When we think of Spain, we usually think of beaches, the sea, and famous metropolises. However, Spain has much more to offer. For instance, Spain has more than 2,500 lakes, most of which are located in Extremadura. The ten largest lakes in Spain are usually artificial to guarantee drinking water reserves, and circumambulating them (the goal of the Iron Lake Challenge Spain) is a true adventure, as so far there is hardly any information about optimal routes—giving your explorer spirit total freedom. The Iron Lake Challenge Spain is a real adventure! That is why you will find your own personal route, and we would appreciate it if you shared it with us (preferably as a .gpx file).
RULES
- Register for the Iron Lake Challenge Spain!
- To complete the Iron Lake Challenge Spain and earn the beautiful collector's medal, you must walk around the ten largest lakes in Spain after registering.
- Bicycles, skates, etc., are not allowed, but you can walk or run as you like.
- Cada lago debe rodearse “de una sola vez”. Esto significa que puedes hacer pausas, pero deberías completar el lago en un solo día, a menos que exista una norma especial para determinados lagos. Hay lagos que son demasiado grandes para una ruta de un día, por lo que para ellos puedes tomarte varios días. Por supuesto, puedes (y debes) repartir los recorridos de los 10 lagos en diferentes días. Haz solo un lago por día, ¡ya que también querrás disfrutar de ese tiempo! No tienes ningún límite de tiempo para este reto, lo que significa que puedes tomarte varios años si lo deseas.
- We trust you and that you really went around the lakes. However, if you want to appear in the time ranking, we will need a copy of your track. We don't mind what you use for this (whether it's a watch, a smartphone, or an app)
General information PLEASE TAKE NOTE!
- Please note that traffic regulations apply on public roads as well as along roads and cycle paths. Therefore, please move with consideration for others.
- You complete the tour around the lakes at your own risk and responsibility. The operator of this website assumes no liability whatsoever.
- Please follow medical advice or undergo a medical check-up before starting the challenge. You are solely responsible for your health status, your equipment, and your physical condition. Abandoning a route is no shame; health always comes first!
IMPORTANT RULES FOR CARING FOR NATURE DURING YOUR TRIP AROUND THE LAKE:
- Please take local nature conservation guidelines into account
- Please stay on the paths.
- Please don't make any noise.
- Please do not collect rocks or minerals.
- Please do not pick mushrooms.
- Please do not leave any trash.
- Please do not feed the animals.
- Please do not light fires outdoors.
- Please do not uproot plants
That should be clear to all of us, but it doesn't hurt to remember it from time to time.
Registration and scope of services
Registration for the Iron Lake Challenge Spain costs 24,- EUR.
This registration fee includes our collection medal for the Iron Lake Challenge "Spain Edition", as well as the green marble (16 mm) from the Timeless Challenge.
However, to get it, you first have to circle the ten largest lakes in Spain! Only then will we send you your well-deserved medal and marble. After all, you want to earn them and not just have them handed to you.
With your registration fee, you are supporting my passion project: the reforestation of one million trees worldwide!
THIS IS HOW YOU CAN REGISTER:
- Please click on the logo and you will be redirected to our partner Digistore24's registration page.
- After completing your registration for the Iron Lake Challenge, you will receive a registration confirmation.
- Now you have to walk around the ten largest lakes in Spain. As soon as you have completed them, please send us an excerpt of your tracking as proof. We will also take your word for it without the tracking, but in that case, you will not be included in the Iron Lake Challenge hall of fame.
- Once we have verified it, you will receive your well-deserved medal and marble. Easy, right?
YOUR MEDAL AND YOUR MARBLE
When you have walked the ten largest lakes in Spain on foot, you will have earned the wonderful Iron Lake Challenge "Spain Edition" medal. This can become the first in your future Iron Lake Challenge collection.
Puntos de Life Score y la canica atemporal
The Iron Lake Challenge is part of our Timeless Challenge. For this reason, you will win (in addition to the collector's medal) the green marble (health/sports). This will also be sent to you. The marble will have a diameter of 16 mm.
Through your performance, you earn about 90 Life Score points. These will be credited to both the Spain Honor Roll and the Life Lake Museum. This service is free of charge for you.
