Mas Dalt

sleeps up to 34 or so in 17 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, this enormous masia (nearly 1100m2) is on a private 15 hectaire property of fields and pine forests above the historic lakeside town of Banyoles. There are three distinct living quarters in two separate houses: the huge main house is divided into two parts, the main part upstairs has 10 rooms, (3 rooms en suite and 7 rooms sharing 5 baths) as well as the huge kitchen/living/dining rooms. Around to the side of the house there is another independent apartment under vaulted ceilings with 3 en suite bedrooms, as well as kitchen/living/dining room. Across the new 12x5m swimming pool and lawn area from the main house is another fully equipped 4 bedroom (all en suite) stone house. Situated 1 km from Can Tapies - see below.

- Friday to Friday rentals in mid and high-season, rates: low-season: 3940, mid-season: 4510, high-season: 6090 Euros/week.

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: booked Easter, 4-11/7, & 25/7-8/8, and 15-29/8, only

2008: available/disponible/frei: before and after Easter, 11/5-20/6, 27/6-4/7, 11-25/7, 8-15/8, and after 29/8

Can Tapies

sleeps up to 25 or so in 12 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, Can Tapies is on the same huge property as Mas Dalt, and is a huge baronial stone mansion consisting of three fully equipped and independent apartments, one with 5 bedrooms with private bathroom, another apartment with 3 bedrooms with private bathroom, and one apartment with 4 rooms sharing a bathroom. (Total is 12 rooms + 9 bathrooms.) The villa is rented as a whole in high-season, and by apartment in the off-season. It is very important to stress here that these are not 3 apartments crammed into a normal farmhouse. Each apartment is very generously proportioned, with kitchen, living/dining room, private terrace, etc, each apartment set well apart from the other. The new 12x5m swimming pool set on a terrace just below the house, and the views throughout are great! Excellent for larger or for those who like the luxury of a little extra space!

- Saturday to Saturday rentals in mid and high-season, rates: low-season: 3150, mid-season: 3930, high-season: 4880 Euros/week.

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: booked Easter, 7-14/6, 21/6-5/7, 26/7-9/8, 16-23/8, & 13-20/10, only

2008: available/disponible/frei: before and after Easter, 25/5-7/6, 14-21/6, 5-26/7, and after 23/8...

Can Cunill

up to 20 or so in 10 rooms, 7 bathrooms, 8 rooms air-conditioned. Located 20 kms south of Girona, one hour from Barcelona, 20 kms inland from Lloret de Mar and other souther Costa Brava resorts. This is a huge "luxury" estate (sorry for using the often abused "L" word - I usually don´t - but this one deserves it!) originally dates from 1583, has 8,000m2 of private gardens (tended by a full-time gardener), two large swimming pools, and a magnificent poolside dining area and seating for over 50 guests (outdoor kitchen and bathrooms too). This is the kind of villa you might see on TV. 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.

Saturday to Saturday in mid and high-season, rental rates: low-season: 2420, mid-season: 4035, high-season: 5520 Euros/week.

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 29/3-5/4, 26/4-3/5, 17/5-28/6, 12-19/7, 2-23/8, & 4-11/10

2008: available/disponible/frei: up to 29/3, 5-26/4, 5-17/5, 28/6-12/7, 19-26/7, and after 23/8

Cal Arnau

up to 20 or so in 9 rooms and 6 bathrooms!, this 1200m2 house on a 5 hectaire private riverside property is located just north of Girona city center, and offers spacious comfort and a good-sized fenced-in10 x 6m swimming pool in a very central location at the very heart of the Costa Brava. The scale of the place is huge, and the feel is just about right - tastefully done, comfy, not frilly or ostentatious. A solid choice!

Sat to Sat rentals high-season, rates: low: 4000, mid: 5000 high-season: 6000 Euros/week

2008: available/disponible/frei: brand new, not yet booked

Casanova de Ferrando

up to 20 in 9 rooms and 10 bathrooms!, this villa offers spacious comfort and a beautifully landscaped garden just outside a small agricultural village to the south of Girona, 15 kms to beaches. This villa is proving to be very popular with those in need of a big house, with a big 12 x 6m swimming pool... and plenty of bathrooms. Highly recommended. Minimum 2 weeks in high-season.

