Valsain Valley (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

: ''Valle de Valsaín'') is a

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

of the northern slope of the Guadarrama mountain range (

Sistema central The Central System, Spanish and pt, Sistema Central, is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in the Iberian Peninsula. The 2,592 m high Pico Almanzor is its highest summit. The Central System is located just north of the 40th parallel a ...

mountain range). It is located in the southeastern part of the

province of Segovia Segovia () is a province of central/northern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the province of Burgos in the north, Soria in the northeast, Guadalajara in the east, Madrid in the south ...

(

Castilla y León Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to: Places Spain * Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha *Kingdom of ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

), within the municipality of Real Sitio de San Ildefonso, and borders the

Community of Madrid The Community of Madrid (; es, Comunidad de Madrid ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and of the Central Plateau (''Meseta Central''). Its capital and largest mun ...

. The valley is covered by an extensive pine forest known as el Pinar, the largest in the mountains and one of the best preserved in

Geography

Oriented from south to north, it has an average width of 6 km and an approximate length of 9 km, which makes it one of the largest valleys of the

Sierra de Guadarrama The Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges along the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is located between the systems Sierra de G ...

, along with the Lozoya Valley. It is almost entirely covered by a forest of

pinus sylvestris ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and oran ...

(Scots pine), the most extensive of the Sierra de Guadarrama and one of the most important of it. Below 1200 meters of altitude, there are also specimens of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

and

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelate ...

. Above 2000 meters, the pine forest gives way to alpine meadows and rocky areas. The lower part of the valley has an altitude ranging from 1100 to 1500 meters. At the bottom of the valley, the

Eresma River The Eresma is a river in central Spain. It flows through Castile and Leon (specifically the provinces of Segovia and Valladolid). It has a total length of 134 km and drains a basin with an area of 2940 km2. Name The name of the river ...

runs in its highest stretch of its course. There are numerous natural pools and swimming pools along its course through the valley. Near these pools there are recreational areas with picnic areas and parking, such as "Los Asientos" and "Boca del Asno". These areas are accessed by the regional road CL-601, which connects

Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is in the Inner Plateau ('' Meseta central''), near the northern slopes o ...

with Collado Villalba. At the northern end of the valley, and in the lowest area, is the town of Valsain, belonging to the municipality of Real Sitio de San Ildefonso, which takes its name from the valley. At the eastern end is the Peñalara massif (2430 meters), in the south is the Puerto de Cotos pass, the

Bola del Mundo Bola may refer to: People * Bola (name), a surname and given name * Darrell Fitton, electronic musician from Manchester, England, AKA "Bola" and "Jello" Geography * Bola (volcano), a volcano on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea * Bo ...

peak, the

Navacerrada Pass The Navacerrada Pass ( Spanish: ''Puerto de Navacerrada''; ) is a mountain pass in the Guadarrama Mountains, in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. In 1788, it replaced the Fuenfría Pass as mountain pass in the route crossing the Sierra de G ...

and the Siete Picos. In the west is the mountain range of

La Mujer Muerta La Mujer Muerta (English translation: “The Dead Woman”) is a subrange of the Sierra de Guadarrama, Sistema Central, located in Segovia Province, Spain. The silhouette of the mountain range takes the shape of a reclining woman with when seen f ...

El Pinar

"El Pinar" (or Valsain pine forest) is one of the best preserved mature

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

forests in Spain. The explanation for this excellent state of conservation lies in its origin as a hunting reserve of the

Spanish monarchy , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

and the subsequent sustainable use by the

timber industry Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including Beam (structure), beams and plank (wood), planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as fini ...

History

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

(1716-1788) bought a large extension of this mountain range comprising the Valsain Mountains, Riofrío and la mata del Pirón for his

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the ...

hunting practices. Logging in the forests of Valsain follows a sustainable dynamic to this day. The form of exploitation of the forests is that promoted by Agustín Pascual González (1818-1884), inspector of the Royal Forests pioneer of forest engineering in Spain, precursor of the rational management of natural resources. The timber exploitation is linked to the

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

, the Real Aserrío de Valsaín, which began its activity under the patronage of the Royalty in the year 1884. The cutting age of

Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and or ...

is about 120 years. The traditional way of exploiting these forests is to thin the pine forests. In the clearings opened by the cutting of the adult pines, the light index rises, which facilitates the germination of the pine nuts and, thus, a new generation of pines. Over time, the mass of adult trees is replaced by new young pines, completely regenerating the pine forest. At the beginning, the mass of young pines is very dense and decreases by natural process and by human intervention—through performing different cleanings and cuts until reaching the convenient density for an optimal development of the tree. All the obtained wood must pass quality controls, to be later commercialized with the exclusive seal of "Maderas de Valsaín" ("Valsain Wood"). The Real Aserrío de Valsaín has recently been declared an

Bien de Interés Cultural A Bien de Interés Cultural is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Venezuela and other Spanish-speaking countries. The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" (" goods" in the economic sense) and incl ...

(BIC) in the category of "Monument".