The ten largest lakes in Spain
En realidad, el “Mar Menor”, una enorme laguna de agua salada, es el lago más grande de España y, aun así, no está en nuestra lista. Esto se debe a que no se puede rodear sin nadar, ya que tiene acceso al mar. Pero tenemos diez lagos fascinantes para ti y, además (como oportunidad para ganar aún más puntos de Life-Score), tres más.
La Serena Reservoir
El embalse de La Serena, con sus 139,49 km² (13.949 hectáreas), es el lago (artificial) más grande de España y está situado en la provincia de Badajoz (sur del centro de España). En realidad se trata de dos embalses, ya que el embalse superior de La Serena está conectado con el embalse de Zuja, que es más pequeño. Sin embargo, para el reto “solo” cuenta el embalse superior de La Serena. Desgraciadamente, para rodear el enorme embalse de La Serena solo hemos encontrado una ruta amplia a través de Google Maps. No obstante, estamos seguros de que la realidad ofrece caminos mucho mejores y más cercanos al agua. Si has podido crear un primer archivo .gpx aquí, nos alegrará mucho que lo compartas con nosotros. Para una vuelta completa son necesarios unos 150 kilómetros. Sin embargo, para ello dispones de cuatro días.
Route recommendation for the loop around the La Serena reservoir (Google Maps)
Presa de Almendra
The Almendra Reservoir, with a surface area of 137 km² (13,700 hectares), is the highest-altitude reservoir in Spain and is located near the town of Almendra (in the provinces of Salamanca and Zamora). The dam holds back the Tormes River. This gigantic reservoir poses a challenge, as you must plan to walk about 100 kilometers to go all the way around it.
Route recommendation to go around the Almendra Reservoir (Google Maps)
Embalse de Alcántara
El embalse de Alcántara, con una superficie de 104 km² (10.400 hectáreas), retiene el río más largo de la península ibérica, el Tajo. Está situado cerca de la localidad de Alcántara y su nombre oficial es “Embalse de José María de Oriol-Alcántara II”. Este embalse es internacionalmente famoso por su rica población de peces y como un excelente lugar para la pesca. El embalse es enorme y solo se puede rodear de forma relativamente amplia. Para rodearlo a pie, tienes que recorrer unos 130 kilómetros.
Route recommendations for going around the Alcántara Reservoir (Google Maps)
Embalse de Buendía
The Buendía Reservoir (Buendía Dam), with a surface area of 82 km² (8,200 hectares), holds back the waters of the Guadiela River near the town of Buendía in central Spain. Along your route around the reservoir, you will find around 20 highly interesting sculptures and bas-reliefs carved directly into the rock. This lake will also demand real effort to complete, as you will have to cover 91 kilometers on foot to circumnavigate it.
Route recommendations for going around the Buendía Reservoir (Google Maps)
Embalse de Mequinenza
With an area of 75.4 km² (7,540 hectares), the Mequinenza Reservoir is the largest reservoir in the Aragon region. It impounds the Ebro River in the province of Zaragoza. The reservoir is of great importance, especially for sport fishermen, but walking around it also has its appeal. When planning the route via Google Maps, we only found one long trail (around 180 kilometers). However, this reservoir deserves to be explored, and we are confident that a shorter route exists as well.
Proposed route for a loop around the Mequinenza Reservoir (Google Maps)
Embalse de Valdecañas
The Valdecañas Reservoir, covering an area of 73 km² (7,300 hectares), holds back the waters of the Tagus River in eastern Cáceres province. During your route, you'll be able to see some remains of the ancient Roman city of Augustobriga. Most of it was submerged during the construction of the dam and now lies underwater. When looping around the reservoir, the trick is finding a crossing over the Tagus. If you follow the official route, you'll need to cross at El Puente del Arzobispo, accepting a minor detour. But we’re sure you'll find another way across as well. As soon as a new route is submitted to us, we'll publish it for you right away.
Route proposal for going around the Valdecañas Reservoir (Google Maps)
Embalse de Alarcón
Con sus 68,40 km² (6840 hectáreas), el “Embalse de Alarcón” (nombre en español) es el séptimo lago más grande de España. La presa está situada en el centro de España y pertenece a la provincia de Cuenca. El embalse se utiliza tanto para la generación de electricidad como para garantizar el suministro de agua potable. Es de propiedad estatal. Para rodear el embalse de Alarcón a pie, tienes que recorrer unos 100 kilómetros. Para ello tienes tres días.
