Sierra de Guadarrama National Park
The Sierra de Guadarrama mountains have some unique landscape, geological, geomorphological, hydrographic, botanical, wildlife, historical and cultural characteristics in the whole of Spain. Preserving these values has lead to the declaration of different protection categories in this mountain range over recent decades, which culminated with it being declared a National Park.
The purpose of national parks is to ensure conservation and enable public use and the improvement of scientific knowledge of the natural and cultural values of the spaces they protect, as well as to promote a social conservationist awareness and the exchange of knowledge and experiences in matters of sustainable development.
Subsidies
Find out more about the Park
Within the Central System, the Sierra de Guadarrama forms part of a long 500-kilometre-long mountain chain that crosses the center of the Iberian Peninsula from east to west. The conditions of the Sierra, cooler and more humid than the plateaus, and their lesser transformation by human activity, have turned these mountains into a privileged refuge for biodiversity.
The Sierra de Guadarrama National Park represents different natural systems in the Network of National Parks, including Scots pine forests (Pinus sylvestris) of recognized environmental value and excellent state of conservation on siliceous soils. In its physical environment, its cirques and glacial lagoons and its granite rocks stand out, among its vegetable landscapes, high mountain ecosystems and extensive pine forests of Scots pine.
The National Park occupies 33.960 hectares, of which:
- 21.714 hectares they are in the the Region of Madrid.
- 12.246 hectares are in the Community of Castilla y León.
The territorial scope of the National Park includes territories of a total of 28 municipal districts:
- 16 municipal districts in the Community of Castilla y León
- 12 municipal districts in the Region of Madrid:
Alameda del Valle, Becerril de la Sierra, El Boalo, Cercedilla, Lozoya, Manzanares el Real, Miraflores de la Sierra, Navacerrada, Navarredonda and San Mamés, Rascafría, Pinilla del Valle, Soto del Real.
In addition to three municipalities included in the Peripheral Protection Zone in the surroundings of the National Park: Canencia, Guadarrama and Los Molinos.
National Park
Other protections included in the territorial scope of the Park:
- Special Conservation Areas (ZEC): ES3110002 Lozoya River Basin and Sierra Norte, ES3110004 Manzanares River Basin and ES3110005 Guadarrama River Basin.
- Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA) ES0000057 Alto Lozoya.
- RAMSAR wetland of the Peñalara Massif.
- Biosphere Reserve Upper basins of the Manzanares, Lozoya and Guadarrama rivers
In the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, nine natural systems, which constitute a representative sample of the Mediterranean high mountain natural systems, such as:
- Supraforest thickets, high-mountain grasslands, high-altitude woody steppes and cascajares
- Pine forests, juniper and Spanish juniper woodlands
- Oak, beech and birch groves
- Complaints and melojares
- Holm oak, holm oak, cork oak and wild olive groves
- Watercourses and riparian forests
- High mountain wetlands and lagoons
- Singular natural systems of glacial and periglacial origin
- Singular mountain and high mountain formations and reliefs
Some of these natural systems, such as supra-forest scrublands, high-mountain grasslands, high-altitude woody steppes and kermes oaks, and natural systems of glacial and periglacial origin, are distributed continuously on both sides of the regional boundary. The joint protection of both slopes, the Segovian and the Madrilenian, under the single figure of National Park will allow a better conservation of these natural systems.
In addition, the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park has an important richness and diversity in relation to flora, fauna and natural habitats.
The diversity of species of fauna consists of 255 registered taxa, which means it is home to 40% of the Spanish vertebrates, and 74 of these 255 species have some level of protection at national or European level. The Park is home to 148 species of birds (40% of Spanish registered birdlife) and 58 species of mammals (almost 50% of Spanish mammal species).
With regards to plant species, 114 species of interest have been recorded, either because they are included in the Catalogs of Threatened or Protected Species of the Community of Madrid or Castilla y León, in the Red List of Spanish Vascular Flora or in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive .
On the other hand, 25 types of habitats within its geographical scope, 4 of which are considered "Priority Habitats". Of these 25 types, 21 habitats have been identified on the Madrid side, 13 on the Segovian side, and 2 are not represented in the National Parks Network.
Declaration:
- Law 7/2013, of June 25, on the declaration of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. (BOE nº 152 of June 26, 2013, correction of errors BOE nº 181 of July 30, 2013).
Planning and management instruments:
EU_EAFRD co-financing
The European Union, through the European Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), co-finances the Program for the Operation of the Visitor and Conservation and Management Centers of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in the Community of Madrid
Visitor Centers in the Community of Madrid
The Visitor Centers of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park offer access to reception infrastructure at the main entry points to the National Park. In addition, they make available to the visitor resources for the elementary interpretation of the environment, with the aim of promoting understanding and appreciation of the main values of this protected natural area.
Our activities programmed by the different Centers are Returns , although you will need to book in advance for many of them. For further information, we suggest you get in touch with each Centre.
Participate in the activities organized by the National Park
We highlight
Permanent exhibitions
Bicycle routes
Within the Community of Madrid, the National Park has a total of 23 routes to cycle through different enclaves.
Collected in the following document, each route is accompanied by basic information that includes its length, difficulty according to colors, start and end points, parking places, type of route (circular or round trip), specific recommendations and places of interest.
Hiking and Climbing
Trekking
We highly recommend this activity in order to enjoy the National Park in all its glory, as the network of routes and trails allows visitors to get from the most iconic places to the most remote places.
Regulation of climbing in La Pedriza
The presence of nests of griffon vultures, peregrine falcons and golden eagles in the La Pedriza massif and the need to conserve them during the breeding period justifies the regulation of the practice of climbing in certain areas, preserving these birds from disturbances that the climbers could cause them with their simple presence, since they use itineraries and cliffs in which the birds have located their nest.
