Sierra de Gredos Regional Park
Sierra de Gredos Regional Park is located in the south of the province of Ávila.
Sierra de Gredos is an impressive granite massif that rises in the middle of the Central System mountain range. In 1996 the Spanish Government decided to protect a total of 86,397 hectares of its area.
All over this “roof of Castile and stony heart of Spain” —as Miguel de Unamuno said— there are many natural features of its high mountain ground.
The 2,592 metres of the Almanzor Peak is the highest point in the community of Castile and Leon. Below it, there are heights like the 2,568 metres of the Galana Peak or the 2,391 of El Morezón.
Another of the great charms of Sierra de Gredos Park are its lakes. The most popular ones are those called 'del Barco', 'la Galana' and 'los Caballeros'. The most liked is, especially, 'Laguna Grande'. It is located in the middle of Circo de Gredos (Gredos glacial cirque) and at the foot of the Almanzor Peak. This is the main tourist attraction of the park.
Vegetation and fauna
The extensive woodland of Sierra de Gredos Park extends up to 1,500 metres in height as pine, oak and gall oak forests. Higher up, these species are gradually replaced by bush vegetation typical of the high mountains.
Among its fauna, the Iberian ibex stands out, perhaps the most representative animal species of the mountain range (and one of the most valued hunting trophies in Europe).
Other species with presence in Sierra de Gredos Park are otters, wildcats, shrews, imperial eagles, black storks, Egyptian vultures, cinereous vultures, goshawks or Eurasian sparrowhawks.
Hiking and access
Sierra de Gredos Park is more than suitable for all kinds of active tourism activities such as mountaineering, climbing, hiking, horseback riding, cycling or ski touring. There are several active tourism companies that provide these activities in and around the Sierra de Gredos Park.
The most common accesses to Sierra de Gredos Park are from the N-110 road, which links the cities of Ávila and Plasencia, or from the N - 502, between Ávila and Talavera de la Reina.
The AV - 931 road, from Hoyos del Espino, leads to the Plataforma de Gredos, an extensive car park at an altitude of 1,750 metres, which is also one of the main entrances to the park.
Nearby are towns of historical and landscape interest that are worth visiting. This is the case of Barco de Ávila, Arenas de San Pedro, Candeleda, Mombeltrán and Piedrahita.
Recommendations on where to eat and where to sleep near Sierra de Gredos
In Arenas de San Pedro
El Bodegón de Gredos Restaurant
La Ardilla del Roble Restaurant
In Barco de Ávila
El Fogón del Barco Restaurant
Bellavista Restaurant
In Candeleda
Los Carretero Restaurant
Mesón Jara
In Hoyos del Espino
La Galana Restaurant
La Mira de Gredos Restaurant
In Arenas de San Pedro
Posada del Infante Hotel
Casa Carmela Hotel
In Barco de Ávila
Izan Puerta de Gredos Hotel
In Candeleda
Nabia Hotel
El Camino Spa Country House
In Guisando
El Bosque de la Herrezuela Hotel
In Hoyos del Espino
Cuarto de Milla Hotel
El Milano Real Hotel
Gredos Camping
In Navalonguilla
La Guilera Camping
In Navarredonda de Gredos
Nava Gredos Camping
Gredos Ecuestre Horse Riding (Arenas de San Pedro)
La Peña del Toro Horse Riding (Candeleda)
Gredos a Caballo Horse Riding (Hoyos del Espino)
AMN Active Tourism (Hoyos del Espino)
Escuela Alpina de Gredos Mountain Guides (Hoyos del Espino)
Gredos Guides Active Tourism (San Martín del Pimpollar)
Casa del Parque El Risquillo. Paraje El Risquillo. Guisando. Spain. Phone: +34 920 374 055. GPS coordinates aprox. 40º 13′ 15.26″ N – 5º 8′ 37.34″ W.
Casa del Parque Pinos Cimeros. Carretera de la Plataforma, AV – 931, km. 0,2. Hoyos del Espino. Spain. Phone: +34 920 349 204. GPS coordinates aprox. 40º 20’ 46,5’’ N – 05º 10’ 31,1’ W.