Ref. CBM 200 - El Molí de la Vila

sleeps up to 7 in 3 Bedrooms, each with private Bathroom. This is a house I escape to often!  Along with El Capsec, El Molí is one of two rental properties on a huge private estate in the beautiful pre-Pyrenean Valley of la Bianya. Set far apart from the other houses, El Molí is a beautifully restored ancient millhouse straddling a stream and backed by a deep reservoir of fresh spring water where you can swim (but you also have shared use of the owners award-winning designer swimming pool).  Consisting of three 45m2  floors plus an en suite bedroom in a converted barn just outside, the main floor is the common room, with kitchen, living and dining room, and the floors above and below have large bedrooms with private bathoom. It is all very atmospheric, with interior doors and floors and stairways fashioned almost entirely of stained cherrywood and anchored into the stone walls on heavy wooden beams. I love this house but some guests have complained that it is just a bit too rustic. It is a house for romantic nature-lovers, so diehard city-slickers should refrain. See photos of the new shared pool in the page for Capsec de la Vila.

Ref. CB 2200 - Casa Aloe

up to 9 guests in 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms this is one of the few newly constructed houses we offer, but when I saw it, I couldn´t resist. Since adding Casa Aloe to our listings in 2002, it has consistently been one of our most successful properties, breaking all records for occupancy. Why?  Situated in a leafy residencial village overlooking a quality golf course (Vallromanes Golf, with green fees) just 25 minutes north of Barcelona and a short (10km) drive from the beaches fronting the attractive coastal wine-growing town of Alella, this elegant spacious (350m2) villa has a private garden & BBQ area & good-sized swimming pool (maintained year-round!).   Perfectly situated near main roads (AP-7 & C-32) for easy exploration of both Barcelona and the Costa Brava and walking distance to a pleasant low-key village with shopping & restaurants - this villa has exactly what many of you are looking for, and at a good price!

Ref. CB 1800 - Can Girones

up to 10 or so in 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, a beautifully restored house in an unbeatable location, just off the greens of the new PGA golf course at Caldes de Malavella.  This is 12 kms south of Girona town, 15 kms inland from the middle Costa Brava beaches like San Feliu de Guixols.  Aside from the attractive interior, including 2 living rooms and a separate dining room and kitchen, there is a lovely Japanese-inspired landscaped garden and a private fenced-in swimming pool.  I have stayed here myself twice and I am very enthusiastic about this new house, which is 4 kms to the commuter train in Caldes to Barcelona (every half hour, 1 hour ride) and just 1 hour's drive from Barcelona on the fast AP-7 highway.  Good feedback and excellent price-quality relationship, especially in off-season.  Recommended.

Ref. CB 1700 - Casa Nova

up to 11 in 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, with an exceptional price/quality relationship for a house with a private pool, Casa Nova is a spacious but simple farmhouse set amidst sunflower fields just 1 km outside of Viladesens, a small village with a popular restaurant 8 kms northeast of Girona and 12 kms inland from the best Costa Brava beaches - an excellent location. With a well-kept fenced 5x10m swimming pool surrounded by shadded lawn space, Casa Nova isn´t fancy, but most of you would find it perfect if you require a good-sized house, excellent location, private pool, outdoor dining with BBQ, pingpong room, mountain bikes, etc ... and above all, exceptionally low rental rates. WiFi internet.

Ref. CB 1300 - Mas Anes

up to 12 or so in 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms.  One past guest referred to Mas Anes as a "hidden gem" and I agree.  This is a charming 400m2 farmhouse on a large private property, originally dating from the mid-17thC, very nicely restored, on the outskirts of Riudellots, about 12 kms inland from the mid-Costa Brava resorts around Sant Feliu de Guixols. Along with venerable houses like Mas Grau, this is another unique place, nicely furnished for and by the owners (not done for rentals), a huge and varied garden (fruit trees, flowers, fields, a pond...) and a nice new fenced-in swimming pool (9.5 x 5m) - all for way below average prices. The photos (I took myself) are not good so be sure to read the Comments from Past Guests. No central heating so rents only mid-May to early October. 2 week minimum in July and August.

2012: booked/réservé/belegt: 8-22/7 & 11/8 - 2/9, only! (so available 23/7 - 10/8 for €275/night for minimum 2-week rental )

Ref. CBM 100 - Capsec de la Vila

sleeps up to 12 in 6 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms. A large independent restored farmhouse situated near the owners huge baronial mansion, overlooking the amazing new pool they put in in 2004. Its six bedrooms and three baths are distributed over two floors and a total of about 160m2. In front of the house is a wide lawn with a barbecue and two outdoor seating areas next to the picturesque remnants of a ruined barn. The lovely unspoiled countryside, and yes, there is a stream running through the property...,  the good selection of local restaurants, and the numerous stone villages and Romanesque churches make the Bianya Valley one of Catalonia's premiere mountain retreats. And if that weren´t enough, the unique and award-winning designer swimming pool the owners recently put in (6x15 meters) will make Capsec that much more attractive. Book early as it fills up for summer quickly.

Ref. CC 600 - Peus Curts

15+ guests, 7 rooms, 3 baths, on an hilltop with truly spectacular panoramic views of the impressive Berguedá mountain range, this spacious house offers a new 8x4m fenced-in swimming pool along with a nice outdoor covered BBQ and dinning area with ping-pong and babyfoot. The house has 6 double rooms and a triple room and some extra beds, two livingrooms, 2 TVs, 2 refridgerators as well as the usually washing machine, dishwasher, microwave, etc. An attractive place, with plenty of play room under 100 year-old oak trees and great walks from your front door, including to the town of Gironella, one of my favorite market towns in the region.