It will not be possible to climb on the routes and sectors indicated in the Resolution of February 10, 2023 (BOCM No. 47, of February 24), from January 1 to July 31, 2023, both inclusive.
An information system will be established for climbers by means of signs on the routes and sectors themselves, indicative signs in car parks and access areas, communication by National Park staff in visitor centers and access control points.
Access to La Pedriza
One of the most iconic places of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park is La Pedriza. Given the large affluence of visitors, access for private vehicles and buses is regulated for security reasons and also to prevent the natural resources being damaged by this traffic.
In the "La Camorza" area, near the "La Pedriza" Visitor Center, there is a barrier where is the control visitor entrance.
Recommendations:
- Access on foot to Canto Cochino via the Quebrantaherraduras path (the vehicle can be parked in the car park located next to the barrier, with a maximum capacity of 75 private vehicles), or through the Garganta de la Camorza from El Tranco.
Visits to the Peñalara Massif
The visit to the Peñalara Massif is subject to a series of conservation regulations for the most fragile areas. For this reason, and in order to avoid crowds, it has been established a maximum daily quota of 945 visitors to the Peñalara Massif, as well as 250 vehicles per day in the parking lot of Los Cotos.
There are also group hearing rules (15 people or more).
Groups of 15 people or more who want to visit the surroundings of Los Cotos and Macizo de Peñalara require prior authorization and appointment. A maximum of 55 people per group will be authorized, with a maximum of 110 people in a group per day. On weekends and holidays, for the RV7 / RV8 routes, a maximum of 25 people will be authorized in a group. Nocturnal group visits will not be authorized.
As for the bivouac, article 48 of the national park PRUG, establishes the need for authorization for bivouac in groups of more than 10 people, in addition to other restrictions regarding the date and location of the bivouac. In the Peñalara Massif, Madrid slope, Only a maximum of 15 people/group/day will be authorized to practice the bivouac.
For conservation reasons and according to art. 33.1 and 45.3 of the PRUG which empowers the Managing Administration the possibility of restricting the carrying out of specific activities in certain areas in order to avoid the deterioration of environmental values, The area of Los Llanos is suspended for the practice of bivouac in the Peñalara Massif.
Group visits to the Peñalara Massif must be requested through the Peñalara Visitor Center Tel. 918 520 857. From said center they will be confirmed the availability of space, as well as they will be informed of the various alternative routes in nearby areas of the mountains.
It is highly recommended that you consult with the Visitors Center (Tel: 918520857) before moving to the Port of Los Cotos.
Swimming in the Manzanares River and Charca Verde
In order to preserve the environment, the ecological restoration and recovery of the natural values that have made it possible to declare it as a National Park, in the surroundings of the upper course of the Manzanares River, swimming in the Manzanares river is prohibited , on its way through the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park and the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park, in the section from its source, in the Ventisquero de la Condesa, to its mouth, in the Santillana reservoir, in the municipality of Manzanares El Real. Therefore, this prohibition affects the Charca Verde, and the rest of the pools in this section of the Manzanares River.
It is recalled that bathing is only allowed in officially registered areas, more information on this can be found at this link.
Management plan for the mountain goat population in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park
Service Guide
Within the Area of Socioeconomic Influence of the National Park there are numerous options for accommodation, restaurants and leisure in nature. All this information has been compiled in a single document that facilitates the visit, the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park Service Guide.
This Services guide brings together 613 references distributed in different blocks: restaurants, hotels, rural accommodation, active tourism companies, visitor centers, museums and other municipal services of interest. Of all of them, 364 are in the Community of Madrid and 249 in the province of Segovia.
The establishments included in this guide may place a sticker somewhere visible, helping to identify them.
Administrative transactions
The Master Plan for the Use and Management of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (PRUG) is the instrument for the use and management of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, which includes the guidelines for the protection and conservation of the Park's territory. For the conservation of the values of the National Park, certain uses, developments and activities are subject to a system of administrative intervention.
- Request for authorization of activities regulated in the Master Plan for the Use and Management of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in the territory of Madrid
- Annex I: Data of the Requested Activity
- Required content accompanying report applications professional audiovisual activities
- Required content accompanying report application for extraordinary non-competitive sports activitiess
- Required content memory accompanying application for research activities in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park.
- Required content accompanying report application for tests and sports competitions authorized on an exceptional basis
Annex I is included in the authorization request.
In the case of professional audiovisual activities, extraordinary sports, research or sports tests and competitions, a complementary report must be included in the application according to the content that appears above.
- Declaration of responsibility for the development of activities regulated in the Master Plan for the Use and Management of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in the territory of Madrid
- Annex II: Data of the Requested Activity
Annex II is included in the request for a Responsible Declaration.
- Communication of regulated activities in the Master Plan for the Use and Management of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in the territory of Madrid
- Annex III: Data of the Requested Activity
Annex III is included in the Communication request.
Management and participation bodies
Management bodies:
- Management Commission: the Autonomous Communities of Madrid and Castilla y León are represented in it, it is a body for coordinated management.
- Co-directors of the National Park: a Co-director of each Autonomous Community, appointed by the competent body, who will be responsible for ordinary and usual management in their territory. One of them will perform the functions of Conservation Director of the National Park, a position that will rotate between the two administrations.
Participating body:
- Park Board: Public administrations and those institutions, associations and organizations related to it or whose purposes are consistent with the inspiring principles of the basic legislation on national parks are represented. The presidency will be held by the head of the Ministry corresponding to the Conservative Director who in turn corresponds to him.
Want to know more?