Sat to Sat rentals high-season, rates: low: 2100, mid: 2750 high-season: 3200 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 29/3-5/4, 26/4-3/5, 17/5-28/6, 12/7-23/8, & 4-11/10

2008: available/disponible/frei: up to 29/3, 5-26/4, 5-17/5, 28/6-12/7, and after 23/8

Can Brugues

up to 18 or so in 9 rooms, 7 bathrooms, a very large house on the edge of town divided into 3 independent and separtate duplex apartments, each with separate entrance, kitchen, living room, etc... The idea is that three or four families can share the villa and be together (in the large living and dining rooms in the main part of the house and the outdoor sitting areas and pool) but otherwise each family has its own private living quarters. Situated on the edge of Sils - so a few minutes walk to bakery, shop, restaurant - a 2 kms to commuter train into Barcelona (1 hour ride) - about 17 kms south of Girona and 15 kms inland from Lloret de Mar and the southern Costa Brava beaches. Well planned out, with a good-sized swimming pool, garden with outdoor BBQ and sitting areas, parking, etc.

Sat to Sat rentals in mid and high-season, rental rates: low: 1750, mid: 2400, high-season: 3500 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 21-28/3, 2-9/5, 24/5-10/6, 20-27/6, 5-19/7, 26/7-23/8

2008: available/disponible/frei: up to 21/3, 28/3-26/4, 9-24/5, 6-20/6, 27/6-5/7, 19-26/7, & after 23/8

El Turó

up to 22 in 9 rooms, 10 bathrooms, although not really on the Costa Brava (it is 40 kms due north of Barcelona, 2 kms from the village of Castellterçol, which has it´s own website), this new property deserves to be seen so I have decided to put it into the Costa Brava listings along with the page for Barcelona area rentals where it really belongs. This is a luxury (again, the L word is justified) 8 bedroom house on a 10 hectaire hilltop property, with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and great views of the Pyrenees. The location and the grounds are tops, but what really sets this house apart is the quality of its interiors. Take a look at what a high-quality Catalan masia looks like!

Sat to Sat rentals in mid and high-season, rental rates: low: 4300, mid: 5100, high-season: 6150 Euros/week

2008: available/disponible/frei: 10/3-3/4, 8-22/5, 14-28/6, 5-12/7, and after 6/9, etc...

La Casa de les Monges

up to 20 or so in 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, this unique 500m2+ renovated ex-convent is situated the heart of the renovated old town of Osor, a very pleasant village 25 kms west of Girona. Spread over three floors, this venerable building offers lots of space: a 48m2 terrace, a 44m2 dining room, several large sitting rooms, all beautifully renovated with the original high-beamed ceilings and long-planked parquet floors. In the summer months, guests have unlimited free use of the nearly municipal swimming pool and sports complex (including football pitch, lifeguards on duty, and of course, a terraced café!) a four-minute walk from the house. A hidden treasure, be sure to read the Comments Page about this house and the village!

flexible changeover dates, rental rates: low: 1250, mid: 1500, high: 2000 Euros/week

2008: not yet booked.. but this one is fantastic!

La Villa

up to 13 guests maximum in 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms in 750m2 high-quality villa on a 6000m2 property with 12x6m swimming pool overlooking the sea in the leafy outskirts of Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, 3 kms from the beach.

2 week-minimum in high-season, flexible changeover dates, rental rates: low: 3800, mid: 4000, high: 5200 Euros/week

2008: not available until further notice

Cal Micos

up to 15 or so in 7 rooms, 7 bathrooms , an attractive farmhouse with lovely pool and garden area and outdoor BBQ dining room, Cal Micos is 1.5 kms off the main road in Riudarenes, and is set amidst broad undulating fields and surrounded on three sides by the low pre-Pyrenees, and on the fourth by the distant Mediterranean. Originally dating from the mid-18th C, this villa offers spacious comfort, a new swimming pool set in shady gardens, probably most memorably, magnificent views. Only 18 kms to beaches, 25 kms to Girona (and airport), and 80 quick kms of highway to Barcelona.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 1750, mid: 2200, high-season: 2600 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 19/7 - 23/8

