Summer has its ups and downs, like everything else, but it has something special that makes us look forward to it all year long, just like when we were in school, eagerly waiting for the bell to ring so that summer break would finally begin. Maybe that’s exactly it—it takes us back to our childhood and helps us tap into our inner child every time we get our hands sticky with a melting ice cream, or when we sit out in the cool air at an outdoor movie theater, or while we’re bored in the shade, waiting for our food to settle (whether that’s a myth or not) so we can go for a swim at the beach or the pool.
The thing is, there are places, moments, foods, and even smells that make us feel a kind of faint dream that transports us to our own past. In the interior of Barcelona, less than two hours from the capital, there’s a small village that hides—behind a trail and a rocky cirque—a waterfall and a pool that form a magical natural landscape, the kind that makes you forget the problems and schedules of adult life and takes you back to a time when everything was simpler.
El Salt de la Foradada is one of the most incredible natural sites in the entire province. It’s located about two kilometers on foot—the only way to get there—from the small village of Cantonigròs, which belongs to the municipality of L’Esquirol.
The route is very easy and anyone can hike it, although on the way back you’ll have to tackle a bit of a climb—about 200 meters in elevation gain. Capacity is limited to a maximum of 50 people, and admission costs 2.50 euros per person. While this applies during regular hours (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), access is permitted outside these hours and is free; however, visitors are asked to follow the rules and respect the environment.
Less than half an hour from the highest waterfall in Catalonia
About a 25-minute drive from Cantonigròs, we find another natural landscape that takes your breath away: the Salt de Sallent is the highest waterfall in all of Catalonia.
A natural wonder reached via a trail similar to the one leading to La Foradada, though a bit longer. An easy trail that winds through the forest and ends with views of the imposing waterfall.
Also, if you want to extend the route a bit further, less than 1 kilometer away there’s a spectacular viewpoint suspended directly above the mountain.
