Banyoles Lake

In the Pla de l'Estany region, it is the largest natural lake in Catalonia and one of the largest ones on the Iberian Peninsula.

It has a surface area of 170 hectares and an incalculable depth in some places. It is the product of a series of karstic and tectonic collapses and is fed underground from rivers that come down from the Alta Garrotxa.

The small ponds that surround it are a result of the same phenomenon, although some of them have strange shapes, such as the one called Can Cisó, which from time to time turns red due to the action of certain bacteria. Excavations carried out around the lake link it to Palaeolithic and Neolithic cultures, which is certified by the exceptional remains of the Neolithic village of La Draga.

Wooden bridge at Banyoles lake.

The lake is currently a very popular place where the aim is to strike a happy balance between the need to preserve the medium and that of practising different activities that respect the surroundings, such as boat trips and water sports. We should also mention, that Banyoles Lake was a sub headquarters for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and during 2004, the headquarters of the World Rowing Championship.