Lake Engolasters, Encamp, Andorra (with Map & Photos)

Lake Engolasters is one of the most beautiful lakes in Andorra, located near the city of Encamp. The lake is located at an altitude of 1616 m above sea level, and the elevation difference of the nearby hills is 300 m. Engolasters is hidden among dense forests and can be reached along a paved route and steep slopes. Once here, you will definitely not regret it - the lake offers an impressive view of the surroundings of the Encamp Valley. You can also ride the cable car between Lake Engolasters and Encamp. Its length is as much as 6.2 km!

Lake Engolasters
Lake Engolasters

Lake legends


The Lake Engolasters Valley has a colorful, magical and exciting atmosphere. Here, legends are mixed with reality, and not a single local resident can already say where is the truth and where is speculation. But this halo of mystery only adds a special charm to the lake.

Lake Engolasters
Lake Engolasters

According to one of the legends, all the stars of the sky, admiring the incomparable beauty of the lake, fall to its bottom in due time and must remain imprisoned in the waters of Engolasters until the end of time.

An old parable about the origin of the lake is also known. Once upon a time, there was a wealthy mountain village on the site of the lake. The houses were built of the best types of stone, the barnyards were full of well-groomed domestic animals. The granaries are full of grain. Each family had a lot of their own land and accumulated over the years of good. The inhabitants of the village from generation to generation lived in satiety and prosperity. One evening a homeless wanderer came into the village. His clothes were in tatters, and his face was emaciated from hunger. He went from house to house in the village, knocking on doors asking for some food, but no one gave him. And then, as a punishment to the inhabitants, heavenly waters fell on the village, and it plunged into the depths of the lake. This wanderer, as the legend says, was Jesus Christ himself.

Lake Engolasters
Lake Engolasters

Such legends do not frighten travelers, but only attract them to the mysterious lake Engolasters. By the way, not far from it, at an altitude of 1500 m, is the Church of St. Michael, which, according to documents, was built in 1176. It is said that earlier this church was located in a nearby small village, and then the spirits moved it to the lake. Inside the church, there were previously Romanesque frescoes. Today they can be seen in the Museum of Romanesque Art in Barcelona.

Lake Engolasters Map