Hello dear travel lovers. I continue telling my Catalonia adventures from where I left off. Since I have been sharing my Italy vacation memories for a while, I had not found the chance to tell you about these. Recently on a Sunday we went kayaking to one of the reservoir lakes in Catalonia. The name of the place we went to is Panta de Sau, located right near the towns of Tavertet and Rupit. But honestly so much time passes until you reach here through the sharp winding mountain roads serpentine. Everything looks very close on the map, but because of the roads, it feels like it never ends.

This place stands out not only for its incredibly beautiful nature, but also for its very interesting history. There used to be a village here and its most important structure was a 10th century Romanesque church with a tall bell tower. In the 50s, it was decided to build a large reservoir lake here. The villagers moved elsewhere and the village was submerged under water forever. Left behind were only the ruins of the houses and the famous bell tower of that historical church. Normally only the topmost part of the church is visible above the water. (The difference between them is clearly visible in the photo I took last time I went.) However during the recent drought, the water level dropped so much that almost the entire village emerged to the surface again. At that time this place had become one of the most important symbols of the water crisis in Catalonia. Many people flocked here to see with their own eyes the streets and buildings that had been underwater for more than 70 years.

This year the reservoir lake filled up again and we could see only a small part of the church. We put on our life jackets and started paddling towards the church. We rented the kayaks for 1 hour, but they could also be taken for 2 hours. You can talk to the staff and agree on a longer duration. But we first wanted to enjoy the bell tower and then take a short tour around the lake.

You can come here with your own equipment, for example your own kayak or SUP board standup paddleboarding and wander around the lake. To some, 1 hour might feel short, because the reservoir lake is really big. There are places where you can stop and rest. There are pristine beaches, areas where you can swim between canyons. Especially the views are very beautiful. But I think 1 hour was enough for us.

This 1hour tour went by in the blink of an eye. Saying let us go to the church, let us wander a bit between the canyons and the hour was already up. We were soaked all over. That is why I definitely recommend you bring spare clothes with you when embarking on this journey. The views were very beautiful, the water was great. I absolutely recommend you visit this place.

After this sweet activity of course we went to eat. This time we stopped by the town of Tavertet. We love it there. There are both good places to eat and things to visit. Actually you can spend more time here, there is no need to rush off anywhere. There is a nice playground for kids and tables and benches are set up under the shade of the trees. It is a great place to have a picnic and snack on the things you brought with you. Another big plus. There is a free toilet here.

Reaching Tavertet took us about 1 full hour. As the crow flies, it is merely 3 km in total, but it took long through the winding roads, plus those sharp turns. As a result, we arrived at the town of Tavertet. It was exactly 14:00, lunch time. I knew a few good places in Tavertet.

The town is really very beautifully designed. Neat streets orderly and charming houses, all built in the same style. There is a town hall, church, museum, school, payphone, post office, football field, etc. Roads are marked, walking routes are indicated. In short we decided to explore, but first we needed to grab a bite to eat.

At the entrance of the town, there is a public toilet free for everyone. And there is a charging station for electric vehicles that is free for the first 2 hours. We installed the app. Even having an electric vehicle charging station here is a nice detail. We decided to have lunch at the Can Nogue restaurant. We ordered salad, croquettes, provolone cheese, spaghetti, a meat platter, squid rings and of course dessert. The portions were huge and all the food was really delicious. We did not have the strength to finish it all, so we had about half of it packed to go.

We rolled out of the restaurant. We ate way too much. Outside, the weather was still +33 degrees, it was very hot. We sat on the terrace with great pleasure. We paid a total bill of 122 Euros for five people. I liked this restaurant very much. It was very delicious. Afterwards we went to look at the Mirador viewpoint.

I strongly recommend you take a walk in the streets of this small town. It is very calm and peaceful here, no tourist crowds. There are well maintained houses around and a very pleasant atmosphere. The town itself is located on a high area right on top of a cliff. From here wonderful views open up to the valley and the reservoir lake. You can watch the huge birds gliding here.

That is all for today. Thanks for being with me, see you on new trips friends.