The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Estany de Certascan

A large mountain lake near the Refugi de Certascan hut. Today it looks like an estuary in Norway.

Beautiful meadow that is well worth a good nap in the shade of a tree after a day of walking 😜

One of the most beautiful lakes in the Pyrenees, it is difficult to get to, but it is worth it.

At the foot of the famous Estany de Certascán.

Warm welcome excellent meal. hearty picnic

The Certascán lake is the largest glacial lake in the Catalan Pyrenees and rivals the Tort lake for being the largest in the whole mountain range. The final section of the climb is quite comfortable because it is well trodden by all the mountaineers who climb to the magnificent Pyrenean lake. At the entrance to the glacial cirque there is a small lagoon surrounded by cliffs and rocky outcrops and then there is the Certascan Refuge, practically on the shore of the lake. The path continues along the Coll de Certascan towards other places and mountain valleys at the foot of beautiful peaks, such as the Certascan peak (2,853 m), an interesting option for lovers of peaks. The return is along the same path until the detour of the path that descends from the Llurri gap. At this crossroads, continue straight ahead, going slightly uphill, and leave a path that goes down to the right towards the Canalada dam and the forest track that goes up from Montalto. The trail jumps over a small shoulder on the slope of the mountain range and begins a long descent towards the Vall de Cardós. The path is marked with the white and red signs of the long-distance path that connects the GR-11 of the Senda Pirenaica with the French paths GR-10 and Alta Ruta Pirenaica or Haute Randonée Pyrénéenne (HRP).

The path goes through a beautiful horsetail of singing waters and goes up to the outlet of the Romedo de Baix pond, which is raised with a stone wall to increase the capacity of the reservoir. Admirers of glacial modeling in high mountains can take advantage of and visit the cirques of the Guiló ponds. The route crosses the dam and follows the access lane for about two hundred metres, until a sharp curve where there is a small hut and markings for the mountain routes. The mountain crossing leaves the track and continues straight ahead along the shore of the lake, which offers a spectacular view on this slope. The trail has red and green paint dots and red and white chevrons. On a small rocky outcrop there is a rope for a channel to facilitate climbing. On the opposite side, the rope has disappeared, only the pegs remain, but it is lowered without complications. The path is well marked with the colors of the paths through an impeccable glacial valley to the shore of the Romedo de Dalt pond, completely natural, without artificial dams and a beautiful island decorating the mountain lagoon. In the same glacial basin are the Senó, Colatx and Punturri ponds. The red and white marks go up to the left of the Romedo de Dalt pond to the gap in the Sierra de Llurri, a spectacular pass between the peaks of the mountains of the Alto Pirineo Natural Park. The trail looks for the right descent to go down between the dizzying spurs of Llurri and connect with the path that goes up to the Certascán pond.

The mountain path runs through the Pla de Boavi in a fantastic environment, the valley is very closed and completely surrounds the welcoming meadows of Boavi, it is a gap cracked by old glacial ice between huge and vertical slopes, the summits seem unattainable. And the forests overflow with beauty, wildlife and naturalness. The main lane has rut marks that go all the way to the meadow but you can walk anywhere. At the end, the path reaches the canyon that joins the torrents of Sellente, Broate and Romedo and creates the river of Noguerra de Lladorre. The main path continues to be marked with the red and white colors of the long-distance trail and continues over the wooden bridge that crosses the riverbed and climbs through the Broate forest. The path that climbs towards the Romedo and Certascán ponds begins before entering the bridge on the rocks on the left, climbs some aerial ledges over the gorge and immediately begins a fairly steep ascent through the trees of the Romedo ravine.