Mas Grau

up to 14 in 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms this impressive fortified 12thC masia, located in an idyllic setting 8 kms south-west of Girona, is undoubtedly one of our most popular villas. Beautifully restored and tastefully furnished, the six rooms here are set far apart from one another, and share several separate sitting rooms and private terraces on both floors, with fireplace, BBQ, all amenities, swimming pool (5 by 10 meters), exercise room with jacuzzi, all on a lovely hillside overlooking an ancient village, with views of the pre-Pyrenees and the sea. Minimum 2 weeks in high-season.

two week minimum in mid and high-season, rental rates: low: 1700, mid: 2150, high: 2400 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 30/4-4/6, 3/7-30/8, 2-6/10

2008: available/disponible/frei: up to 29/4, 5/6-2/7, 1-15/9, etc...

Mas Roca

up to 14 in 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, this villa is situated less than a kilometer from Mas Grau and is rivaling Mas Grau in popularity. And rightly so! Recently restored with holiday rentals in mind, Mas Roca offers a high level of comfort, including all the modern amenities, (washer and drier, dishwasher, satellite TV, etc), a new swimming pool and tennis wall (the Spanish play "fronton" - like Basque jai alai but with tennis rackets). Another excellent house for the price. Book early! Minimum 2 weeks in high-season.

two week minimum in mid and high-sesaon, rental rates: low: 1600, mid: 1950, high-season: 2150 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 3-10/5, 12-26/7, 4-26/8, & 11/9-5/10

2008: available/disponible/frei: up to 2/5, 12/5-11/6, 12-26/6, 27/6-11/7, 26/7 to 3/8, 27/8-10/9, & after 13/10

Mas Anès

up to 12 or so in 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, , Mas Anès is a charming 400m2 villa on a large property, originally from the mid-17thC, very nicely restored, on the outskirts of Riudellots, about 12 kms inland from the coastal resorts around Sant Feliu de Guixols. This is another gem, nicely furnished, huge garden, a new swimming pool (9.5 x 5m), fruit trees, a natural spring-fed pond, playing fields, etc., all for an excellent price. The photos I took myself are not good so be sure to read the Comments from Past Guests. Rents only mid-May to early October. Minimum 2 weeks in July and August.

owner needs a day between rentals for cleaning; mid-June to mid-Sept: 2075 Euros/week, 1650 Euros/week rest of year

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 9-23/8, only

Cal Rajoler

up to 12 or so in 6 rooms, 3 bathrooms, this villa is in a beautiful location outside of Orfes, 4 km from Bascarà and the main roads between Figueres and Girona. I´ve been working with this house since 1999 (see the Comments Page) and this is undoubtedly one of the most solid properties (in terms of price/quality/comfort) in our listings. This area is just plain gorgeous, situated in the lush hills between the northern Costa Brava and the must-see lake Banyoles. The garden has a mix of palms and pines, with a 9m x 5m swimming pool and plenty of lawn space. Highly recommended!

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 1600, mid: 1850, high-season: 2200 Euros/week

2008: available/disponible/frei: most of April and May, then from June 2 to 12, and after August 30

La Torre de San Bartolomeu

up to 12 in 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, former Benedictine priory with a lovely chapel, La Torre de San Bartolomeu is a high-quality, English-owned rental property set on a 5 acre private property between the Olympic lake at Banyoles and historic Besalú. Recently renovated (2002) to a high standard of comfort, with atmospheric en suite rooms with private terrace, a good-sized 12 x 6 meter heated swimming pool. English-speaking local caretakers and gardener. Not a cheap place to spend a week but some places are worth splurging for. Even if you don´t stay here, you might want to take a look at the photos. They are very attractive.

