Ibón is the
Aragonese term for small mountain lakes of glacial origin in the
Pyrenees, generally above 2,000 m. Many of them are the source of watercourses in
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
.
There are in total 94 ibóns of different shapes and sizes; some of them are used to feed small hydroelectric plants.
The ibóns of
Anayet,
Sabocos,
Ip or
Estanés are the most well-known.
Etymology
''ibón'' stems with almost certainty from the
basque word ''ibai'' (river), which originally designated hot springs.
Geology
As the terrain where lies the spring forms a basin, often caused by the ancient presence of a glacier, these waters form a large or small lake depending on the morphological characteristics of the area.
Mythology
There are, according to local legend, enchanted Ibóns, where live fairies, like the
Plan.
See also Lakes in the Pyrenees
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Landforms of Aragon