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La Pedriza

Madrid  >  Spain

La Pedriza is one of the most iconic places in the National Park of Sierra de Guadarrama. A natural geological feature with lots of hiking trails and birds.

Added* by Juan Gallego-Zamorano
Most recent update 27 Ιανουαρίου 2023

Description

It is only 1 hour by car from Madrid, with easy access, and with a lot of history as well, which makes it really popular among people there (there are almost thousand climbing routes and hiking trails). However, in La Pedriza there are simply a lot of hiking trails where to get lost and observe birds in peace. Here, I put one of my favourite routes because it is easy to do but really nice to see vultures and the landscape. In this route you walk through the impressive geological feature which goes up quickly and is full of boulders where you can easily see Όρνιο and Black Vulture at a really short distance. The Iberian Magpie are everywhere and if you are lucky, you can also see the Spanish Eagle and Χρυσαετός.

Details

Access

Due to the high visitors flow the access by car is regulated. If you are an early bird and go before 9:30, you will probably be lucky to go until the Parking of Canto Cochino, if not you can normally park in the Visitors Center and start walking from there. Along the way you can easily see the Iberian Magpie and around the pine trees in Canto Cochino, Λοφιοπαπαδίτσα. There is also a shuttle bus from the church of Manzanares el Real.

Terrain and Habitat

Mountain , Valley , Forest

Conditions

Mountainous , Hilly , Rocky

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Spring , Winter

Route

Narrow trail

Difficulty walking trail

Average walk

Accessible by

Car , Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

Extra info

You can also easily see mountain goats around.

Links

View other birding spots in the area that are published on Birdingplaces

Map

Top 5 birds

Other birds you can see here

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