The Sanabria lake – the largest glacial lake in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula

The Sanabria lake (Lago de Sanabria) is located in the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula, at an altitude of about 1000 meters above sea level in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain.

The nearest city is Puebla de Sanabria – a historical complex.

It is the largest glacial lake in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula. The main inlet and outlet flow of lake water corresponds to the river Tera.

The lake basin originated in the Würm glaciation.

It has an area of 3.47 km², 2 and a maximum depth of 53 m, which is in the eastern basin of the two that make up the lake, with the west reaching a maximum depth of 46 m.

It is a part of the Lago de Sanabria Natural Park and the Segundodera and Porto mountains. The area was declared a Natural Park in 1978.

The Sanabria comarca is one of the few areas in Western Europe having a sizeable population of wild wolves living in the Sierra de la Culebra mountain range.

The dominant forest that surrounds the lake is that of Quercus pyrenaica, an oak grove, whose specimens do not usually exceed 1500 m in altitude and which are well adapted to face the cold of winter.

There is a documented presence of seven species of fish found in this lake habitat. Of the latter, the trout stands out, highly appreciated in sport fishing and exquisite culinary tasting; in the lake it reaches considerable dimensions and its meat usually has a salmon-pink hue, forming part of a dish of the Zamora cuisine: the trout a la sanabresa.

How to get to?

From Zamora 1 hr 25 min (114 km) via N-631 and A-52

From Valladolid 2 hr 7 min (201 km) via A-6 and A-52

From Madrid 3 hr 32 min (354 km) via A-6

GPS coordinates: 42°07′21″N 6°43′09″W

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