Laguna del Barco

For the lake in Chile, see Laguna El Barco.

Laguna del Barco is a glacial lake in the Sierra de Gredos near the town of El Barco de Ávila, in the province of Ávila, Spain.

Laguna del Barco
Laguna del Barco on 30 July 2009
Laguna del Barco
Coordinates	40.231184°N 5.60346°W / 40.231184; -5.60346
Type	Glacial lake
Basin countries	Spain

The lake is at an altitude of 1,790 metres (5,870 ft). It lies in a long glacial valley on the north side of Covacha, one of three such valleys.^[1] Covacha, with a height of 2,399 metres (7,871 ft) is the highest point on the main ridge of the western Sierra de Gredos.^{[2][lower-alpha 1]} The exit from the natural lake has been dammed to increase its storage capacity.^[4]

The lake can be reached on foot from the hamlet of La Erilla in a round trip hike of 24 kilometres (15 mi), that should take about five hours. Shepherds huts along the route provide shelter.^[4] The lake is used as a reservoir, and no camping is allowed in the valley.^[1] The route, which is not difficult, passes through country of great natural beauty.^[5]

References

Notes

1. Pico Almanzor, to the east, is the highest peak in the Sierra de Gredos at 2,592 metres (8,504 ft).^[3]

Citations

1. Oglesby 1996, p. 70.
2. Oglesby 1996, p. 66.
3. Oglesby 1996, p. 49.
4. laguna del barco: Club de Montañeros.
5. Plikat 2011, p. 139.

Sources

• "laguna del barco". Club de Montañeros Sierra de Béjar. Archived from the original on 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
• Oglesby, Jacqueline (1996-01-01). The Mountains of Central Spain. Cicerone Press Limited. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-85284-203-1. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
• Plikat, Bernd (2011). Sierra de Gredos: Circo de Gredos, Valle del Tiétar, Valle del Jerte ; 56 excursiones y rutas de montaña selectas. Bergverlag Rother GmbH. p. 139. ISBN 978-3-7633-4716-2. Retrieved 2013-07-23.