Valsain Valley Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Valsain Valley
Valle de Valsaín
View of the valley from Puerto de Navacerrada.
Length	9 kilometres (5.6 mi)
Width	6 kilometres (3.7 mi)
Geography
Location	Castile and León
Rivers	Eresma River

The Valsain Valley (in Spanish: Valle de Valsaín) is a beautiful valley found on the northern side of the Guadarrama mountain range. This mountain range is part of the larger Central Mountain System in Spain. The valley is located in the southeast of the province of Segovia in Castile and León, Spain. It is also very close to the Community of Madrid. A huge pine forest called "el Pinar" covers most of the valley. It is the biggest pine forest in these mountains and one of the best kept in all of Spain.

Exploring the Geography of Valsain Valley
Discovering El Pinar: Valsain's Pine Forest
Gallery
See also

Exploring the Geography of Valsain Valley

A Mixed coniferous forest with some fir trees in Valsain Valley.

The Valsain Valley stretches from south to north. It is about 6 kilometers wide and 9 kilometers long. This makes it one of the largest valleys in the Sierra de Guadarrama. Only the Lozoya Valley is similar in size.

Most of the valley is covered by a large forest of pinus sylvestris (Scots pine). This is the biggest pine forest in the Guadarrama mountains. Below 1200 meters, you can also find oak and chestnut trees. Higher up, above 2000 meters, the pine forest changes into open mountain meadows and rocky areas.

The lower parts of the valley are between 1100 and 1500 meters high. The Eresma River flows through the bottom of the valley. Along the river, there are many natural pools where people can swim. You can also find picnic areas and parking spots, like "Los Asientos" and "Boca del Asno." These spots are easy to reach by the CL-601 road, which connects Segovia to Collado Villalba.

At the northern end of the valley, you will find the town of Valsain. This town is part of the Real Sitio de San Ildefonso area and is named after the valley itself. To the east, you can see the Peñalara mountain, which is 2430 meters high. To the south are the Puerto de Cotos pass, the Bola del Mundo peak, the Navacerrada Pass, and the Siete Picos mountains. To the west lies the La Mujer Muerta mountain range.

Discovering El Pinar: Valsain's Pine Forest

The Eresma River flowing through el Pinar, the famous pine forest.

"El Pinar," also known as the Valsain pine forest, is one of Spain's best-preserved pine forests. It has been kept in such good condition for two main reasons. First, it used to be a hunting reserve for the Spanish royal family. Second, the forest has been managed carefully for the timber industry over many years.

The History of El Pinar

In the 1700s, King Charles III (who lived from 1716 to 1788) bought a large part of these mountains. This included the Valsain Mountains, Riofrío, and la mata del Pirón. He used these areas for deer hunting.

Even today, the logging in Valsain's forests is done in a sustainable way. This means they cut down trees in a way that allows new ones to grow, keeping the forest healthy. This method was first suggested by Agustín Pascual González (1818-1884). He was a pioneer in forest engineering in Spain and helped create smart ways to manage natural resources.

The wood from the forest is processed at the Real Aserrío de Valsaín, a sawmill that started operating in 1884. Scots pines are usually cut when they are about 120 years old. The traditional way to manage these forests is to thin out the pine trees. When adult pines are cut, more sunlight reaches the forest floor. This helps new pine seeds sprout and grow. Over time, new young pines replace the older trees, keeping the forest healthy and growing. At first, many young pines grow close together. Then, some are removed naturally or by people to ensure the remaining trees grow strong.

All the wood from Valsain must pass strict quality checks. It is then sold with a special label: "Maderas de Valsaín" ("Valsain Wood"). The Real Aserrío de Valsaín sawmill has recently been recognized as a "Monument" under the Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) category.

Plants and Trees in Valsain Valley

The Valsain pine forest is home to many different kinds of plants. There are 867 known species and subspecies of plants here. Plus, there are 69 introduced species, which are mostly found near towns.

The mountains offer a wide variety of natural homes for plants and animals. These range from oak groves in the valley to grasslands on the mountain tops. Most of the area is covered by pine forests. You can also find rocky areas, wet peat bogs, riverbanks, and holly oak groves. This mix of environments allows both high-mountain plants and plants typical of the Mediterranean scrubland to live in the same valley. Animals also use these different areas depending on the season.

The Scots pine is the most common tree in the valley. It grows at altitudes from 1200 meters up to 2000 meters. Below 1400 meters, you might also see Pyrenean oak growing under the pines. Scots pines can grow to an average height of 25 meters, and in good spots, they can be over 30 meters tall, sometimes even more than 40 meters! In sunny areas, the trees are usually shorter and less wide than in shady spots.

Other plants that grow with the Scots pines include Genista florida (white broom), Juniperus communis (common juniper), Cytisus oromediterraneus (Pyrenean broom), and Rubus sp. (brambles). In the higher parts of the forest, you can find jabino, piorno, cambrón or cambroño (Adenocarpus hispanicus), and blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). In the lower areas, there are honeysuckles (Lonicera peryclimenum, L. xylosteum), rowan trees (Sorbus aucuparia), hawthorns (Crataegus monogyna), blackthorns (Prunus spinosa), cherry trees (Prunus avium), and holly trees (Ilex aquifolium).

Protecting the Valsain Pine Forest

The Valsain pine forest has many different types of protection. About 3,326 hectares of the forest are part of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. The other 7,011 hectares are in a special area called the "Área de Especial Protección del Parque Nacional" (English: Special Protection Area of the National Park). This special area was created so that the forest can be managed for timber while still being protected.

The forest is also a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Site of Community Importance (SCI) because of its important natural features. It is a Critical Area for the Iberian Imperial Eagle (Sg-3), as three pairs of these rare birds breed here. It also includes the "Sitio Natural de Interés Nacional del Pinar de la Acebeda" (English: Natural Site of National Interest of El Pinar de la Acebeda). The entire area is part of the recently declared Nature reserve of Real Sitio de San Ildefonso-El Espinar.

Today, El Pinar is in good health. It has received two important environmental certifications: FSC in February 2005 and PEFC in November 2004. These certifications show that the forest is managed in a way that is good for the environment.

Panoramic view of Valsain Valley seen from Loma del Noruego.

Gallery

Valsaín Valley.
Valsaín Valley with the Siete Picos peak in the upper left and Montón de Trigo peak in the center.
Valsaín Valley with Peñalara behind.
Peñalara and the north face of Cuerda Larga seen from the viewpoint of La Gallarza.