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SPAIN | The Sierra de Gredos, Spain Travel Guide
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
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Sierra de Gredos South Face
The South Face of the Sierra de Gredos
From Ávila, the N-502 runs all the way to the main villages of the south face. The road passes through the Puerto de Menga in the Sierra de la Paramera y Serrota and then the Puerto del Pico, with great views of the mountains and the ancient Roman road that is still occasionally used by shepherds. After this second pass, turn southwest on the AV-903 to reach destination numero uno, Arenas de San Pedro.
Sightseeing around the South Face of the Sierra de Gredos
Arenas de San Pedro
Arenas de San Pedro is the largest town on the southern face of the Sierra de Gredos and tends to be thronged with tourists and Spanish escapees beginning in the spring. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Cuevas and Arenal with the steep mountains all but cradling around it just to the north. Afew sights are of note and can be taken in during an afternoon before heading west to the small villages at the very foot of the mountain that serve as gateways to the top. These include the Castillo de Triste Condesa, the 16th-century Gothic Iglesia de Asunción with the town’s clock tower and the Palacio del Príncipe Luis de Borbón.
Outside of town, the 16th-century Monasterio de San Pedro de Alcántar shelters the bones of its namesake and patron saint of Extremadura and has a museum with various gold liturgical relics. To go underground, the Cuevas de Águila are a 20-minute walk from town in Ramacastañas, replete with gloomy natural caverns teethed by stalactites and stalagmites.
Guisando, El Arenal and El Hornillo
West of Arenas, three simple mountain villages are strung together at the foot of the sierras: Guisando, El Arenal and El Hornillo. Climbers prefer Guisando for the hiking trails that lead to the base of a number of popular bolted climbing routes. From town the path is marked in ascent to La Apretura at the foot of La Mira peak (2,348 m/7,700 feet), where the Refugio Victory serves as a base-camp for climbers. From here, a grouping of granite spindles rising upwards of 2,000 m (6,600 feet) can be attacked (the most difficult, best left to the most experienced, is Torreón). Hikers can continue on from the refugio to the summit of La Mira, which many believe offers the most impressive views in the Sierra de Gredos. The trail passes a waterfall marking the birth of the River Pelayos and is capped at the top by an old telegraph tower.
Last updated February 2, 2012
Posted in Spain | The Sierra de Gredos
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