The Montes de Toledo is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

. They divide the

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

of the

Tagus The Tagus ( ; ; ) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales between Cuenca and Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally westward, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon. Name T ...

from the basin of the

Guadiana The Guadiana River ( , , , ) is an international river defining a long stretch of the Portugal-Spain border, separating Extremadura and Andalusia (Spain) from Alentejo and Algarve (Portugal). The river's basin extends from la Mancha and the e ...

. The highest peak is

La Villuerca La Villuerca, also known as ''Risco de la Villuerca'', ''Pico la Villuerca'' and ''Pico de las Villuercas'', is the highest peak of the Sierra de Villuercas mountain range in Spain, also known as ''Sierra de Guadalupe''. It is located 6 km wes ...

, which is high.

Description

The Montes de Toledo are located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula, cutting transversally from east to west across the lower portion of the

Meseta Central The ''Meseta Central'' (, sometimes referred to in English as Inner Plateau) is one of the basic geographical units of the Iberian Peninsula. It consists of a plateau covering a large part of the latter's interior. Developed during the 19th cent ...

. The length of the Montes de Toledo is and their maximum width up to near

Sonseca Sonseca is a municipality in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. With a population of 11,328 inhabitants ( INE 2024), it is the ninth most populated municipality in the province of Toledo. Toponomy The prefix "son" could derive f ...

and

Puertollano Puertollano () is a municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain located in the province of Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha. The city has a population of 45,539 (2022). Contrasting to the largely rural character of the region, Puertollano stands o ...

. The eastern Montes de Toledo ranges form one of the natural limits of the historical

La Mancha La Mancha () is a natural region, natural and historical region in the provinces of Spain, Spanish provinces of province of Albacete, Albacete, province of Cuenca, Cuenca, province of Ciudad Real, Ciudad Real and province of Toledo, Toledo. It ...

region in Castile-La Mancha and the western end, including the ranges forming the broader Montes de Toledo, reaches into

Portalegre District Portalegre District ( ) is located in the east of Portugal. The district capital is the city of Portalegre. As of 2021, it is the least populous district of Portugal. It borders Spain. Municipalities The district is composed of 15 municipalit ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

Geology

Geologically the series of ranges making up the system were formed by

Alpine orogeny The Alpine orogeny, sometimes referred to as the Alpide orogeny, is an orogenic phase in the Late Mesozoic and the current Cenozoic which has formed the mountain ranges of the Alpide belt. Cause The Alpine orogeny was caused by the African c ...

, but unlike the

Central System The Central System, Spanish and , 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 and its ranges divide ...

further north the Montes de Toledo comprise an older

terrain Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...

of elongated belts of folded and

thrust fault A thrust fault is a break in the Earth's crust, across which older rocks are pushed above younger rocks. Thrust geometry and nomenclature Reverse faults A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault that has a dip of 45 degrees or less. I ...

sedimentary rocks Sedimentary rocks are types of rock formed by the cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or deposited at Earth's surface. Sedim ...

that is quite heavily eroded. The geological structure of the Montes de Toledo is similar to the

geology of the Appalachians The geology of the Appalachians dates back more than 1.2 billion years to the Mesoproterozoic era when two continental Craton, cratons collided to form the supercontinent Rodinia, 500 million years prior to the development of the range during t ...

and akin as well to the geology of the

Sierra Morena The Sierra Morena is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. It stretches for 450 kilometres from east to west across the south of the Iberian Peninsula, forming the southern border of the ''Meseta Central'' plateau and providi ...

range further south.

Ranges

The Montes de Toledo are divided in the following

physiographic Physical geography (also known as physiography) is one of the three main branches of geography. Physical geography is the branch of natural science which deals with the processes and patterns in the natural environment such as the atmosphere, h ...

longitudinal sectors or zones: *The Montes de Toledo in a strict sense are located in the eastern section of the system, in northwestern

Ciudad Real Province The province of Ciudad Real () is a province in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Cuenca, Albacete, Jaén, Córdoba, Badajoz, and Toledo. It is partly located in ...

and southwestern

Toledo Province Toledo () is a province of central Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. It is bordered by the provinces of Madrid, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Badajoz, Cáceres, and Ávila. Its capital is the city of Toledo. ...

