Location: I have practically pinpointed the location in the area listing introduction as the location is ideal, and I can send you a Google Earth photo with GPS coordinates. While Casa San Juan is close to the city and coast and two commuter train lines to Barcelona (every half hour, approx 35 minutes to Mataró or la Roca), this property is in fact situated just off a nice little-transited country road favored by local bicycle aficionados, with some small farms and a few country restaurants within a few kms of the house. The view of the sea below is taken from 2 kms up the road from Casa San Juan, and the view of castle below is from 1 kms down the road towards La Roca. The area around the house is very picturesque, mostly pine forest with little development, and there is parklands near the house with well-marked BTT trails.

Casa San Juan consists of two separate houses, about 50 meters apart, on this 35,000m2 property.

Casa Gran, 220m2, the larger of the two houses, with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and room for about 10 guests, has just been refurbished to a high-level of comfort, and is fully air-conditioned, with the generators set far away from the house to avoid noise, and individual termostats to control heating and cooling. Casa Gran has two rooms with double beds, and 3 rooms with 2 single beds that can be pushed together to make a double. There are 3 bathrooms, one with double-sized bathtub, one with large wheelchair-sized access to door and shower stall, and a 3rd hall bathroom with tiled walk-in shower. The large (50m2) living/dining room is very nicely appointed, as is the modern kitchen, with top-of-the-line fridge, oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer, etc... The Casa Gran is all on one level and is very tastefully done and is sure to be very popular year-round.

The smaller of the two houses, called La Masia, 100m2, situated 50 meters uphill from Casa Gran, is an altogether more simple house, and is only recommended for warm-weather bookings as there is no heating (or air conditioning). This smaller house is the one I have been renting since summer of 2000, and La Masia was very much in demand by repeat guests, the same families, year after year, for about 1200 Euros just for La Masia, without the Casa Gran. La Masia has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and capacity for about 7 guests distributed thus: a large upstairs en suite double room of about 35m2, and on the main floor, one large room with double bed, one room with two single beds, one room with just one single bed, and a shared bathroom in the hall. The kitchen here is quite small but more than made up for by the excellent new outdoor BBQ and covered play area with ping pong and other games, which you can see in the 3 photos below.

The photos of La Masia part of the house are below the large text just after this large collection of photos of Casa San Juan. Most of the photos have some text so be sure to put your cursor over the photos to read additional info.

I have to rewrite the descriptive text to include the new 5 bedroom house. Please note the text below takes into account only the 4 bedroom house - the one that looks like a farmhouse.

As mentioned before, this house is on a very large property of mostly pine and brush. The pool, which is probably the nicest feature of the house, is situated about 100 meters downhill from the house itself The house itself, built about 40 years ago, has about 100m2 of living space - not large but comfortable enough. On the first floor, there is a central living/dining room measuring about 25m2, with a wooden dining table, a small sofa, and a fireplace. There is a hallway on each side of this central room: one leads to a smallish walk-in full kitchen with mircowave, toaster, coffeemaker, followed by a room with a single bed, and then another room with two single beds. On the other side of the central room, the hallway leads to a full bath, followed by a large room with two single beds and a large closet.

Up the spiral staircase from the living room there is a nice masterbedroom consisting of an anteroom with sitting area, a large bedroom with double bed, and a good sized full bathroom. The upstairs measures about 30 m2.

The decoration throughout the house is fairly modest but practical, and at 150 Euros per day in high-season, offers excellent value. (That´s about the price of a two-star hotel room in Barcelona.) There are very positive comments on this house in the Comments Page. But don't expect a luxury feel this villa. It is a modestly priced, simple house in a quiet, somewhat isolated hillside location under pines, but close to Barcelona and beaches.

We had a last-minute cancellation for this house this past summer (a family of 3 showed up and did not want to take the house for the three weeks they have booked between 20/7 to 10/8 !) which has sparked quite a debate as to this villa's relative merits.

It is very important you read the comments from past visitors, and I stress the following:

If you want to be near Barcelona in a house with a private pool, and your budget permits, book Casa Aloé. But if not, Casa San Juan is fine as long as you understand its drawbacks: 1) fairly long driveway up to house from main road 2) swimming pool is not directly in front of the house, but about 100 meters away, behind an abandoned second house on the property. 3) not a fancy place, and quite secluded (which might or might not be a drawback depending...)

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