Banyoles Lake
Before you flee the city, even the country, and go to Greenland to avoid vacations generating more stress than the office, we have toured Catalonia in search of alternatives and we have found some lakes and pools where you can take a dip without merging with the mass. Aim because you will need them.
**BANYOLES LAKE (GERONA) **
It is the largest lake in Catalonia so there is room for everyone. Its turquoise water, the ducks, the wooden jetty and the mountains that surround it make Bañolas ( Banyoles in Catalan ) an idyllic place to spend the whole day soaking and without bumping into anyone.
The busiest part is the your yacht club located at one of its ends. This private area has a huge lawn where you can sunbathe, as well as different facilities for practicing water sports. In fact, during the Barcelona Olympics 92 it served as the venue for the rowing competition.
If you plan to explore the lake on your own, watch out for the dragon . As if it were Ness himself, the inhabitants of Bañolas also have their own legend that dates back to the time of Charlemagne, when the locals asked him to kill the monster.
The dragon hid inside the lake and only a French monk, Saint Emeterius, managed to get it out of there with his prayers. After that the animal submerged again and was never seen again.
Banyoles Lake, the largest in Catalonia
**MONTCORTÉS LAKE (LERIDA) **
Heading north, on the outskirts of the town of Montcortés, we come across this incredible lake that seems to have been forgotten , even for its own inhabitants.
It doesn't matter if you go in the middle of summer, there you will hardly find a few locals reading, fishing or enjoying a swim (now is when it fills up).
According to his legend, Beneath this lake lies an ancient city that was the victim of a storm. It was after a beggar came to her asking for alms to eat. Its inhabitants, who were quite stingy, refused him help. Except one woman. This girl, who was carrying bread to feed her family, offered her a bite.
The grateful beggar warned him that there would be a big storm that very night. If he didn't leave the house nothing would happen to him. Thereafter, the city was submerged in the lake . Now it is said that every night of San Juan the cries of the ancient inhabitants are heard and the woman can be seen coming out of the water with the bread. Iker Jiménez should run to investigate it.
Montcortès, a legendary lake
**MERLÈS RIVER (BARCELONA) **
All in one: pools, river and waterfalls . This stream is so long that it even passes through three counties: Osona, Bages and Berguedà . The route is quite well known and is crowded in the summer months. However, depending on the stretch there is room for everyone.
The part of the campsite, where you can leave the car, is the busiest, so we recommend that you do not stay in the first bathing area and that you move forward . The further you go, either through the water or along the shore, you will come across semi-empty pools. So until you reach the Gola de les Heures, the waterfall where the tourists meet again.
River of Merlès
**FORADADA OF CANTONIGROS (BARCELONA)**
La Foradada is the prize after traveling for thirty minutes (short route) around Cantonigrós, a town located in the Osona region. The lake is called forat (hole) because of the shape of the rocks, where the sun filters through and from where you can already see the 15-meter waterfall.
Next to the pool, there are also the ruins of an old mill that was built in its day to take advantage of the unevenness of the river. The place itself is not very big, so there are days of more and less transit of bathers. However, due to its location and its beauty, it cannot be overlooked.
Foradada de Cantonigrós, extreme beauty
**TOLL DEL VIDRE AND TOLL DE LA PRESÓ (TARRAGONA)**
The translation of to ll to the Castilian is pool . In this area of Tarragona, in Harness , there are a few. One of them is Vidre, a small lake easily accessible on foot where the crystal clear water invites you to stay and live in it. It is not usually very crowded, although due to its small dimensions, three of you who are reading this article can already fill it.
We recommend going early. The good thing about it is that, being in Tarragona, tourists normally stay on the beaches.
In the event that there is no room in the previous one, we can always try the Toll of the Presó , also very close to Arnes. This is somewhat larger than the previous one, since it has several bathing areas. It also has deeper parts to jump from the rocks. The place is a real blast.
Finally, if these two previous options do not quite convince you, Arnes still has two more pools up his sleeve: Assut de Lledó , under the old train tracks now in disuse; Y The Straits , also with crystal clear water and somewhat more inaccessible.
*This article was originally published on June 9, 2015.