Lago de Ivars y Vila-sana

Lago de Ivars y Vila-sana covers 126 hectares on the cereal plains of Pla d'Urgell, at roughly 250 metres above sea level, and ranks as the largest inland lagoon in Catalonia. Its recent history reads like a community achievement: drained in 1951 to gain farmland, the wetland was restored from 2005 onward through a project led by the local consortium and the Generalitat. Within just over a decade the water surface returned to mirror the skies of the Lleida plain, and the first flocks of waterbirds came back to a territory that had been without them for half a century.

Today the lake hosts more than 250 recorded bird species, 31 mammal species, 6 reptile species and 21 odonate species. Among the birds frequenting the wetland are purple heron, western marsh harrier, bearded reedling, white stork, common kingfisher and European bee-eater. The otter has recolonised the lake naturally, and its presence is regarded as an indicator of water and ecosystem quality. During spring and autumn migrations, the shores fill with waders and ducks stopping over on their route between northern Europe and Africa.

A 5.5-kilometre circular path rings the entire lake and can be walked in about ninety minutes or cycled in under forty. The trail passes through riparian woodland, timber boardwalks over the water, jetties and observation towers fitted with panels identifying the species visible from each point. The Vila-sana hide, screened by vegetation, offers a water-level perspective from which you can watch herons moving through the reedbeds as the warm evening light tints the lake surface orange.

The Cal Sinén interpretation centre, at the main entrance, doubles as a tourist office and environmental information point. It opens Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00 and runs educational activities, bird-ringing workshops and guided birdwatching outings. The lake has three access points with parking, toilets and picnic areas, making visits with children straightforward. The surrounding farmland, with its cereal and sunflower fields, attracts steppe birds such as little bustard, pin-tailed sandgrouse and calandra lark, extending the birding interest well beyond the water's edge.

The restoration has become a reference for wetland recovery projects in the western Mediterranean. The process involved purchasing farmland plots, rebuilding the lake basin and channelling water from the Canal d'Urgell. The early years saw spontaneous colonisation: reeds arrived first, then aquatic insects, and finally the birds. Today the Estany Consortium manages the space with a balance between conservation and public use that sustains the biodiversity without closing off access.

Mollerussa, the Pla d'Urgell capital, lies 8 kilometres away and offers the area's widest choice of accommodation and dining. From Lleida city the lake is a 30-minute drive via the C-13 toward Balaguer. The combination of an accessible, flat, technically undemanding natural space with biodiversity that rivals far larger wetlands makes this lake a practical option for a family morning or afternoon.