collblanc, then Carrer de Sants, Plaça d' Espanya, and Avinguda del Parallel, concluding its route at the Passeig de Josep Carner.