Three Days in the Sierra de Gredos, Spain

Nimrod
Jul 4
6 min read

Updated: Jul 15

April 2025 [All the posts about Spain]

Autonomous communities: Castile and León

Accommodation: Hoyos del Espino

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Duration: 3 days

Season: April (Spring)

Sierra de Gredos, Sapin — Sierra de Gredos

Content

Sierra de Gredos, Spain – Introduction

Sierra de Gredos, Spain, was the third region we explored during our trip through western Spain.This mountain range lies within the autonomous community of Castilla y León.

In the orientation map provided, you can see our hiking routes and where we stayed.Each hike includes a detailed map and a navigation file.

Sierra de Gredos is one of the most beautiful and impressive mountain ranges in Spain, part of the country’s Central System.

We had many beautiful days of hiking after leaving Seville, but once we arrived here, the rain returned. In fact, we had about a day and a half of good weather, while the rest of the time was marked by heavy rain that made hiking impossible.

The area definitely left us wanting more, and it seems only right to plan at least four full days here.

Before arriving here, we spent four days hiking in the Jerte Valley and three days before that in the Sierra de Francia. This area was the final part of our nature explorations in western Spain before returning to Madrid.

More trips in Spain

Three days in Sierra de Francia

Five Days in the Sierra Nevada

Four Days in the Jerte Valley

More treks around the world

Four Days in the French Alps

Menalon Trek in Greece

Kumano Kodo Trek in Japan

Samaria Gorge, Crete

Tips

We're staying in the charming village of Hoyos del Espino, located along the AV-941 road that borders the reserve from the north. The village sits at an altitude of around 1,500 meters and serves as a great base for exploring many hiking trails in the area.

We rented a lovely and highly recommended house through Booking, with two bedrooms—perfect for a family stay.

Note – it's hard to find groceries in the village and the area in general. When we were here, the local shop was open only for a few limited hours. If you're arriving from a larger town, make sure to bring supplies with you.

The area offers a variety of trails with different difficulty levels, suitable both for beginner hikers and experienced climbers looking for a challenge.

The best seasons for hiking are from spring through late autumn, when the weather is pleasant and the landscape is green and in bloom. In winter, most of the area is covered in snow, and special equipment is required to access some of the trails.

Near the village, there’s a place where you can rent gear for snow hiking — see details later in the post about the first hike to the Great Lagoon.

If you're visiting in winter or early spring, bring warm, waterproof clothing, and don’t forget a beanie and gloves.

Here are a couple of great resources (in Spanish, but easily translatable) for exploring this area:

One is an excellent site called Tronostrum, which features a variety of hiking routes in the region — each one includes a detailed map and GPS navigation file.

The second is the official Castilla y León Tourism website, which brings together recommended hikes and outdoor activities in and around the nature reserve.

Quick Links to the Hikes:

First hike: Senda de Laguna Grande

Second hike: Senda de la Garganta de Navamediana

Short walk: Las Chorreras waterfall

First Hike – Laguna Grande (Attempt to reach Laguna Grande)

Difficulty: Moderate || Type: Linear

Best seasons: Spring/Summer/Fall

Elevation gain: 380 m

Max altitude: 2,170 m

Distance: 12 km || Estimated time: 5 hours

Trail marking: PR-AV 17

Trek's name is "Senda de laguna grande" and it's code is PR-AV 17

It's early April, and there's still a significant amount of snow this year. The trail begins at the Plataforma de Gredos, located here — just a 15-minute drive from our village. It's essentially a large parking area where the 12 km round-trip linear hike starts, following the same path out and back.

As mentioned, the snow levels were quite high, and we came unprepared.

Hiking at this time of year requires special gear like crampons or microspikes, along with clothing suited for cold, snow, and wet conditions.

In short, we managed to walk a few hundred meters up the mountain before realizing we couldn’t continue — so we turned back and returned to the parking area.

Near the parking area, you’ll find groups of adorable Spanish ibex — it seems they’re fed here regularly, so they've grown quite fond of the spot.

By mid-spring in May, and certainly in summer when the snow has melted or only a few patches remain, the full hike can be completed with ease.

For those who still want to hike in the snow, it's possible to rent snow gear at the edge of the village from a company called Gredostormes — their website is here. Note that the office isn’t always staffed, so it’s a good idea to check in advance. There’s also a tourist information office just across the street.

You can find more details about the trek on the website here (it's in Spanish, but can easily be translated).

Navigation file in GPX format

Second Hike: Navamediana Canyon (Senda del la Garganta de Navamediana)

Difficulty: Moderate || Type: Linear

Best seasons: Spring/Summer/Fall

Elevation gain: 708 m

Max altitude: 2,170 m

Distance: 14 km || Estimated time: 5 hours

Trail marking: PR-AV 38

The hike starts from the village of Navamediana, about a 30-minute drive west from our village along the AV-941 road. The trailhead is located here. More details can be found on the website here.

At the beginning of the trail, just outside the village, you walk along a stone-paved path lined with old stone fences and bare oak trees — still leafless at the end of winter. Later in spring, the trees are covered in fresh green foliage.

The entire hike follows the Garganta de Navamediana river, which is now flowing strongly. The snow-capped peaks of the Sierra de Gredos mountains accompany us along the way. The misty landscape, colorful lichens on the rocks, and the oaks in their winter state make for a truly beautiful scene.

Along the way, we came across a few small waterfalls from streams flowing into the river, as well as birch trees and Pyrenean oaks. At one point, we encountered a locked gate maintained by local shepherds — so we had to carefully climb over it...

On the way back, we spotted a beautiful pair of deer leaping from one side of the river to the other. If only I had been in position with my camera—what a shot that would’ve been!

Navigation file in GPX format

A short walk to the Las Chorreras waterfalls

Today is a rainy day, so we stayed indoors :( In short, there's still so much to do in this area, but the weather just isn’t on our side...

I went out for a short walk and reached the waterfalls known as Las Chorreras on the Tormes River — just a few minutes' drive from the house. The falls are surrounded by beautiful rocks, typical of the region.

The water flow is impressive, and with the rain starting to fall on me, I’d better hurry!

After visiting the waterfalls, I drove back toward the Plataforma de Gredos and took a few more shots of the mountain goats. On the way back, a sudden mist rolled in out of nowhere, giving me the chance to capture some moody, misty scenes along the road...