The natural wealth of Spain It’s virtually endless and we have lakes of all kinds to enjoy hiking, nature and a wide variety of activities. They are all spectacular, but We can only say that it is the largest glacial type in the country and is found in Castile and León..
He Lake Sanabria It is one of the largest in Spain thanks to its 3.68 square kilometers and its depth of up to 53 meters. In addition, It is the largest glacial lake in Europe.
Although there are other lakes like Bañolas, Trochillas or the Covadonga lakes, none are as spectacular as Sanabria. Only by comparing it to some of our country’s most iconic buildings can we understand its size.
What is the largest lake in Spain?
With a depth of up to 53 meters and 3.68 square kilometers (369 hectares), Lake Sanabria is one of the largest in existence. Indeed, among those which have a glacial origin, it is the the largest in Europe.
the lake It was formed over 100,000 years ago, during what we generally call the Ice Age.. At the end of the glaciation, the tongues of ice that nourished it began to melt and formed what is now Sanabria.
Lake Sanabria is located in Castile and León, in the province of Zamora and is located within the natural park to which it gives its name. This fed by the Tera River where the Cárdena and Segundera rivers join. In total, they have six reservoirs which make up their watershed.
What to do at Lake Sanabria?
Lake Sanabria is one of the most spectacular destinations in Spain for nature lovers and, depending on the time of year, it offers multiple activities:
- Hiking: Routes like Senda de los Monjes or Tera Canyon are ideal for exploring the park and discovering waterfalls, viewpoints and ancient glaciers.
- Water sports: During the summer months it is possible to canoe and even swim in its waters.
- Environmental cruise: You can go around the lake in an ecological boat to enjoy as many kilometers as possible.
The lake of Spain where we could submerge all the monuments of the country
A curiosity to understand the greatness of Lake Sanabria is that due to its size You can submerge almost any monument in Spain in its waters without any problem..
For example, the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial only It has an area of 33,000 square meters. While the lake occupies the equivalent of 3,680,000 square meters.
On the other hand, El Escorial has a maximum height of 53 meters so if we submerged it we wouldn’t even be able to see it.
This isn’t the only famous Spanish building that could be submerged in the lake:
- La Giralda (Seville): Without counting the Giraldillo, it has a height of 53 meters, so the Almohad part would be at water level.
- Monument to Christopher Columbus (Barcelona): with a height of 57 meters we could only see the upper part of the discoverer of America.
- Pilar Basilica (Zaragoza): the height of the smallest towers is 44 meters so it could be almost completely submerged. Only the tallest towers, which measure almost 100 meters, would stand out.
