Natural swimming pools in the mountains just 23 kilometres from Mas El Brugué
In the Alt Empordà, in the Sierra de las Salinas, a small river, the Arnera, rises, which in its brief and vertiginous descent from the mountain range to the Darnius / Boadella reservoir forms more than twenty Gorges.
The name Arnera comes from ‘sandy river’, so some of them look like beaches, Empordà coves in the middle of the mountains.
Of these 20 gorges of Arnera, La Gorga de les Dones in Maçanet de Cabrenys. It is the gorga par excellence and the busiest, because it can be reached by car.
On private initiative, a lock with a sluice gate was built in 1961 to raise the water level so that it was no longer possible to walk halfway down to the top of the gorga. At the top of the gorga there is a large rock in the shape of a bench and it looks as if it was made for resting or diving like a trampoline; the lower part has a maximum depth of 2.5 metres.
The gorga is 30 metres long by 12 metres wide and every year before the summer the municipality conditions the environment and removes the sand.
How to get to the gorges of la Dona
In the municipality of Maçanet de Cabrenys in the direction of Tapis, turn left at a signposted crossroads with several signs: Oliveda, camping Maçanet, Molí d’en Robert… The women’s gorga is at the bottom before the bridge. If we follow the course of the river on foot we will find many other fantastic gorgas.
Getting to know the village of Maçanet de Cabrenys
Don’t forget to take a stroll through the village, with its stone houses and pretty little streets for a quiet walk. During the Middle Ages Maçanet de Cabrenys was a fortified village. The remains of the old city walls (14th and 15th centuries) date back to this period. In addition, the church of San Martín (12th and 12th centuries) is late Romanesque and preserves remains of Lombard decoration in the apse. And you can stop at the bar la Pau, the village society, a beautiful building that will captivate you.
Details of the gorgas
- Distance from Mas El Brugué: 23 km
- Location: Ajuntament de Maçanet de Cabrenys Carrer Paret Nova, 14. 17720 Maçanet de Cabrenys Alt Empordà – (Girona)
- Guided tour: http://maçanetdecabrenys.cat
