Lake of Banyoles (Estany de Banyoles)

The Estany de Banyoles is one of the largest natural lakes in Catalonia, fed by underground karst springs and strikingly clear. The lakeside promenade is lined with plane trees and rowing clubs, and the route around the lake — about 7 km — makes for a fine morning walk with views of the water, the reed beds, and the low hills beyond.

The lake hosted the rowing events of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and still carries an Olympic rowing course along its southern shore. Rowing has been serious business here for well over a century, and the local clubs row at serious training intensities — watching an early-morning session from the bank is a pleasure.

Canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats can be rented in summer. Swimming is possible from designated areas on the western shore. The water is cold year-round by Mediterranean standards, fed as it is by springs deep in the karst.

things to do sight swimming
A story
When Banyoles was chosen to host the rowing events of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, organisers were briefly embarrassed to discover that one of the town's lake-front decorations was a stuffed Bushman from 19th-century South Africa, displayed in the local museum as an exhibit. The international protests that followed forced the museum to quietly put "El Negro de Banyoles" in storage — he was eventually returned to Botswana and buried in 2000.