Spain’s Diverse Landscapes: Mountains, Plateaus, and Coasts
The Spanish Plateau
- The plateau occupies a large tract of land and is characterized by highlands and plains.
Central System
No sub-plateau divides the northern and southern sub-plateaus. It is comprised of different mountain ranges (sierras): Somosierra, Guadarrama, Gredos, and Sierra de Ayllón. Its highest peak is Almanzor, at over 2.5km.
Montes de Toledo
Divided into two sub-plateaus: north of the Tagus basin and south of the Guadiana. It features soft peaks. Its most prominent mountains are the Montes de Toledo and Guadalupe. Its highest point is Las Villuercas, at over 1.5km.
- The plateau is surrounded by mountain ridges.
Massif Galaico-Leonese
It occupies the northwestern part of the peninsula. The terrain is very fractured, forming hollow blocks. The mountains are rounded and of low altitude. The highest altitudes are in the Montes de León: Teleno, at over 2km.
Cantabrian Mountains
Parallel to the Cantabrian Sea, they isolate the plateau from the sea’s influence. Their highest altitudes are in the Picos de Europa: Torre Cerredo, at 2.3km.
Iberian System
Comprising a set of mountain ranges: Demanda, Picos de Urbión, Albarracín, Serranía de Cuenca. Highest peak: Moncayo.
Sierra Morena
An abrupt step. Mountain ranges: Madrona, Alcudia, Aracena. Highest peak: Bañuelo, at 1.3km.
External Depressions
Ebro Depression
A sedimentary plain crossed by the Ebro River, with an arid, continental nature, surrounded by mountain ranges that isolate it from the influence of the sea.
Guadalquivir Depression
A vast, triangular-shaped plain, open to the influence of the Atlantic and crossed by the Guadalquivir River. It features fertile valleys and rolling countryside.
External Ridges
Basque Mountains
Between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees. Steep but not very high mountain ranges and numerous valleys.
Pyrenees
Linking the Iberian Peninsula with the rest of Europe. A central area of higher altitude (axial or central Pyrenees) and two parallel ranges south of the north central part (pre-Pyrenees), of lower altitude. Highest peak: Aneto, at nearly 3.5km.
Catalan Coastal Ranges
Two parallel mountain ranges along the Mediterranean coast, closing the Ebro basin to the Mediterranean. Includes the Sierra de Montseny. Highest peak: Turó de l’Home, at over 1.5km.
Betic Systems
Along the southeast of the peninsula. They consist of two mountain ranges: the Cordillera Penibética, parallel to the Mediterranean, with the highest point of the peninsula, Mulhacén, at nearly 3.5km; and the Subbética mountains in the interior, with a lower altitude, reaching almost 2.4km at La Sagra. Both ranges are separated by a corridor called the Intrabética depression.
Insular Relief
Balearic Islands
In the Mediterranean: Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera, and Cabrera. Features the Sierra de Tramuntana. Highest peak: Puig Major, at almost 1.5km.
Canary Islands
In the Atlantic Ocean. Seven islands: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, and El Hierro. Mount Teide, located in Tenerife, is the highest peak in Spain, at almost 4km.
The Coasts
The mainland coast exhibits a wide variety. The Atlantic and western coasts are rocky. Its most prominent feature are the estuaries of Galicia. The southwestern Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts have long, sandy beaches interspersed with rocky sections. The Balearic Islands feature beaches, coves, and rocky sections. Cliffs dominate the Canary Islands.