Granite wall
Glacier-carved.
Victor Salvador Vilariño — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tanja Freibott — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Balles2601 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Miguel Lacalle Labado — CC BY 4.0 · User:furilo — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Laguna Negra, the Black Lagoon, is a glacial lake in the Picos de Urbión mountains of Castile and León, northern Spain, in the municipality of Vinuesa in the north of Soria province, about 40 km northwest of the city of Soria in a straight line. It is part of the Laguna Negra and Urbión Glacial Cirques Natural Park, declared in 2010. The lake lies at 1,753 metres and is the heart of the Sierra de Urbión natural area. The park's highest summit is the Pico de Urbión at 2,228 metres, near which the Duero River rises. Other glacial lakes such as the Laguna Helada and Laguna Larga keep it company, and local legends say it is bottomless and linked to the sea by hidden caves and currents. The dark lake lies beneath a towering granite wall carved by glaciers, with rocks and trees mirrored in its still water. Dense pine forest surrounds it, the shrubs around it turn red and gold in autumn, and snow covers it in winter. Visitors drive from Vinuesa and then walk a short way to the shore and the viewpoints above it. At busy times access is only on foot or by bus from Vinuesa, and autumn is one of the loveliest seasons for its colours.
Glacier-carved.
On dark water.
Red and gold.
Vinuesa, Province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain
From Vinuesa by car or bus.
Autumn, for its colours.