Fri to Fri rentals, rates: low: 4545, mid: 5700, high: 7535, peak-season: 8325 Euros/week

2008: available/disponible/frei: up to 22/5, 20-27/6, 18/7-8/8, and after 4/9

Casadevall villa

up to 12 or so in 6 bedrooms, 5 bathroom, Casadevall villa is a notable exception from the usual sort of rustic villa we normally offer. This is a modern architect´s villa just outside of Sils, built some 15 years, a 350m designer villa on a 10 hectaire private fenced-in property of mostly Mediterranean pine. There are 6 bedrooms (2 en suite) and a total of four bathrooms plus one wc, along with a sauna and an exercise room with weights..., but by far the nicest part of this villa must be the large trianular swimming pool and the outdoor covered BBQ area and porch. I imagine most guests will spend all their time out here.

Saturday to Saturday in mid and high-season, rental rates: low-season: 2300, high-season: 3000 Euros/week.

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 19/7-16/8

Casa Nova

up to 12 in 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, with an exceptional price/quality relationship, Mas Casa Nova is a spacious but fairly 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 in the heart of historic Girona. Mas Casa Nova was restored as a rental property in 2000, and has a new fenced-in 5x10m swimming pool surrounded by some lawn space under weeping willows. 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, mountain bikes, etc ... all for an exceptionally low rental rate. Guests tend to come back year after year so book early. Minimum 2 weeks in high-season.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 1100, mid: 1450, high-season: 1575 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 12/7-23/8

Can Barcelo

up to 11 or so in 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, in an ancient and very picturesque villa set on a walnut farm just outside of Vilobi d'Onyar, 10 kms southwest of Girona and measuring well over 250m2, this beautiful farmhouse dates from the 12C, thought it is now under a late-19thC art-nouveau exterior. The entire living quarters, including the upstairs palatial sitting area, are lovingly preserved and furnished with local antiques. Shaded by huge trees, the garden has a new swimming pool measuring 10m x 4m. The owners live next door. Minimum 2 weeks from mid-July to end August.

Friday to Friday rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 1150, mid: 1400, high-season: 1850 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 18-24/3, 18/7-23/8

Can Salvà

up to 10 or so in 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, situated just 300 meters outside of Vilobí d´Onyar, a market town about 8 kms south of Girona, this recently renovated farmhouse offers a fenced-in garden with a new 10x4m fenced-in swimming pool, a bright and spacious interior of about 225m2, and an especially large and attractive kitchen. Set in an the midst of a huge apple orchard a 10 minute walk from a village with lots of shopping, there is also the usual outdoor BBQ and dining area. Nice place!

Saturday to Saturday rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 1150, mid: 1400, high-season: 1850 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 3-7/3, 14-23/3, 20-24/6, 12/7-23/8

Can Girones

up to 10 or so in 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, located right off the greens of the fancy new PGA golf course at Caldes de Malavella, a very attractive, high-quality villa with private fenced-in swimming pool, a beautiful Japanese-inspired landscaped garden, and an excellent location, a safe distance but very near to the N-II and A-7 highways north-south and the C-65 to the coast, 15 kms away, and the commuter trains into Barcelona, Girona, Figueres, and the beaches. Access to this very private house is though the PGA course and past the 350 Euro a night PGA hotel complex.... a few minutes walk from the house. Even if you don´t play golf, this might be the one for you.

Fri to Fri rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 1800, mid: 2200, high-season: 2500 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 26/5-1/6, only! - hey, this one deserves better!

Casa de la Fuente

up to 10 in 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms great house, great location - situated in la Vall de Santa Creu, an idyllic village setting inland between Llança and Port de la Selva, just below the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodas, this beautifully restored old house is only 1.5 kms from the beach. A house with plenty of character and an unbeatable location in summer! I think this is the kind of house many of you are looking for.

usually Sunday changeover dates, rental rates: low: 1000, mid: 1300, high-season: 1775 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 23-31/5, 6-13/7, 27/7-31/8