, giving its name to the

Montes de Toledo Comarca Montes de Toledo Comarca () is a ''comarca'' located at the southern end of the province of Toledo, Spain. The natural comarca includes some municipal terms in Ciudad Real Province. It is named after the Montes de Toledo mountain system. and, l ...

. Despite its name this comarca only includes a small part of the range. The main summits of this region are Rocigalgo (), Corral de Cantos (), Peñafiel () and Amor (1379). **The main range of this zone is Sierra de la Calderina, with the

Sierra de la Virgen Sierra de la Virgen is a mountain range in the Aranda and Comunidad de Calatayud comarcas, Aragon, Spain. It is located south of the Moncayo Massif between the valleys of the Jalón and the Aranda rivers, rising north of the N-234 road, roug ...

(highest point high Pico Alamillo), Sierra Luenga,

Sierra Arando Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" or "mountain chain" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves ...

, Sierra del Reventón, Sierra Morrones and Sierra de la Cueva subranges. **Other ranges of this zone are Sierra de los Yébenes,

Sierra de San Pablo Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" or "mountain chain" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves ...

, Macizos de Montalbán and Macizos de Rocilargo. *The broader Montes de Toledo system includes the following ranges stretching towards the west: ** Sierra de Altamira, highest point Riscos Altos (). Other noteworthy peaks are

Risco de las Moras Risco may refer to: People * Alcides Risco (born 1953), Cuban rower * Cecilia del Risco (born 1960), Peruvian volleyball player * Claudio Rîșco (born 1978), Romanian boxer * Gonzalo Rodríguez Risco (born 1972), Peruvian playwright and screenwri ...

() and Risco de los Gavilanes (). It is located in La Jara Comarca at the border area between Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha. Nearby are minor ranges such as the Sierra de Sevilleja, Sierra de la Hiruela and Sierra del Horno, also known collectively as ''"Sierras de la Jara"''. ** Sierra del Hospital del Obispo, parallel to the Sierra de Altamira further east. Cervales, , is the highest point of the range. The Guadarranque River runs by

Navatrasierra Navatrasierra is a village that is part of the Villar del Pedroso municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2014 census, the village has a population of 198 inhabitants. Geography Navatrasierra is located in a ...

in the valley between the two ranges. ** Sierra de Villuercas, also known as ''Sierra de Guadalupe'', it rises within Extremadura in

Las Villuercas Las Villuercas is a ''comarca'' located in the province of Cáceres, western Spain. It belongs to the Autonomous Community of Extremadura. Despite the traditional strong identity of its inhabitants, this historical region has not been able to ach ...

comarca,

province of Cáceres The province of Cáceres (; ; ; ) is a province of western Spain, and makes up the northern half of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Its capital is the city of Cáceres. Other cities in the province include Plasencia, Coria, Navalm ...

. This range is where the highest altitudes of the whole system are found. Besides high

, the highest peaks are Carbonero (), Ballesteros (), Sobacorbas () and Risco Redondo (). **

Sierra de Montánchez Sierra de Montánchez is a mountain range in the greater Montes de Toledo range, Spain. It is named after nearby Montánchez town, the capital of the Tierra de Montánchez comarca, located on its slopes. This range gives its name to the Mancomu ...

, located in the central/southern region of Cáceres Province. Its highest point is high Monte Viejo. Other notable summits are Cancho Blanco () and Alijares (). ** Sierra de San Pedro, between Cáceres and

Badajoz Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portugal, Portuguese Portugal–Spain border, border, on the left bank of the river ...

provinces. Its highest peaks are Torrico de San Pedro (), Atalaya (), Chorlo (), Morrón del Cotarro () and Manzano (). The Sierra de Carbajo, also known as ''Sierra de Santiago'' is a small range located north of the western end of Sierra de San Pedro, above Carbajo and

Santiago de Alcántara Santiago de Alcántara is a municipality located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 724 inhabitants. See also * List of municipalities in Cáceres This is a ...

