The highest peak of the Guadarrama mountain range is home to a series of lakes of glacial origin that are unique in the Community of Madrid. The lagoons of Peñalara are three: the smallest are the Claveles, which dries up during the summer, and Los Pájaros, which is the highest (2,170 m altitude), but the best known is the Grande, at 2,017 meters al titude. It has a circular shape and right now it is very protected and fenced, but in the past when it froze in winter it was common for climbers to try to cross it.
The lagoons are not the only attraction of the Peñalara cirque, in addition to the beauty of the place and the ecological interest of the Peñalara Massif Wetlands, here was built the Zabala shelter. Made of stone and concrete in 1927 by order of the Royal Spanish Mountaineering Society Peñalara, it was named after the mountaineer and writer founder of the society, who had died a few years earlier and who was a great promoter of hiking in the Zone.
Route to the Peñalara Grande Lagoon
To climb the Hoya del Toril, as the cirque of Peñalara is also known, there are several hiking trails of a fairly affordable medium level. The most common is the one that starts from Puerto de Cotos, at 1800 m and where you can get there by car and park. From here you can access these lagoons following the well-marked trail that leads to the highest peak of the sierra, the Peñalara. In total, round trip, it is 6 km (2 hours at normal pace) with a very affordable slope. It must be taken into account that in winter heavy snowfalls can occur, which, in addition to ice and blizzards, complicate the crossing a lot.
The road passes through Scots pine forests and alpine meadows and has spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. One of the first stops along the way is the Fuente Cubeiro and behind it is the viewpoint of the Gitana, from which to observe the major mountain ranges of the National Park. Following the road, you will reach a crossroads between the Laguna Grande and the Laguna de los Pájaros.
The trail to the Laguna Grande becomes a wooden walkway and the rocks cut by the ancient glacier take over the landscape. As you proceed, rocks and boulders mark the terrain and the ground becomes wetland. Finally, we arrive at the Grande Lagoon, which according to Julio Vías in his book Memorias del Guadarrama, the old shepherds feared, especially at nightfall, because its depth made it impossible to recover a cow if it fell in. Although there are no longer shepherds, it is common to find mountain goats. And if you are lucky and have good eyesight, some roe deer, voles and protected reptiles such as the black-green lizard.