| Sanabria Lake Natural Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
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| Location | Zamora Province, Castile and León, Spain |
| Nearest city | Puebla de Sanabria |
| Coordinates | 42°07′21″N 6°43′09″W / 42.12250°N 6.71917°W |
| Width | 322 |
| Area | 22,365 ha |
| Established | October 27, 1978 |
| Visitors | 42,669 (in 2007) |
| Governing body | Junta de Castilla y León |
| www | |
The Sanabria Lake Natural Park[1] (Spanish: Parque Natural del Lago de Sanabria) is located in the northwest part of the Zamora province, in the mountainous area of Sierra Segundera and Sierra Cabrera. It occupies a surface area of 22,365 ha, with heights ranging from 997 meters in the lake banks to the 2,124 meters of the peak of Peña Trevinca.
With its 318.7 ha, the lake that gives the name to the park is the largest glacial lake of Iberian Peninsula. Its maximum depth is 51 meters. There are a number of of lagoons scattered in the mountains and its canyons that show the action of the glacier activity of the Quaternary and make it a great place to study the action of glaciers over the terrain. Along with innumerous streams and the luxuriant and varied vegetation in every level, the park possesses high aesthetic and landscape value [2][3].
Municipalities edit
The park spans across the municipalities of Galende, Cobreros, Trefacio y Porto de Sanabria.
Flora and Fauna edit
The great biodiversity is one of the main features of the ecosystem of the park. Woods of oaks coexist with birches, willows, hollies and yews along with large extensions of scrubland. The abundance of lagoons, sources and streams allows the existence of peat bogs, a rarity in these latitudes.
The fauna is varied: roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), iberian lynx ([[Lynx pardinus]]), wolf (Canis lupus), partridge (Perdix perdix), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), otter (Lutrinae) and trout are some of the numerous species found in the park which are protected by law since 1978.
Visiting the Park edit
The Park Interpretation Center is located in the restored monastery of San Martín de Castañeda, a medieval building that belonged to Cistercian monks. The center has a permanent exhibition that shows the natural, social and cultural aspects of the park using scale models, explanation panels and audiovisual presentations, etc., which present the geological history of the place, the human activities and the conservation strategies.
The center offers a privileged view over the lake. In summer it is open to the general public every day in summer. In winter, from Monday to Friday it is only available to organised groups, who may have a guide to show the park, opening to the general public in Saturdays and Sundays.
See Also edit
References edit
- ^ Royal decree that established the park (in Spanish), Junta de Castilla y León website
- ^ Park web pages (in Spanish), Junta de Castilla y León website
- ^ GR-84 Montaña de Sanabria (in Spanish) - "La Opinión de Zamora" newspaper
External links edit
Gallery edit
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Sanabria lake -
Sanabria lake -
Sanabria lake from San Martin -
Sanabria lake from Playa de los Enanos
]Category:Lakes of Spain|Sanabria Lake Natural Park]] ]Category:Natural parks of Spain|Sanabria Lake Natural Park]] ]Category:Zamora province|Sanabria Lake Natural Park]]