Peñalara Natural Park, Protected mountain area in Sierra de Guadarrama, Spain.
Peñalara Natural Park is a protected mountain area in the Sierra de Guadarrama featuring granite peaks, glacial lakes, and open alpine meadows that reach elevations of 2,428 meters. The landscape combines steep rocky sections with rolling high grasslands, creating a varied topography shaped by ice age geology.
The park was established in 1990 as part of a broader environmental protection initiative in the region. Previous ski facilities were converted into conservation areas to restore and protect the alpine ecosystem.
The park is a place where visitors experience alpine life and encounter traditional shepherding that has shaped these mountains for centuries. Local shepherds still bring their flocks to the high meadows, maintaining a way of life that keeps the landscape open and diverse.
Access is via Puerto de Cotos, where marked trails of various difficulties lead to viewpoints and glacial formations. Visitors should prepare for high altitude and rapidly changing weather conditions, especially if venturing into the higher reaches of the park.
The area contains roughly 20 glacial lakes scattered across different elevations, each supporting different forms of aquatic life. The plant life here is remarkable for its concentration of rare and endangered species adapted to extreme mountain conditions.
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