Capsec de la Vila

Capsec de la Vila: Sleeps up to 12. 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 unspoilt 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 (measuring 6 by 15 meters) will make Capsec that much more attractive. Book early as it fills up for summer quickly.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, weekly rental rates: high-season: 2000 Euros/week, rest of year: 1800 Euros/week

Availability 2008

booked/réservé/belegt: Easter, 21-28/6, 5/7-30/8 & 7-12/9

El Molí de la Vila

El Molí de la Vila: sleeps up to 7 in 3 rooms, each with private bath. This is a house is escape to often!  Along with El Capsec, El Molí is one of two rental properties on a huge and magnificent estate in the 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 most of you will want to walk the 250 meters or so down to use the owners award-winning designer swimming pool).  The house itself is somewhat small (except for the spacious master bedroom upstairs) but cozy and very atmospheric. The interior doors and floors and stairways are 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 fancy new shared pool in the page for Capsec de la Vila.

Friday to Friday rentals preferred in high-season, rental rates: high-season: 1500 Euros/week, rest of year: 1300 Euros/week

Availability 2008

booked/réservé/belegt: 13-15/6, 27/6-22/8, only!

La Quintana

sleeps up to 8 or so in 4 rooms, with 2 full baths, La Quintana is where my wife and kids and I have been renting for the past two summers.  An attractive four-bedroom independent stone masia set in one of my favorite spots in the low-Pre-Pyrenees, on the unspoiled backroad between Banyoles and Santa Pau, 8 winding kms from the lake. Pristine medieval villages, gorgeous farmhouses, pine and beech forests, and lush farmlands fill in the contours between the cones of this Volcanic Natural Park. A veritable hiker´s paradise. The house itself is comfortable without being big or fancy or pricey. But the location and views are priceless.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: low-season: 840 Euros/week, high-season: 1050 Euros/week

Availability 2008

available/disponible/frei: 25/6-11/7, & after 28/9

El Callís

El Callís: sleeps up to 13 in five rooms, three bathrooms.

Even if you don´t stay here, take a look at this house for a good example of what a typical baronial mansion in the Bianya Valley looks like. The house and the views from this house are spectacular, and you couldn´t ask for a better location. I don´t rent this house out often, but when I do, the feedback is very good indeed.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, The owner has an odd pricing system based on number of guests, but it comes to about 165 Euros per person per week, minimum calculation based on 8 guests, so 1320 per week for 8 guests, 1610 Euros for 10 guests, etc... maximum 13 guests)

Availability 2008

Looks like we will be losing this one. The owner has fallen in love and will move away!

Mas de l'Om

Mas de l'Om: sleeps up to 12. A perfect large independent masia for those who really love the mountains. This large and rustic farmhouse is nestled astride a large cow pasture at the bottom of a deep valley, at 800 meters above sea-level. The nearest house is three kilometers away, the nearest village, at four kilometers. The sound of cow-bells and rushing water from the trout-filled stream nearby fill the cool mountain air. A delightful place to commune with nature. There is no pool here, but in the summer months, you have free access to a pool 3.5 kms away in the town of Sant Pau de Seguries, and there is a stream of clean and cold mountain spring water just on the other side of the pasture, with wading pools year-round. The owners have put in a small swimming pool (measuring 3 by 6 meters) mostly for the kiddies.

flexible changeover dates year-round, rates: low: 900 Euros, mid: 1200 Euros, high-season: 1350 Euros/week

Availability 2008

booked/réservé/belegt: 14/7 to 31//8