Mirador del Embalse de Lanuza
The turquoise reservoir of Lanuza, 45 kilometres north of Sabiñánigo in the Tena Valley, conceals one of Aragon's most poignant stories — a village that was flooded in 1978 and re-emerges, ghostlike, when water levels drop in late summer. The mirador above the dam wall frames a view of the Pyrenees reflected in an almost impossibly blue-green lake.
The View and the Story
From the roadside mirador on the N-260 just above the dam, the full sweep of the Tena Valley opens up — the reservoir in the foreground, the ski resort village of El Formigal climbing the slopes to the left, and the jagged ridge of the Anayet massif cutting the skyline above 2,500 metres.
When summer drawdown exposes the old village of Lanuza, you can see the roofless stone walls and the outline of streets emerging from the water like a Pyrenean Atlantis. It's eerie, beautiful and completely photogenic — the kind of scene that stops cars on the road.
Beyond the View
The modern village of Lanuza, rebuilt on higher ground above the reservoir, hosts the Festival de los Pirineos Orientales — better known as Pirineos Sur — each July, a world-music festival that draws artists from across Africa, Latin America and Asia to perform on a floating stage on the lake itself. The combination of music, mountain backdrop and warm July nights is extraordinary.
Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards can be rented at the lakeside in summer, giving you a water-level view of the submerged village walls. The water temperature is bracingly cold even in August.
More of Sabiñánigo
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Sabiñánigo →