Route proposal for going around the Alarcón Dam (Google Maps)
Embalse de Cíjara
The Cíjara Dam impounds the Guadiana River, forming a reservoir of around 65 km² (6,500 hectares). It is used for power generation, irrigation, and ensuring the drinking water supply. Located in central Spain, it lies within the Cíjara National Hunting Reserve—a beautiful natural area home to deer, wild boars, fallow deer, otters, eagles, partridges, lynxes, and black storks. Walking around it requires a route of about 83 kilometers, depending on the path taken.
Route suggestion for going around the Cíjara Reservoir (Google Maps)
Presa de Ricobayo
The Ricobayo Dam, with its water surface of 57 km² (5,700 hectares), is another hydraulic giant in Spain. It is located in Castile (province of Zamora), and its construction began back in 1929. Since then, it has been expanded several times. This giant will also put you to the test, as you will have to cover around 100 kilometers (depending on the route) to complete the loop on foot. You will have three days to achieve this.
Route proposal for going around the Ricobayo Dam Reservoir (Google Maps)
Embalse de Alange
The Alange Reservoir (embalse de Alange), with a surface area of 51.44 km² (5,144 ha), is another large reservoir in Spain. It is located on the Matachel River, near its confluence with the Guadiana. It was built to provide water for irrigating crops in the nearby Guadiana plains. If you want to loop around it on foot, a distance of about 60 kilometers awaits you.
Proposed route for going around the Alange Reservoir (Google Maps)
We recommend these additional lakes!
With the following three lakes, you can earn additional Life-Score points. We have included these lakes because they are truly worth seeing and belong to the most beautiful areas of Spain. So see it as an opportunity. However, for the medal, you only need the lakes listed above.
Albufera Lagun
La laguna de Albufera es algo muy especial, ya que es una laguna dulceacuícola, es decir, una albufera. Antes era una laguna de agua salada. Sin embargo, con el tiempo se fue depositando cada vez más arena, por lo que pudo entrar cada vez menos agua de mar y la laguna pasó a estar dominada cada vez más por agua dulce, hasta que finalmente se “endulzó”. Está situada en el golfo de Valencia y forma parte del Parque Natural de la Albufera de València, que cuenta con una superficie de 21.120 hectáreas. Rodear la laguna de Albufera es exigente (unos 60 kilómetros), pero es precioso.
Route recommendations for going around the Albufera Lagoon (Google Maps)a
Lago de Sanabria
With a surface area of 3.5 square kilometers (369 hectares), Lake Sanabria is one of the largest lakes in Spain. It is located within the Lake Sanabria and Surrounding Areas Natural Park. For this reason, we kindly ask you to stay on the designated paths and protect the natural environment! This lake can be found in the autonomous community and historically rich region of Castile and León. The loop trail has a total length of around 13 kilometers.
Route recommendations for going around Lake Sanabria
Estany de Banyoles
Lake Banyoles is considered one of the most important and popular tourist lakes in Spain and is the largest lake in Catalonia. Among locals as well as hikers and holidaymakers, this recreational area is very popular thanks to the hiking routes and cycle paths surrounding the lake. It is 2,100 meters long and 750 meters wide, giving it a surface area of 1.12 km². Unfortunately, the loop around it is only seven kilometers long, but it is beautiful.
Route recommendations for going around Lake Banyoles
THE IRON LAKE CHALLENGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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HASHTAGS OF THE IRON LAKE CHALLENGE España
We are delighted that you are sharing your photos, videos, and experiences about the Iron Lake Challenge with others. For this purpose, we provide you with the following hashtags:
- #ironlakechallenge
- #ironlakechallengeespana
- #timelesschallenge
IRON LAKE CHALLENGE ON FACEBOOK
Of course, you are also cordially invited to our Facebook group.Iron Lake Challenge Discussion Board”
IRON LAKE CHALLENGE España Hall of Fame
Here (click on the image below) you can enter your results quickly and easily, and upload the supporting documents (for example, a screenshot of your tracking). We will review and approve them. Afterwards, your result will be saved and will appear on the leaderboard.
Haz clic en la imagen para acceder a tu herramienta de desafío
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