The history of Els Encantats

Els Encantats are twin spiers that rise more than 2,700 meters above Lake Sant Maurici. It is one of the most emblematic mountains in Catalonia and stars in one of the most famous landscape photographs of the Pyrenees.

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Els Encantats (The Enchanted Ones) make up one of the landmarks of the National Park of Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici (Aigüestortes and Sant Maurici Lake National Park), within which they are integrated. Se trata de dos agujas gemelas, El Petit Encantat (2.734 metros) y El Gran Encantat ( 2,749 meters), separated by an obvious gap a hundred meters lower. Its theatrical location dominating Lake Sant Maurici at its feet has made it one of the most photographed high mountain landscapes in the Catalan Pyrenees.

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Its emblematic figure can be seen from el lago de Sant Maurici y el Ernest Mallafre shelter, from the path of Amitges shelter o from the Port of Ratera. Reaching its peaks is only within the reach of climbers and mountaineers.

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The origin of Els Encantats is surrounded by a legend. According to tradition, two hunters ran away from mass to be the first to hunt chamois and received a curse that petrified them forever.