The lake of Banyoles

It's a natural lake and it's the biggest lake of Catalonia and one of the biggest lakes in Spain.

The lake was formed two hundred and fifty thousand years ago by the tectonic activity which created the Pyrenees mountain range.

The area has been settled since the Neolithic period, approximately seven thousand years ago, and the town of Banyoles dates back to the ninth century AD.

We recommend you park the car and go around the lake on foot or by bicycle to enjoy it better.

The lake´s water come from the highest Garrotxa. The lake has a carstic origin, the higher stratums of the subsoil collapsed years go and the water spouts from the deepest lake zones.

Its vegetation is so rich that a lot of kinds of animals can live in the lake: green-neck duck, water pullet,..

There´s a legend that explains the lake´s origin:
Can Morgat´s landlord was a ploughing with his bullocks when he heard a voice muttering:


Morgat! Morgat! catch your bullocks and go under the roof!
Morgat! Morgat! come in to your house or you will sink!


The next day the Banyoles lake appeared.

Lot of small rivers are born from the lake and later they join in Terri river.