Estany de Banyoles

There's no Banyoles local who doesn't brag, and with good reason, about the Estany, the town's natural lake that's the biggest in Catalonia and the main identifying feature of Banyoles. The waters come from underwater springs in the Alta Garrotxa region, and they're filtered through limestone before arriving at Banyoles. There the land changes from permeable to impermeable, and the waters are forced upwards. And why do you need to go and see it? Because it's truly lovely. It doesn't matter how many times you've seen it, it's impossible not to stare open-mouthed at the views. And take numerous photos. Interestingly, in the past, the Estany de Banyoles was much larger than it is now, flooding the area to the west of it by between six and eight metres above its current levels.