Hiking in Central Spain

We will meet in Madrid around 9:30 am and head to the Sierra de Gredos by private vehicle. Our first stop will be the Puerto del Pico, an ancient mountain road built by the Romans in order to connect the southern and northern parts of the Castilian plateau. We will start our walk in the Scot pine forest and ascend to El Torozo, a 2,028 metres high mountain which enjoys spectacular views to the Tagus river valley. On top of that, we will almost certainly have the chance to spot the majestic Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) and a high numbers of large birds of prey.

The second day of our trip will be devoted to discovering how people in these mountains have lived for centuries. We will spend the whole day hiking through the Oak and Chestnut forests, exploring abandoned villages, marveling at waterfalls and even discovering Visigothic and Moorish necropolis. Definitely a very interesting and unique day of hiking! 

This day will take us to the Circo de Gredos, surely the most alpine section of the Sierra, featuring Pico Almanzor, which at 2,592 metres is the highest mountain in Central Spain. The scenary here is second to none. Depending on the weather conditions and the general feeling of the group, we will either ascend to the summit of the Morezón (2,389 metres) or hike to the Laguna Grande, a glacial lake located in the middle of the cirque. 

La Paramera is a sub-branch of Gredos that stretches north of the Sierra into the outskirts of the medieval walled city of Ávila. The landscape here is rugged, lonely and eerily beautiful. Because of this unusual terrain, famous films such as Conan the Barbarian have been shot in the area. Weather permiting, we will hike up to the 2,158 metres Pico Zapatero, the highest point of La Paramera and an excellent viewpoint to the extensive Castilian plateau to the north.

Our final day of our trip will take us to the Iruelas Valley and Burguillo reservoir, a Nature Reserve featuring dense forests of Austrian pine, Spanish chestnut and Pyrenean oak. As we walk the pleasant trails, we will also have the chance to observe the local birdlife. The area is of great importance for endangered species such as the Black stork, the Spanish imperial eagle and the Cinereous vulture. After our hike we will head back to Madrid, where we will arrive at around 1:00 pm.