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miércoles, 11 de julio de 2012

CATALONIA: RAFTING SORT AND AIGÜESTORTES


Recently I went to Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park, located in the north of Catalonia, near France, between the mountains of the Pyrenees. The landscapes I enjoyed were wonderful, so I would like to show you some pictures I took there. Besides I really enjoyed a day of rafting the previous day.

Espot and Boí are the villages where the headquarters of the National Park are. You have to go there to visit the most beautiful places of this park: Aigüestortes and Sant Maurici Lake. Actually, in 2008 I visited La Vall de Boí and the area of the park beside Boí. This time, I enjoyed the landscapes of Sant Maurici Lake.

Our headquarters was Casa Font in Saurí, a lovely village near Sort. We really liked this house and we felt really comfortable there. From here, on saturday,  we went to Sort for doing rafting and, on sunday, we went to Espot to visit the Aigüestortes i Llac de Sant Maurici National Park. It was an intense and fantastic weekend.

Below you will see pictures of:

  • Casa Font in Saurí (Sort)
  • Rafting Sort (www.rubber-river.com)
  • Sort
  • Espot
  • Aigüestortes i Llac de Sant Maurici National Park


Casa Font in Saurí (Sort)


Saurí is a small village in the Pyrenees near Sort
View of Saurí, the village in the Pyrenees where Casa Font is


Casa Font in Saurí near Sort
Doorway of Casa Font in Saurí

Casa Font in Saurí near Sort
One of the bedrooms of Casa Font in Saurí

Stone houses in Saurí, a lovely village near Sort
Typical stone houses in Saurí (Sort) from the doorway of Casa Font


Rafting Rubber River Sort



Florido Hotel in Sort
Inside the facilities Rubber River has in Florido Hotel we got the helmet, life jacket and wetsuit. From here we were taken to the starting point of rafting

Rafting along Noguera Pallaresa river between Sort and Llavorsí
About to start the rafting along Noguera Pallaresa river between Sort and Llavorsí

I found rafting a really intense, exciting and funny experience

Rafting in Noguera Pallaresa river
Through one of the rapids of the Noguera Pallaresa river

Rafting in Noguera Pallaresa river
Paddling strongly in our yellow raft

Rafting in Noguera Pallaresa river near Sort
Rough water in Noguera Pallaresa river

Rafting in Noguera Pallaresa river near Sort
Enjoying a swim in Noguera Pallaresa river

Rafting in Noguera Pallaresa river near Sort
White water near a rapid of Noguera Pallaresa river
  
Florido Hotel in Sort
Florido Hotel in Sort, where we had lunch after doing rafting 


 Swimming pool of Florido Hotel in Sort
Swimming pool of Florido Hotel in Sort


Sort

Noguera Pallaresa river passing through Sort
Noguera Pallaresa river passing through Sort. Here our rafting ended

The town of Sort in Catalonia
Walking along Sort, a town in the mountains of the Pyrenees

La Bruixa d'Or in Sort
La Bruixa d'Or in Sort, where I bought Christmas lottery



Espot



The village of Espot, located beside the Aigüestortes National Park
Taxis 4x4 off-road in Espot, a village located beside the Aigüestortes National Park. We took these taxis to arrive at Sant Maurici Lake from Espot


Aigüestortes i Llac de Sant Maurici National Park



Located in the heart of the Pyrenees, this is the most genuine representation of a mountainous area. The majestic landscapes and views make Aigüestortes  National Park a truly unique location. Centuries old woods of fir trees and black pines are scattered around the park, which also contains nearly 200 mountain lakes.

As the private vehicle access into the park is very limited, it's really advisable to use public transport with 4x4 vehicles. In Espot and Boí, 4x4 taxi service  is available throughout the year. It's a shuttle service to Aigüestortes and Lake Sant Maurici. 


Excursions in Aigüestortes National Park from Espot
Excursions you can do in Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park from Espot. We got to Estany de Ratera (Ratera Pond) and the Sant Maurici viewpoint, located at two thousand meters above sea level

Sant Maurici lake in Aigüestortes National Park
Sant Maurici lake in Aigüestortes National Park

Llac de Sant Maurici in Aigüestortes National Park
A fantastic memory of our excursion in Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park in the Pyrenees of Catalonia

Sant Maurici lake in Aigüestortes National Park
Sant Maurici lake in Aigüestortes National Park under a lovely day

Cascada de la Ratera in Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park
Cascada de la Ratera (Ratera waterfall) in Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park in the Pyrenees of Catalonia

Estany de Ratera in Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park in the Pyrenees of Catalonia
Estany de Ratera (Ratera Pond) in Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park in the Pyrenees of Catalonia

Landscape of Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park
Wonderful landscape of Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park in the Pyrenees of Catalonia

Landscape of Sant Maurici lake and Encantats Peaks
Dreamscape of Sant Maurici lake and Encantats Peaks we enjoyed from El Mirador de l'Estany (viewpoint of the pond). This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in Catalonia



Finally, if you liked these landscapes, clicking on the next links you will find links to other fantastic places in the Pyrenees of Catalonia, Andorra and France, like:

- Catalonia:
- Andorra:

- France:


2 comentarios:

  1. I am not sure where to leave a question, but my husband and I would love your recommendation of a friendly village, town (not too big) where we might rent a place for 2 to 3 months and thence explore Catalonia. We are interested in living amongst locals and not in tourist high rises. Can you kindly reply via email?
    Thank you,
    Isabela

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    1. Sorry Isabela, but you have not given me your email address. My proposal would be the city of Girona. It is a very quiet town and its old town is really beautiful. From Girona you can easily reach many of the most beautiful places in Catalonia, like La Costa Brava, Barcelona or the Pyrenees.

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