What are the lakes near Barcelona? You must be wondering if you love hiking and exploring new spots in the wild nature. Read on to discover them….
I have always loved hiking, so when I landed in Montana (from Barcelona) it felt like I almost have reached paradise (or somewhere that was pretty close to it). Besides the majestic mountains, I absolutely lovedthe lakes in Montana: the ones in the Glacier National Park and also those that were close to Missoula, like the Flathead lake. Huge and peaceful places where time seems to stop for a while:
So once I came back to Spain, I terribly missed that naturally wild nature: majestic mountains, leafy woods and also those beautiful lakes. So in case you have a pretty similar feeling and are actually wondering what are the best lakes to visit… Here is a list of some the beautiful lakes near Barcelona:
Aiguestortes: Estany de Sant Maurici
This is probably my favourite lake of the list, and it is the first stop when you enter the park from Espot (one of the entrances). We dedicated a post to the spectacular Aiguestortes National Park, we are big fans of it. If you are a mountain lover, you can’t miss this magic place where you almost get to blend with nature. It is the furthest one from Barcelona, but couldn’t help to include it on the list. Highly recommended!
3h 23 minutes from Barcelona.
Pyrenees lakes: Estany de Montcortès
It is one of the beautiful Pyrenees lakes which is located in a small village from Pallars Sobirà. We highly recommend you to spend a couple of days in this area to disconnect from the crowded city and reconnect with nature.
2h 58 minutes from Barcelona.
Pantà de Sau and Collsacabra
Pantà de Sau is also one of the lakes near Barcelona. This lake hides a secret you can tell by the top of a bell tower emerging from the water… I remember going to this lake when I was a kid and being totally fascinated by the story, letting my imagination go wild. This is why Pantà de Sau is an ideal spot to visit specially with children. Also there is a restaurant specialized in typical Catalan gastronomy: Fussimanya. The food is beyond delicious. There is also a little shop where you can buy authentic and tasty embotit like fuet, llonganissa or pernil to savor once at home after the trip.
1h 20 minutes from Barcelona.
Delta de l’Ebre
Even though it is not a lake exactly, we decided to include Delta de l’Ebre also on this list. It is the main Catalan territory where rice is cultivated and has huge and beautiful esplanades near the sea which we highly recommend you to explore by bike. Also, in that area there is a beautiful lighthouse which reminds us of the particular Wes Anderson movies’ aesthetics, it is called “Far de Fangar”
2h 8 minutes from Barcelona.
Llac de Banyoles (Banyoles)
Among lakes near Barcelona, we also find Llac de Banyoles. If you are a sunset lover (as we are), you can’t miss this place. Sunset views from this lake are pretty stunning. If you visit this lake during summer, you can also take a dip in the water. And if you are spending a weekend in the Llac de Banyoles area, we also recommend you to visit the city of Girona, and its beautiful old town.
1h 27 minutes from Barcelona.
And a city lake: Parc de la Ciutadella
We are pretty sure that you have visited at least one of the lakes of this list. And that lake probably is… Parc de la Ciutadella. If you are visiting the city for a couple of days, it might be a good idea to rent a boat and have fun paddling this lake. Not one of the lakes near Barcelona, but definitely a lake IN Barcelona!