national park of sierra de gredos

This hike was very beautiful. It was hot and completely exposed but still a nice trail. I noticed most people had hiking boots but I wore Nike Free's and they were adequate for the trail conditions. It was lovely to see the cows and goats along the trail. This hike starts at plataforma and takes about 5 hours roundtrip

A definite "will go back". Beautiful mountain surroundings with falls and exquisite air. Inspiring for trekking and photography.

Far from the hustle and bustle of Tourism, the Sierra de Gredos is in easy reach of the main cities of Madrid and Toledo to be visited on a sunny day. Landscapes, castles and wildlife (a capricorn crossing our path) are to be seen. Take your time and drive on the small roads.

Gredos is a total jewel in terms of nature. Full of forest with dozens of pathways to discover all the great places and small but beautiful villages where it seems that time has stopped. Gredos has a lot to offer to everyone, from the expert trekking experience, to the tranquil walks with the family with children

We stayed in the Sierra de Gredos the whole weekend, from Friday till Sunday afternoon, looking for nature, relaxing ambient and places to walk in the mountains. We rented a rural house called El Herrero-Vivegredos (close to El Barco de Avila); a very nice place to stay if you want to walk in the national park. They had animals (e.g. rabbits, goats); the house was comfortable, the owners very kind and helpful (they recommended us the trekking routes) and the surrounding area beautiful (very close to all the trekking routes). Following the recommendation we decided to see Laguna de la Nava in the national park. It is around 9.5km long walk, taking around 8h (both ways). The walk was rather demanding (medium-high difficulty) but very rewarding. The views were amazing: the mountains, the goats looking at you from high cliffs; small waterfall; fields of big rocks; laguna; a very nice trekking day. Fully recommended for persons searching for couple of hours with nature (and physical exercise) without a crowd.I put 4 stars and not 5 as the path signals could be improved, e.g. showing the distance (km and time) to the laguna and two shelters. Then, few times it was not exactly clear which path to choose.

There are many beautiful walks for anyone from the fairly unfit beginner to a real expert who likes a challenge. In winter you can hire snow shoes to walk on the snow but, beware, the weather can be treacherous and if you choose this option you should be prepared. Summer or winter there are magnificent landscapes to enjoy.

I just hope it doesn't burn in summer. It's too beautiful.

Gredos Mountains is an ideal place for lovers of trekking and hiking. In spring the roads are passable and has spectacular views. In winter it is necessary to use specific material mountain and ice axes, crampons, ...After spending the night in the parking lot of the platform, woke up early on Saturday morning at 7 am and began the ascent of Pico Almanzor (2592m). First you must get to the Laguna Grande after 2 hours of hiking on well marked paths. If you're lucky you can observe the local wildlife Gredos goats in their natural habitat.Once you reach the Laguna Grande, there is a refuge where to relax, take a hot drink or even spend the night (advance booking is strongly recommended through the web).Very near the shelter and the Laguna Grande, there is a gap lower, with water from glaciers called Laguna Esmeralda. A great place to cool off and take a breather.The second part of the trek is harder. The trail becomes much steeper with many unstable rocks that can make you slip and fall. From the Laguna Grande to the Pico Almanzor there are approximately another 2 hours of hard climb so you should avoid the hottest hours of the day to avoid fainting. The trail is well marked and there is usually enough people so it is hard to miss.Reaching the capstone of the peak requires a last effort, a small climbing wall as no specific material and a small ravine that requires your full attention be alert and careful.The views from the top of Pico Almanzor are spectacular on clear days. You can see all the "Circo de Gredos" in its glory including part of the Laguna Grande.During the descent should be careful where you step, to avoid rock falls and accidents.It should be remembered that we are talking about hiking in the mountains, so fitness is required (it took us 11 hours round trip), so as to know their own personal limitations always remembering that the mountain is stronger than us (this summer has been one fatality in this same excursion): sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, plenty of water, proper footwear ...Definitely a wonderful experience for nature lovers and adventure tourism located 60 km from Avila and about 200 km from Madrid. To end the day you can enjoy the delicious cuisine that offers all the Tietar Valley.

Llegamos hasta la plataforma con la intención de subir haciendo la ruta hasta la laguna, pero no fue posible, no llevábamos crampones y el ascenso era complicado porque había mucho hielo a estas alturas del año. La nieve estará arriba o en los laterales, pero el camino era puro hielo y sin equipo adecuado mejor no lo intentéis.Muy bonita zona, volveré más adelante en el deshielo porque me quedé con ganas de hacer la ruta.

Un oasis de belleza, naturaleza digno de pintar , de ver , de disfrutar de todo. Lleno de lugares maravillosos e impone respeto de cuidar lugares como esa gran Sierra que ya lo vivieron los mismos celtas dejando su recuerdo.

Si apenas ha nevado y hay hielo, no puedes seguir desde la plataforma sin crampones para hielo. Además, ahora hay que pagar antes de acceder a la plataforma, 2€ por vehículo; al menos el de la barrera podría avisar si no se puede luego acceder sin crampones, para evitar hacer el trayecto hasta el aparcamiento en vano.

Toda la Sierra de Gredos en su vertiente Norte es todo un espectáculo, hay gran variedad de ofertas para realizar las distintas rutas, desde el ascenso al Almanzor para los más exigentes, hasta otras rutas a pie, en bici o a caballo, ya que hay empresas que las organizan en Navarredonda, mismamente. Es una zona de gran atractivo orográfico y de interés geológico. Si tenéis oportunidad, quedaos acampados en el camping, donde podrás elegir tu parcela y montar el campamento para visitar la zona, el nacimiento del río Tormes, con piletas naturales auténticamente paradisíacas, la vega del Alberche... Buenos sitios para disfrutar de la gastronomía, la naturaleza. Eso sí, dado que es uno de los pueblos con mayor altitud de la provincia de Ávila (a unos 1500 metros sobre el nivel del mar), conviene llevar ropa de abrigo, incluso en verano ya que las temperaturas por la noche bajan bastante. Es una experiencia para repetir cuantas veces haya oportunidad.

Es sin duda alguna una de mis visitas preferidas. Se trata de un paraje natural incomparable. Tiene muchas rutas para disfrutar y si te gusta la escalada puedes practicarla en muchos de sus picos. Actualmente colaboro con un blog en la sección de viajes. He escrito ya una entrada al respecto ( http://bodas-temporada.es/sierra-de-gredos-ruta/ ) pero sin duda pienso seguir compartiendo muchos de los secretos que encierra esta Sierra.

Knappe wandeling naar de laguna Grande vanaf het Plataforma.Ongeveer een 14 km stappen( heen en terug).Reken met picnic bij op een 6 tal uur. Ruwe ondergrond met grote keien kan het wandelen wat lastig maken,maar je wordt beloond met prachtige zichten van de "Cirque de Gredos".in september was het nog mogelijk iets te eten in de rufuge van Elola(keerpunt van de wandeling)

Pudimos hacer sólo media ruta hacia la Laguna desde la plataforma de Gredos (íbamos con niños pequeños y se nos hizo un poco tarde), pero aún así disfrutamos mucho del paisaje y de las vistas sobre las montañas. Si volvemos por la zona, seguro que la completaremos!