The ski resort of Puerto de Navacerrada is located in the mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama, 60 km northwest of Madrid at an altitude of 1860 m. The resort village lies at the foot of Mount Guarramillas (2179 m).
There are two areas for skiing, which stretch on both sides of the village: the “upper” with trails for trained skiers and the “lower” with trails for beginners. In the “upper” zone, there are 9 “red” runs and 1 “black” run with a length of 325 to 1300 m and with a height difference from 165 to 314 m. In the “lower” zone, there are 4 “green” and two “blue” runs with a length about 300 m and height difference not exceeding 70 m. All routes of the “lower” zone pass through dense pine forests. It is worth noting that due to repairs being carried out in order to modernize the resort, most of the tracks in the “upper” zone are closed, now only one “red” track is working here. The slopes of the resort are served by 8 lifts (3 of them are closed for reconstruction). The lift “Guarramillas” leads directly to the top of the mountain of the same name. It is used not only by skiers in winter to get to the slopes, but also in other months by tourists who want to admire the picturesque views of the Sierra de Guadarrama.
According to petsinclude, the infrastructure of the resort is represented by several small hotels, restaurants, ski schools and equipment rentals.
A few kilometers east of Puerto de Navacerrada is another ski resort – Valdesqui . In general, the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range offers tourists unlimited opportunities for hiking and mountaineering. The most interesting routes start from the small town of Cercedilla. Within the mountains there are two significant nature protection zones. On the slopes of the highest point of the Sierra de Guadarrama – Peñalara Mountains (Penalara) (2428 m) – a natural park is equipped. The park is famous for its lakes of glacial origin and glaciers. The Cuenca Alta del Rio Manzanares biosphere reserve is located in the upper reaches of the Manzanares River. One of the main attractions of the park are the granite mountains of La Pedriza, whose slopes are popular with climbers.
In addition, from Puerto de Navacerrada you can go on excursions to Madrid or to the city of Segovia.
San Isidro, Castile-Leon (Spain)
The ski resort of San Isidro is located 60 km northeast of Leon in the center of the Cantabrian Mountains on the border of the provinces of Leon and Asturias.
This is one of the most popular and most picturesque resorts in Spain . located in the Cantabrian mountains. The ski area is located at altitudes from 1500 to 2100 m. The resort has 31 slopes (5 green, 9 blue, 13 red and 4 black) and 16 lifts. The trails are grouped in 4 ski areas: trails for beginners are located in the Salencias region (altitude difference does not exceed 140 m), trails for beginners and experienced skiers are located in Riopinos (altitude difference – 300 m) and Rekejines (altitude difference – 200 m), and the most difficult tracks are in the Sebolledo area (400 m elevation difference). Also in San Isidro, there is 1 flat track with a length of 3.5 km for cross-country skiers, and in the Sebolledo area there is a snow park with a half-pipe. The ski season lasts here from December to March. There are many hotels in the resort and its surroundings.. In addition, in San Isidro, guests are offered equipment rental, a ski school, a kindergarten, shops, bars, cafes and restaurants.
To the east, at the junction of the borders of the provinces of Leon, Asturias and Cantabria, the Picos de Europa National Park extends. This is the first national park in Spain, it was created at the beginning of the 20th century. The park covers an area of 650 sq. km and is now part of the vast Gran Cantabrica Biosphere Reserve, designed to protect the biodiversity of the Cantabrian mountain range. Mixed forests grow in the park with a predominance of beech, oak, maple, hazel and chestnut. Animals such as Cantabrian bears, Iberian wolves, wild boars, roe deer, many species of birds, including the symbol of the park – capercaillie, as well as various birds of prey, live here. The highest point of the park is Mount Torre de Serredo (2648 m). This is the highest point of the Cantabrian mountains. In total, there are about 200 peaks in the park with a height of more than 2000 m. An interesting fact is that, along with the highest points, the deepest gorges and caves of the country are also located in the park. In the middle of the slopes overgrown with forests, turbulent mountain rivers flow, and lakes lie in the valleys. The Picos de Europa National Park is a great place for hiking and rock climbing. There are hiking trails of varying difficulty in the park. The most popular is the “La Ruta del Cares” route, passing through a deep gorge formed by the Cares River. The depth of the gorge reaches 1.5 km. You can also explore the park by going tofunicular trip. The tourist center of the Picos de Europa National Park in the province of León is the town of Posada de Valdeon.
