Refugio Zabala

The place

Historic refuge in the Peñalara cirque, in the Sierra de Guadarrama (Madrid), inaugurated in 1927 by the Sociedad Peñalara and named in honour of the mountaineer José Fernández Zabala. Now largely closed: only a small section remains open as an emergency shelter from bad weather. Very small, not fitted for overnight stays but usable if needed. The other part is used for equipment storage and is not open to the public. An iconic landmark of the massif, preserved for its heritage value.