Flora

The complete catalog of the vascular flora of Valsain pine forest amounts to 867 taxa (species and subspecies). 69

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived the ...

must be added to this number—in most cases linked to urban environments. In these mountains, there is a wide diversity of natural habitats, ranging from the oak groves at the bottom of the valley to the grasslands on the summits, passing through the pine forests that occupy most of the territory, the rocky outcrops, the peat bogs, the banks of rivers and streams, the holly oak groves, etc. This diversity allows the coexistence in the same valley of high mountain plant species and species typical of the Mediterranean scrubland; the fauna also takes advantage of the different environments according to the seasons.

is the most widespread plant formation in the valley. It occupies from 1200 meters to 2000 meters above forest level. At altitudes below 1400 meters it occasionally presents an undergrowth of pyrenean oak. The Scots pine can reach average heights of 25 meters and in good locations exceeds 30 meters in height, occasionally reaching over 40 meters. In sunny areas the heights, crown volumes and slenderness are lower than in shady areas. The accompanying undergrowth is mainly composed of ''

Genista florida Genista is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, native to open habitats such as moorland and pasture in Europe and western Asia. They include species commonly called broom, though the term may also refer to other genera, ...

'' (white broom), ''

Juniperus communis ''Juniperus communis'', the common juniper, is a species of small tree or shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae. An evergreen conifer, it has the largest geographical range of any woody plant, with a circumpolar distribution throughout the coo ...

'' (common juniper), ''

Cytisus oromediterraneus ''Cytisus oromediterraneus'', the Pyrenean broom, is a shrub species that belongs to the family Fabaceae. Description It is composed of dense, tightly packed branches. Forms extensive shrublands, alone or coexisting with other shrubs, such a ...

'' (pyrenean broom), and ''Rubus sp''. (brambles), in the open clearings in the middle of the pine forest. In the upper parts the undergrowth, there is ''jabino'', ''piorno'', ''cambrón'' or ''cambroño'' ('' Adenocarpus hispanicus'') and blueberry (''

Vaccinium myrtillus ''Vaccinium myrtillus'' or European blueberry is a holarctic species of shrub with edible fruit of blue color, known by the common names bilberry, blaeberry, wimberry, and whortleberry. It is more precisely called common bilberry or blue whor ...

''), while in the lower parts there are

honeysuckle Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both conti ...

s (''Lonicera peryclimenum'', ''L. xylosteum''), rowan trees ('' Sorbus aucuparia''), hawthorns (''

Crataegus monogyna ''Crataegus monogyna'', known as common hawthorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and West Asia, but has been introduced in ...

''), blackthorns (''

Prunus spinosa ''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania ...

''), cherry trees (''

Prunus avium ''Prunus avium'', commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry, gean, or bird cherryWorld Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition'. CRC Press; 19 April 2016. . p. 833–. is a species of cherry, a flowering plant in the rose family, R ...

'') and holly trees (''

Ilex aquifolium ''Ilex aquifolium'', the holly, common holly, English holly, European holly, or occasionally Christmas holly, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aquifoliaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest As ...

'').{{Cite web , title=Montes y Aserradero de Valsaín: flora y vegetación , url=https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/parques-nacionales-oapn/centros-fincas/valsain/flora.aspx , access-date=2022-11-16 , website=www.miteco.gob.es , language=es

Protection

Valsain pine forest contain the largest number of protection figures that a natural area in Spain can contemplate, since 3,326 hectares of them belong to the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, the remaining 7,011 hectares belong to a figure of their own called Área de Especial Protección del Parque Nacional (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

: Special Protection Area of the National Park), created ''ad hoc'' to be able to make commercial forest management compatible. These are

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...

(SPA) and

Site of Community Importance A Site of Community Importance (SCI) is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at ...

(SCI) due to the natural values it treasures. They are also a Critical Area of the

Imperial Eagle The eagle is used in heraldry as a charge, as a supporter, and as a crest. Heraldic eagles can be found throughout world history like in the Achaemenid Empire or in the present Republic of Indonesia. The European post-classical symbolism of th ...

(Sg-3) due to the three pairs of this bird of prey that breed there, hold the Sitio Natural de Interés Nacional del Pinar de la Acebeda (

: Natural Site of National Interest of El Pinar de la Acebeda), and are within the recently declared

Nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

of Real Sitio de San Ildefonso-

El Espinar El Espinar is a Spanish town located 65 kilometres away from Madrid city centre, more precisely heading northwest, in the northern slope of the Sistema Central mountain range. It belongs to the province of Segovia and to the autonomous Communi ...

. El Pinar is currently in good health, having obtained two environmental certifications: FSC in February 2005 and PEFC in November 2004.

Gallery

File:Valle de Valsaín.jpg, Valsaín Valley. File:Siete Picos y Montón de Trigo.JPG, Valsaín Valley with the Siete Picos peak in the upper left and

Montón de Trigo Montón is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. Th ...

peak in the center. File:Peñalara y valle de Valsaín.JPG, Valsaín Valley with Peñalara behind. File:La Gallarza views.jpg, Peñalara and the north face of Cuerda Larga seen from the viewpoint of La Gallarza.

References

Valleys of Spain San Ildefonso (Segovia) Forests of Spain