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La Quintana with Sant Miquel´s church in background

  • attractive independent stone masia in an idyllic spot
  • sleeps 8 in four rooms
  • central heating, washing machine, TV, CD/radio/cassette, BBQ, etc..
  • altitude: 217mtrs
  • 40kms to sea
  • cost:
    high season: 1050 Euros/week
    low season: 840 Euros/week
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the view from the house from the fields above the cow pastureThis lovely stone-clad masia is in the heart of the Parc Natural de la Zona Volcanica de la Garrotxa, the most important area of extinct volcanoes in Europe. The more than 40 volcanoes have been dormant for 11,500 years, during which time the ash and lava have weathered into fertile soil whose luxuriant vegetation masks the contours of the cones. This area is just plain gorgeous!

the front of the houseLa Quintana is just outside of Sant Miquel de Campmajor, a tiny hamlet situated between Banyoles and Olot on the road through Mieres and Sannta Pau. The environmentally protected waters of Banyoles lake, site of the 1992 Olympic rowing events, offers great swimming, rowing, paddle boats, etc. and the town of Banyoles has a market, about a dozen supermarkets (I´ve never seen so many clumped together!) and an attactive old town with museums and monuments. Beyond Banyoles is the highway to Girona (15 minutes) and the coast (25 minutes). To the north lies the Medieval village of Santa Pau - which has appeared in numerous international TV comercials, same as nearly Besalú, as the mulinational look for places which ooze old-world charm but not want to film or photograph a village known and seen on souvenir postcards throughout the world. I´ll slip in a photo of Santa Pau here and tell me if it doesn´t look like someplace in Chiantishire!

This part of the Garrotxa mountains is known for its many good (and mostly cheap) restaurants and for the many "nature" activities on offer here, which - aside from the fantastic and well-marked trials for hikers and bikers - includes hot-air ballooning, horseback riding, and trout fishing in the off-season. Beyond Santa Pau is Olot, with its old covered market and plenty of shopping, and beyond Olot, the higher-Pyrenees and into France. With the strict zoning laws here, new buildings are not permitted and so the price of an old ruin to refurbish in one of these valleys is simply astronomical!

La Quintana sits amidst well-kept flower beds and wide grassy lawns on a relatively private hillside location overlooking a Benedictine church. The views are fantastic. You are almost completely surrounded by the valley peaks, all you can see are the church and some nice old farmhouses in the distance. A couple of times a day about a dozen cows stroll by, just below the house, their bells chiming softly, to drink at nearby trough. A short walk through fields and pastures leads a little hamlet of Sant Miquel with its small country store-cum-bar/restaurant. This is where guests at La Quintana first meet up with the friendly owners. The grilled meats at this café are excellent, and a huge entrecot will put you back about 10 Euros...

there are all kinds for flora around the house, and the sound of cow bells fill the airThe house:
From where you leave the cars, you have to walk up a small flagstone ramp lined with flowers and aromatic herbs to the front door. Upon entering the house there is a good-sized kitchen with a breakfast table seating 4 to 6 and few chairs about the fireplace - chairs that we always end up piling into a corner as there are just too many chairs in this room! The fireplace doubles as a BBQ in winter, but be careful not to drip grease on the terra cotta floor. Adjacent lies a dining room with dining room table seating up to 8, a not-too-comfy sofa(bed) seating 3 (I always put the extra pillows on the sofa to ease the pain!) and there´s a TV and radio/cassette/CD player. (I´ve been trying to get owners to replace this sofa for years now but it is such a minor gripe and at these prices you can qvetch too much about things like this.) On this same level as the living room, there are two bedrooms (one of them a bit smallish) each with double beds, with just enough closet space, and there is a shared bath with skylight on the other side of the hallway.

the walk up - sort of sad looking this photo taken in winter! A few steps down the hallway are the other two rooms, both with two single beds (and there´s a crib too) set on either side of the second full bathroom. Both of these bedrooms have large built-in closets. There´s another skylight in the hallway - it´s always nice to have a much natural light as possibl. La Quintana was completely renovated in 1993. The furniture and decoration are aptly rustic for this sort of house (and price range), comfortable and functional enough, and the house (especially kitchen) is very well stocked with all you need (toaster, mixer, board games... I counted three cork screws in the kitchen cabinet). The feel of the house is generally pleasant without being fancy in any way. The wall decorations consist of photos of the areas many charming waterfalls and farmhouses. There is a huge collection of touristic info in the living room bottom-dresser drawer.

My wife and I have fallen in love with this house and have rented it for ourselves (and our daughter and guests) for two weeks during the past two summers (2004 and 2005). With our only child (until Feb 2006, that is) and maybe a grandparent or two joining us, this house is the perfect size (and price) for us (I think it would be a bit cramped for 8 guests). The price/quality relationship here is second to none - but don´t tell the owners that!

In short, aside from trying to "sell" La Quintana, I just can´t come up with words to describe the beauty of this area. All I can say is... even if you don´t rent La Quintana (and many of you reading this won´t as it doesn´t have a private pool or a dishwasher and isn´t expensive enough for some people to consider renting it! - odd phenomena that one, people who think that if it is cheap it can´t be good! - at least try to make your way to visit this valley and see for yourself why is has become one of the most sought-after areas of inland Costa Brava. Self-explanatory photos of the interior below (kitchen, dining room, and bedrooms):





















































  • free firewood (holm-oak)
  • 9km to Banyoles
  • 15 km to Olot
  • 10 km to municipal pool and tennis, but who needs a pool at Banyoles lake?
  • 8 km to riding club
  • excellent area for hikers
  • good restaurants nearby in Mieres, 3 kms away

Catalan Tourism Authorities

This sign indicates that the Catalan Tourism Authorities regularly inspect and license the property. We have also visited and recommend all the properties we have selected for our listings.