Nature areas in Cuelgamuros
In the heart of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range, this is a nature site where you can enjoy one of the best views in the Madrid region. Located in the northwest of the Madrid Community, in the municipality of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, it covers an area of 1,365 hectares and constitutes an extensive ecological and biological reserve.
The geological configuration of this area offers enormous masses of granite arranged in whimsical formations. The elevation starts out at 977m to reach 1,753m, giving us an idea of the ruggedness of its mountain range.
It is traditionally an area of rocky slopes devoid of much vegetation as a result of overuse by livestock and also due to forest fires. This particular mountain was repopulated between 1949 and 1955, mainly with pines and other hardwood varieties from different Spanish regions, as well as autochthonous species. The difficulty of access has enabled the Monte de Cuelgamuros to become a remarkable ecological and biological reserve.
The valley is basically made up of an adult pine forest mass, the product of older reforestation processes, and which forms a restored natural landscape of great scenic and environmental value.
Cuelgamuros has a great diversity of plant communities: Maritime pine and Scots pine forests, mixed oak groves, ash groves, cypresses and arizonas, meadows, poplar groves, birch groves, alder groves and willow groves. A highlight in the area is the restored beech forest, the junipers, the 100-year-old yews and the unique cork oaks. Landscapes range from rocky areas, cliffs and ravines to meadows and gallery forests.
A large part of the area has restricted public use, thus facilitating the settlement of a multitude of animal species. This role of "refuge" in the setting of the Sierra Madrileña massif confers notable environmental value upon this unique environment. The diversity of fauna in Cuelgamuros is considerable, with roe deer, red deer, wild boar, the occasional mouflon (wild sheep), foxes, martens, wild cats, badgers and genets, among others.
The presence of otters has also been observed. There is a multitude of small insectivorous birds, and others such as owlets, jays and woodpeckers. The presence of goshawks, eagle owls, vultures, imperial and golden eagles, peregrine falcons, booted eagles, common buzzards and kites is also well worth a mention. Among the reptile species are the snub-nosed viper, the ladder snake, the bastard snake, the mountain lizard and the black-green lizard. Among the amphibians are different species of toads, salamanders and newts.