Locate
An exceptional refuge for biodiversity
The National Park extends over the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range, whose highest peak is the Peñalara summit. Other outstanding features include the Puerto de Navafría pass and the La Morcuera and Siete Picos mountain ranges.
All these mountainous areas are much frequented by hiking and climbing enthusiasts. The cooler and more humid conditions to be found in these mountains, plus the fact that it is so little affected by human activity, have made these mountains an exceptional refuge for biodiversity. Its physical features include glacial cirques and lakes, and granite rock fields, and its plant landscapes are formed by high-mountain ecosystems and extensive forests of Scots pine.
Practical information
Services
Viewing point
Information panels
Information points
Activities
Hiking
Information for visits
Around 64% of the protected space lies within the region of Madrid and the rest belongs to the province of Segovia, in the region of Castile-León.
Environmental information
This park is home to a wide diversity of habitats and species of flora and fauna. Some 40% of the animal species in Spain can be found in the park, in addition to an estimated 1,000 plant species, of which almost 100 are native to this area. In spite of the abundance of mammals, it is very uncommon to encounter them. Its fauna includes particularly the Iberian imperial eagle, the black vulture, the black stork, the Spanish moon moth and the Iberian frog.
Its characteristic landscape comprises oak stands that extend along the valley floor, grasslands on the summits, and pine forests growing on the mountain slopes. Meanwhile, La Pedriza de Manzanares is the best example of the granite rock fields that are common throughout this mountain range; the Pinar de la Acebeda is among the most imposing wild pine forests, and the Peñalara is the perfect symbol of the high-mountain environment of the Guadarrama range.
Cultural information
Over the centuries this territory has been a place of traditional skills that have shaped its local culture. The remains of shepherds cabins can still be seen on the mountain tops, alongside sheep-shearing stations and the brick chimneys of old sawmills. Indeed, until the mid-20th century it was common to encounter migratory flocks in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains, and there are a number of pathways that follow the ancient cattle migration routes.
The villages that form part of the park celebrate a variety of popular festivities featuring traditional festivals relating to livestock and pilgrimages, which generally take place in spring and summer.
