Sanabria (comarca) facts for kids

Where Sanabria is located in Zamora Province.

Sanabria Lake, one of the few natural lakes in Spain and Portugal.

Another view of Sanabria Lake.

A view of the Sanabria area with the Sierra de la Culebra mountains in the background.

Sanabria (pronounced sah-NAH-bree-ah) is a special area in the northwest of Zamora Province in western Spain. It's known as a comarca, which is like a traditional region or district. Sanabria shares its borders with Portugal to the south, Ourense (a province in Spain) to the west, and León (another Spanish province) to the north. It's part of the Castilla y León region in Spain.

Discovering Sanabria's Nature and Geography

Sanabria is surrounded by several mountain ranges that form its natural borders. The Sierra de la Cabrera Baja mountains are to the north, separating it from León Province. To the west, the Sierra Segundera mountains divide Sanabria from Galicia. In the south and southwest, the Sierra de la Culebra and Sierra de la Gamoneda mountains border the Bragança District in Portugal. To the east, you'll find the areas of La Carballeda and Tierra del Pan.

Sanabria Lake: A Glacial Wonder

The most famous spot in Sanabria is the beautiful Sanabria Lake (called Lago de Sanabria in Spanish). This lake is the biggest glacial lake on the Iberian Peninsula, which means it was formed by ancient glaciers. It covers a large area of about 368 hectares (that's like 909 acres!). The lake and its surroundings became the Sanabria Lake Natural Park in 1978, protecting its amazing natural beauty.

Home to Wild Wolves

Sanabria is also special because it's one of the few places in Western Europe where a good number of wild wolves still live. These wolves make their home in the Sierra de la Culebra mountain range, which is part of the Sanabria area. It's a great example of how nature and wildlife can thrive in this region.

Towns and Communities in Sanabria

Sanabria is made up of 15 different local areas, called municipalities. Each municipality includes several smaller towns or villages. The main town and capital of the Sanabria comarca is Puebla de Sanabria. It's the biggest and most important town in the region.

Some of the other municipalities in Sanabria include:

• Asturianos
• Cobreros
• Galende
• Hermisende
• Lubián
• Palacios de Sanabria
• Pedralba de la Pradería
• Pías
• Porto de Sanabria
• Requejo de Sanabria
• Robleda-Cervantes
• Rosinos de la Requejada
• San Justo
• Trefacio

These municipalities and their towns are home to the people of Sanabria, who live among its stunning landscapes and rich history.

See Also

• Sierra de la Cabrera
• Peña Trevinca
• Moncalvo
• Galende
• In Spanish: Sanabria para niños