bassa de Sarradé

Bassa de Sarradé is a small glacial lake in the municipality of La Vall de Boí, tucked high in the Catalan Pyrenees.

Where is Bassa de Sarradé located?

The lake sits within the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, in the Sarradé valley - a side valley of the larger Ribera de Sant Nicolau, in the Alta Ribagorça region of Catalonia. Its coordinates are 42.570401, 0.90097, and the lake itself lies above 2,400 metres, in a high, rocky part of the park.

How did this lake form?

Bassa de Sarradé is a classic glacial lake, filling a basin carved out by the glacier that once covered the Sarradé valley during the last ice age. Small mountain lakes and ponds of this kind, known locally as "basses" and "estanys," are typical of the high-altitude Catalan Pyrenees and appear in large numbers throughout the national park, which is renowned precisely for its scattering of glacial lakes among granite peaks.

What surrounds the lake?

Water from Bassa de Sarradé flows south-southeast through a stream hidden among boulders, known as the Canalot de Sarradé d'Amont. Further downstream it joins the waters of the Canal del Racó and feeds the lower-lying Estany de Sarradé, at around 2,123 metres - another lake in the same drainage system, which also collects runoff from the slopes of Pic de la Pala Alta de Sarradé and the Canals de l'Estràs. That same peak rises above the valley and is a popular destination for more experienced mountain hikers exploring the park.

How do you get there?

The Sarradé valley is reached on foot from the Ribera de Sant Nicolau valley, the main access route into the eastern side of the national park from La Vall de Boí. Given the altitude, the rocky terrain, and the absence of easy marked paths right around the lake, it is mainly visited by hikers prepared for high-mountain trekking - ideally in summer or early autumn, once the trails are clear of snow.

What else should visitors know about La Vall de Boí?

The municipality of La Vall de Boí, which administers the area around the lake, is best known for its group of Romanesque churches inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and for bordering the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park - the only national park in Catalonia. It is from here that many visitors set out on multi-day routes into the mountains, including into side valleys such as Vall de Sarradé.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bassa de Sarradé? It is a small glacial lake in the Sarradé valley, within the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, administratively part of the La Vall de Boí municipality.

How high up is the lake? The lake lies above 2,400 metres, in a high, rocky section of the Catalan Pyrenees.

Are there other lakes nearby? Yes. Water from Bassa de Sarradé flows down to the lower Estany de Sarradé (around 2,123 metres), which is also fed by other streams in the same valley.

Is the lake hard to reach? The Sarradé valley is high-mountain, rocky terrain with no easy marked paths right around the lake, so reaching it requires good physical preparation and proper hiking gear; summer or early autumn is the best time to visit.