1. La Laguna Grande

Mountains, Rocks and Lakes

Almanzor and Laguna Grande

This is the classic route, taking you to the heart of the Gredos. It is one of the few routes that can be considered moderate rather than easy, with 400m altitude difference. In winter, the ice and snow transform it into a treacherous path and only advisable to do it with special mountain equipment. It is around 14Km out and return and it takes 5 hours. Summer and autumn provide the best climatic conditions.

Anywhere along the track we will have the chance to see the Gredos Ibex. There are very abundant here and they seem to have lost their fear of people and you can approach them easily.

Wild Goats

It starts at the car park of "Plataforma", near "Hoyos del Espino" at 1770m and it follows a stoned path that ascends until we reach a very wide mountain pasture called "Prado de las Pozas". The path runs across this flatland, then over a concrete bridge and from here it climbs again steeply, zigzagging. Shortly after passing a spring to fill up our water bottles, the path levels again and you reach the "Risco de los Barrerones" where will get your first view of the peaks of the Circo de Gredos, with the Almanzor (the highest peak in central Spain-2592m) in front of us and the lake at the bottom. The path then descends to the "Laguna Grande". The ice modelled this landscape many years ago and the lake is at the bottom of a glacial valley.