A weekend in Fornalutx (Part 3): The Embalse de Cúber

If there is one thing that living these past 5 months on the stunning Mediterranean island of Mallorca has taught me, it is that mother nature is truly the best creator of beauty. With pristine white beaches flanked by momentous mountains, sweeping orange and lemon groves and vast surreal rock forms of every shape and size, Mallorca is truly nature at her best. However, as the final experience of my recent weekend in the mountain village of Fornalutx demonstrated, man too can do his level best at creating beauty within the confines already set by nature, and this has been no better evidenced than through the creation of the Embalse de Cúber located on the other side of Mallorca’s highest mountain. The embalse, or reservoir, looks to anyone passing by like a perfectly appointed mountain lake. Set within the shallow basin formed when some of the island’s most magnificent mountains come together, this lake fits perfectly into these momentous surroundings. And yet this reservoir, constructed to supply water to the bustling capital city of Palma de Mallorca, was made by man. And what a job he did. Gasps escaped our mouths when we first saw the sight of this stunning lake. Expansive, perfectly still and forming a wonderful reflection of the mountains surrounding it, the lake is a visual delight in this most incredible of landscapes. With paths lining the full length of the lake, we were able to appreciate the lake from up close, and there appreciate a multifaceted landscape which changed from one stretch of the lake to another. In one section, small prickly donught shaped plants interspersed with large craggy rocks looked like a landscape from out of space. A little further along, pine trees stood so perfectly erect and symmetrical that they appeared to be almost plastic in their lego-land perfection. And round on the other side of the lake, imposing cliffs of huge rocky forms rounded off a series of landscapes which thrilled along every inch of this incredible waterside walk. And just in case we became bored of the landscape, nature’s habitats were there to thrill us as well, including many number of colourful little birds, a snake, and even a big hairy bull… Now that was one encounter we were not expecting as we rounded off an incredible weekend in the mountain scenery of Fornalutx. All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.