The Iberian rock lizard is found in the Cantabrian Mountains and in Galicia in northwest Spain, and also in the Sierra de Gredos in Central Spain and Serra da Estrela in central Portugal. It occurs at sea level in Galicia, but elsewhere is seldom found below an altitude of and up to above sea level in the mountains. It favours damp places among boulders in scrubby areas, and in Galicia, it is found in low-level woodlands. It is a cold-resistant species, often found above the tree line in areas where the winters are long and the summers wet or misty. Where its range overlaps that of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), it is found at higher altitudes and it climbs higher up cliffs.