Español
Menu

Natural Monument

Torcas de la Lagunaseca Natural Monument

The Torcas de la Lagunaseca are a Natural Monument of 188.42 hectares in the municipality of Lagunaseca, designated by Decree 310/2003. They bring together torcas, dolines, uvalas and poljes in limestones deposited about 200 million years ago, among juniper woods, box thickets and black pines.

Hollow of the Torca de la Cabra among trees
The Torca de la Cabra, in Lagunaseca. Photo: «TorcaLaCabra150815», Yy2015lan (2015) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Designation
Natural Monument
Legal basis
Decreto 310/2003, de 2 de diciembre
Area
188.42 ha
Municipalities
1
  • Natural Monument
  • Torcas
  • Dolines
  • Polje
  • Lagunaseca

Karst on a large scale

The torcas, collapse sinkholes, are in Lagunaseca: well-formed dolines, uvalas and poljes, opened along cracks in the ground. The rock was deposited about 200 million years ago; ice breaking it and water dissolving it have done the rest.

Plants and animals

Box, spiny broom, thyme, sage and lavender grow on the plateau, with scattered Spanish junipers and black pine. On the walls are rock plants such as té de risca; at the bottom of the dolines, hazels, maples and St Lucie cherries. Red-billed choughs, booted eagles and nightjars fly here, and wildcats, stone martens, badgers, red deer, roe deer and wild boar roam.

Plan your visit

The SL-CU 5 local trail follows the torcas over 4 km.

Before you travel

The edges are cliffs: keep away.

Combine with

The torcas have their own entry, and Muela Pinilla is next door.

Aerial view of the hollows of the Torca de las Cabras and the Torca Larga in Lagunaseca
Torca de las Cabras and Torca Larga, aerial view in 2024. Photo: «Ortoimagen», Sistema Cartográfico Nacional (2024) · CC BY 4.0

Frequently asked questions

What is there at the Torcas de la Lagunaseca?

Closed depressions, torcas, dolines, uvalas and poljes, and smaller forms such as grooved karren. Their importance lies in their size and their use as a model for interpreting the area's geomorphological evolution.

When was it designated?

By Decree 310/2003 of 2 December.

Carry on from here

Lands and landscapes

From here, follow the memory of the land

These readings connect Torcas de la Lagunaseca Natural Monument with the stories, the work and the villages around it.

Which municipalities it covers

Location of Torcas de la Lagunaseca Natural Monument BetetaCañizaresCarrascosaCastillejo-SierraCuencaCueva del HierroFresneda de la SierraLa FronteraFuertescusaLagunasecaMasegosaPoyatosSanta María del ValTragaceteValsalobreVega del Codorno PR-CU 1: Sendero de la Hoz Somera y Los CastillejosPR-CU 114: Sendero del Cucurucho y la HocecillaPR-CU 115: Sendero de la DehesaPR-CU 26: Ruta de la fuente de la HerreríaPR-CU 27: Ruta del Pado de NavelíarPR-CU 4: Sendero de las DehesasPR-CU 78: Subida a la MuelaPR-CU 79: San Blas - San Felipe - Río CuervoPR-CU 90: Hoz del Alonjero y puntal del Castillo de los Siete CondesPR-CU 93: Ruta de la Herrería de Santa CristinaPR-CU 94: Subida al cerro JuezSendero Interpretativo Muela Pinilla y del PuntalSL-CU 13: Sendero del CañizarSL-CU 14: Nacimiento del río CuervoSL-CU 4: Sendero interpretativo Lagunas de El TobarSL-CU 5: Torcas de Lagunaseca Lagunaseca
In colour, the municipalities with land in the protected area according to the cited source. Municipal boundaries: © IGN (CC BY 4.0). Route lines: simplified official tracks; source and GPX on each page.
Where the data on this page come from

«Source consulted»: the primary source has been read. «Reference located»: the source has been identified but not yet read. «Open question»: the figure needs confirmation.