Ref. CB 1000 - Cal Micos

up to 15 or so in 7 rooms, 7 en suite bathrooms , an attractive farmhouse with lovely pool and large 5700m2 fenced garden area & a nice new outdoor BBQ shed, Cal Micos is just 8 kms off the AP-7 highway between France and Barcelona, about 22 kms inland from the coast, set amidst broad undulating fields and surrounded on three sides by different low pre-Pyrenees mountain ranges. Originally dating from the mid-18th C, this popular villa offers spacious comfort - all rooms have private bathroom - a 9x5m swimming pool set on a shady lawn under willow trees, and great views. Again I´ll insist on the location, 2 kms to Riudarenes town, 22 kms to beaches, 20 kms to Girona, and 70 quick highway kms to Barcelona, or take the commuter train every hour 6 kms away in Sils. Moderately priced for what it offers, this not fancy but solid house has a lot going for it, including free wifi and other extras!

2012: booked/réservé/belegt: 8-10/6, 22/6-1/7, 28/7 - 1/9 - due to cancellation, available 1 - 28/7, 5% off for 1 week & 10% off for 2-week rentals!

Ref. CC 400 - Can Pou

up to 17 guests, 8 rooms, 5 bathrooms, this is a good example of how you can get more house for your money if you are willing to rent further inland. Another large and beautifully restored farmhouse, originally dating from the 15th century, Can Pou has a feature many of you will like:  this house was originally divided into two separate independent halves, so there are now two fully equipped kitchens, two elegant living/dinning rooms, two BBQ areas, etc...  So two or more families can be together when they want to, but also have their own living space when wanted. Situated in a huge property with great panoramic views (I counted 4 mountain ranges), a nice fenced-in 8x5m swimming pool, indoor play rooms with ping-pong, and lots more. Some houses have an exceptionally nice interior, and some houses have an exceptionally nice exterior, but a chosen few, like Can Pou, have it all. Now with free wi-fi connection.

Ref. CB 800 - Casa Sant Juan

sleeps 19 or so in 9 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms,  (2 of these outdoors poolside and BBQ side).  Set on a large private 35 hectaire fenced property under pines, 30 kms north of Barcelona, 12 highway kms inland from the beaches around Mataro, this property consists of two houses, always rented together to the same group, never separately.  The larger 5 bedroom house (225m2) is brand new and quite elegant, fully air conditioned and with quality furnishings, while the other 4 bedroom house (100m2) is rather simple, and I have been offering this older house for years now, so the owners have a proven track record.  Each house has its own outdoor sitting area and there is a large covered BBQ dining area with seating for all guests, ping pong, etc.  The 10x6 meter swimming pool is larger than most.  Highly recommended, for small and larger groups alike, who wish to be in a nice quiet location with great views, but not far from Barcelona and the sea.  Free WiFi & local cell phones for longer rentals.

Ref. CB 400 - Can Cunill

up to 20 or so in 10 air conditioned bedrooms, 7 bathrooms. Located 20 kms south of Girona, one hour north of Barcelona, a safe 20 kms inland from Lloret de Mar and the other southern Costa Brava resorts. This is a huge "luxury" estate (sorry for using the often abused "L" word - I usually don´t - but in so many ways this one deserves it!) originally dates from 1583, has 8,000m2 of gorgeous & walled private gardens, two very large swimming pools, and a magnificent poolside dining area seating over 50 guests (outdoor kitchen & bathrooms too). This is the kind of villa you see on TV and has a lot of charm. Even if you can't afford to stay here - and if you can you probably should - you might like to take a quick look at this one just for the fun of it. I've seen lesser villas going for twice the price!  Free wifi & ADSL internet.  Be sure to see the movie on Can Cunill posted in youtube!

Ref. CB 300 - El Turó

up to 27 max. in 10 rooms, 12 bathrooms, this is no doubt the house with the greatest WOW-factor in my website.  Although not really on the Costa Brava (it is 40 kms due north of Barcelona, 2.5 kms from the pleasant village of Castellterçol, this new property deserves to be seen so I have decided to put it into both the Costa Brava listings and the Barcelona area listings, where it really belongs. This is a massive luxury (again, the L word is justified) mansion on a very private 10 hectaire hilltop property in the middle of a natural park reserve, with indoor and outdoor swimming pools & great views of the Pyrenees. The location and the grounds are tops, but what really sets this house apart is the very high quality of its interiors. Not inexpensive but do take a look at what a high-quality Catalan masia looks like!  Free internet.

Ref. CB 100 - Mas Dalt

sleeps 35+ in 17 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms: this truly enormous baronial mansion (1200m2 on a 15 hectaire private property) occupies a priviledged hillside position just above the historic lakeside town of Banyoles, with majestic views over the coastal plain of the central Costa Brava. There are three distinct, fully licensed and fully equipped living quarters, each with its own full kitchen, living room, dining room, terraces, bbqs, etc.  Highlights include a 120m2 living room - perfect for large indoor gatherings, a 100m2 terraced dining area with great views just above the 12x5m swimming pool, and a large indoor playroom.  Feedback from past guests is excellent!  1 km walk from Mas Dalt is Can Tapies - see next house.  Sometimes the two are rented together for large gatherings such as weddings in the off-season. Free WiFi and lots of extras!  This is not a wild party house.  Noise levels must be normal.