. **

Serra de São Mamede Serra de São Mamede () is a mountain range in Portalegre District, Portugal. This range is named after Saint Mammes. Together with the Serra de Arraiolos, the Serra de São Mamede is one of the few places in the Alentejo region where there might ...

, located in the

Alto Alentejo Province Alto Alentejo was a Portuguese province. It was abolished with the Constitution of 1976. The area is now covered by Alto Alentejo Subregion and Alentejo Central Subregion. Municipalities * Alandroal Municipality * Alter do Chão Municipality ...

, bordering Extremadura. Higher than the preceding two ranges, this range forms the western end of the greater Montes de Toledo. Its highest point is high

Pico de São Mamede Pico may refer to: Places The Moon * Mons Pico, a lunar mountain in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium basin Portugal * Pico, a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Verde * Pico da Pedra, a civil parish in the municipality of Ribei ...

. Other important peaks are Fria, Pico de Marvão and Castelo de Vide. The town of

Marvão Marvão (), officially the Very Noble and Ever Loyal Town of Marvão (), is a municipality in Portalegre District in Portugal. The population in 2020 was 2,972 (and dropping at a rate of around one inhabitant per week), in an area of 154.90 ...

is located on top of a ridge of the range.Serra de Sao Mamede Natural Park
/ref>

Main ranges and features

File:dehesa_cabaneros.jpg, A ''dehesa'', traditional pastoral management in the Montes de Toledo File:Vista hacia el sur desde puerto de Los Santos (Ciudad Real).jpg, Montes de Toledo landscape in puerto de Los Santos (Ciudad Real) with the

on the right File:Montes de Toledo.jpg,

Scree Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits. The term ''scree'' is ap ...

slopes in the Montes de Toledo File:Carrascalejo sierra 01.jpg, View of Sierra de Altamira near Carrascalejo File:Marvão.JPG, View of Marvão peak in

File:Montanchez.(Cáceres) DSCN0134.JPG,

above

Montánchez Montánchez is a municipality located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. It is situated at , some 702 metres above sea level. The municipality has an approximate population of just over 2,000. The town sits in the Sierra de Montánch ...

town File:Vista de San Pablo desde la carretera de las Navillas.JPG, San Pablo de los Montes below the

File:Puerto de los Santos.JPG, ''Puerto de los Santos''

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...

across Sierra de la Calderina in

Villarrubia de los Ojos Villarrubia de los Ojos is a municipality of Spain located in the province of Ciudad Real, Castilla–La Mancha. The municipality spans across a total area of 281.86 km2 and, as of 1 January 2020, it has a registered population of 9,762. Geography ...

municipal term File:Robledillo (toledo).jpg, Mountains above Robledillo village near

Robledo del Mazo Robledo del Mazo is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2006 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculatin ...

File:Castanar ibor1.jpg, View of Sierra de la Palomera above Castañar de Ibor File:Presa Santa Lucía (Navezuelas).jpg, Sierra de Villuercas and Santa Lucia Dam File:Alburquerque (Badajoz).jpg, View of Alburquerque with the Sierra de San Pedro in the horizon File:Montes de Toledo 1.jpg, View over part of the range, east of the

Cabañeros National Park Cabañeros National Park (in Spanish language, Spanish: ''Parque Nacional de Cabañeros'') is a national park in the Montes de Toledo, Spain. It falls within two provinces, the northwest of Ciudad Real Province, Ciudad Real and the southwest of T ...

. Also visible is the Torre de Abraham reservoir.

Protected areas

Serra de São Mamede Natural Park Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People and fictional characters * Serra (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Serra (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Serra (footballer), Portuguese footballer Jos� ...

References

External links

*
Parque Nacional de Cabañeros La belleza de los Montes de Toledo

Ordovician -Dobrotivian (Llandeillian Stage) to Ashgill- Crinoids from the Montes de Toledo and Sierra Morena
{{Authority control Mountain ranges of Portugal

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...