About three hours inland from Barcelona, the Noguera Ribagorçana river demarks the border between Catalonia and Aragón, winding through the Montsec sierra of the pre-Pyrenees region until it finally approaches the breath taking congost de Mont-rebei gorge. It is famous for striking bright blue turquoise waters paired with high cliffs up to 500m in height in the narrow 20m wide canyon.
Congost de Mont-rebei is the last gorge in Catalunya region to remain almost naturally intact with no electricity lines, roads or other man-made infrastructure spoiling the views. The only exception is a section of excavated path on the side of the canyon wall that forms part of the GR1 hiking trail with two suspension foot bridges. This blog is about the kayak route along the canyon parallel to the footpath.
The kayak activity is easy although some effort is required to paddle against the wind in the narrow 20m canyon section.
The kayak route starts in La Masieta parking area (42.097516N, 0.6982146E) near the village of Puente de Montañana. There is an embarcation point (42.096014, 0.6940368) in a small lake marsh area.
From the embarkation point, the route turns to the left and heads south along the river towards the canyon/gorge. After the gorge the mountains open out into a spectacular lake with golden coloured cliffs on each side. Continuing on further there is a suspension bridge that crosses between to cliffs. continue under the bridge and hug the right side of the canyon and you will sail under a cliff overhang with a small beach where you can drag the kayak out of the water to have some lunch on dry land.
as you approach this area you will see the Montfalcó stairs. I will explain this in the Congost de Mont-rebei hiking route.
An alternative to starting in La Masieta is to start in Corçà. Passing through this small village there is an embarkation point on the edge of the Canelles reservour called Moll de Corçà. Kayak's can be rented from a company called Ager Aventurat.
I have kayaked in Congost de Mont-Rebei on three occasions and it is on my top ten places to visit in Catalonia.
Click on any of the 17 images to open full screen gallery player
For package tours to Congost de Mont-rebei see the Tickets section.
When you rent the kayak you are provided with the following material.
It is not obligatory to wear the helmet the whole day but it is strongly advised to wear it in the narrow 20m canyon section because small rocks sometimes fall down into the water. The Kayak's are open top and not sea kayak's that are sealed to the rider with a neoprene grommet.
Zenith Adventure offer a day activity starting at 10am in La Masieta parking area. The day consists of kayaking along the gorge then walking back via the GR1 canyon path. However, I recommend spending a full day kayaking followed by a day hiking the canyon.
Due to the ongoing drought, the Congost de Mont-rebei is now almost completely dry and kayak activities have been suspended. The photos in this blog are from 2017 to 2021 when the reservoir and canyon was full of water. You can read more about the drought and compare my images to those in the below newspaper articles.
The Congost de Mont-rebei GR1 hiking route is still viable and spectacular and can be done as a two day hike walking from La Masieta parking to Montfalcó hostel and returning via the same route.
UPDATE 1st July 2024: Because of the rainfall in Catalonia, there is now enough water in Congost de Mont-rebei to do the Kayak activity.
Completely viable if your dog is smallish and willing to sit in a kayak! I have kayaked with a dog before but the dog was well trained which was a huge factor. When you rent the kayak you can specify a three seater and your dog can go in the front child's seat. Alternatively a two seater can also be hired with the front seat for your dog but just remember that you are on the hook for all the paddling! There are multiple places to stop near the shore and your dog can have a swim. Note that the kayak rental will not include a dog life jacket so you may want to consider taking your own.
I take a small 20l dry bag to keep my lunch, car keys, wallet and phone dry. Ensure to use suncream because you will get burnt otherwise. A hat is also advisable to kep the sun off your neck. I wear swining shorts and a t-shirt with wet shoes. I do nto recommend going bare chested or on a bikini for the kayak because it is very easy to get sunburn. Tak swim wear to swim in the lake when you stop for lunch.
Address: Congost de Mont-rebei, Aparcamiento de la Masieta, Puente de Montañana, Huesca. 22584
La Masieta parking area charges €8 per car per day during high season from 15th de july to 11th September and it is advised to book parking in advance.
La masieta parking area can be reached by leaving the N230 and crossing the Noguera Ribagorçana river onto the C-1311 just before reaching the village of Puente de Montañana. Follow the C-1311 for 6km long the winding road until you see a turn signposted to La Masieta parking.
Kayak the stunning turquoise waters of Congost Mont-Rebei canyon along the Noguera Ribagorçana river from La Masieta parking to Montfalcó stairs
Distance: 19.09 km
Difficulty: Medium
Return Travel Fare: €25.00
Transport Network: Car
Mountain Forecast weather for