Casa Palau

up to 10 maximum guests in 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms this house is undoubtedly, meter for square meter, one of the nicest houses in these listings. Perched just above Agullana, a prosperous village with a large Romanesque church and some good turn-of-the-century art-nouveau mansions, Casa Palau is surrounded by the owners vineyards and olive groves, offering wide panoramic views of hilly Albera range, where the mighty Pyrennes finally tumble into the Mediterranean at Cap de Creus. The house is beautiful and comfortable in equal measure. Until now, only a private pool has been missing here, but the owners are putting a new 9x4 meter fenced-in salt water swimming pool by April 2008. Not only that, but the Agullana municipal pool and sport complex is only a short walk away, which is a great for the kids. All told, a real gem. Book early.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: mid-June to mid-September: 1675 Euros/week, 1400 Euros/week rest of year

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: Easter, 31/5-7/6, 12-26/7, and 2-16/8

El Casal

up to 9 or so in 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms a newly restored (2007) cozy little farmhouse at the end of a huge field and edge of a high-plateau, with incredible views of the Pyreness to the north. This house offers few nice pluses, such as the cascading pool, a good outdoor dining BBQ area, and most impressive of all, a large partially shaded terrace out back from where you can comfortably sit and contemplate that view. This houses is owned by Cal Rajoler owner, who I have been working with since 1998, so I know you will be in good hands with him.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 1250 Euros/week, mid: 1725 Euros/week, high-season: 2015 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: Easter, 9-13/5, & 9-23/8

Can Carboner

up to 7 in 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, an elegant and cosy stone townhouse in a lovely ancient hamlet just a few kms outside of Banyoles, the lakeside market town where my wife and I and our kids spend our holidays. The owners renovated this house for themselves and then decided not to live here. You won´t often see this level or quality of restoration in rental properties. The hand-painted tiles in the bathroom says it all, as does the gorgeous en suite master bedroom with private terrace, the halogen lighting, the skylights in the hallways, the A/C in the living room, the garden with BBQ, etc.... Make your reservations early!

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 900 Euros/week, high-season: 1075 Euros/week

2008: available/disponible/frei: check with me for availability

Townhouse in Pelacals

sleeps up to 5 or so in 2 or 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a very attractive townhouse Pelacals, a beautiful small cluster of old stone houses just 4 kms inland from the fantastic beaches and Greco-Roman ruins north of L´Escala. This neat little house is tastefully furnished (one of the owners is a designer), and offers comfort, excellent location, nice views, and a very attractive rental fee. A real find! Minimum 2 weeks in high-season. Important discounts for longer bookings, especially in the off-season.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 720 Euros/week, high-season: 860 Euros/week

booked 28/6 to 19/7, only

Casa Aloe

up to 9 guests in 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms this is one of the only newly constructed houses we offer, but when I saw it, I couldn´t resist. Since adding this house to our listings in 2002, it has consistently been one of our most success properties, breaking all records for occupancy. Why? Situated in a leafy residencial village overlooking a quality golf course (Vallromanes, with green fees) just 20 minutes north of Barcelona, and a short (10km) drive from the beaches fronting the coastal wine-growing town of Alella, this elegant and very spacious villa, with a private garden and swimming pool and sauna (both maintained year-round!) has exactly what many of you are looking for, and at the right price, year-round. Minimum 2 weeks in July and August.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: low: 1550, mid: 1700, high-season: 1850 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 1-8/3, 17/5 to 28/6, & 5/7 - 23/8

Casa Sant Juan

up to 7 in 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms this unpretentious villa on a large hillside property under a pine forest ia our "best-bargain" property with a faithful clientele who come back year after year. Situated just minutes off the A-7 highway to the Costa Brava and France, 30 km north of Barcelona, and a lovely 12-kms drive to the sea, this very private property has a large swimming pool, a large outdoor BBQ dining area with ping pong, and incredibly affordable rental rates. This is because the house itself is not big or fancy. Be sure to read the Comments Page. Minimum 2 weeks in high-season.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, rental rates: 1200 Euros/week from mid-July to August, 1000 Euros/week rest of year

2008: this house is undergoing renovation and will be transformed into a two-house, 9 bedroom, (5 air conditioned) independent villa by mid-June, 2008, renting for about 3000 Euros per week. No bookings until closer to this dates, just in case....

Cala San Francisco

Cala San Francisco, a three-story villa divided into separate apartments, with shared pool and impressive sea views on a private development just north of Blanes, the Costa Brava's closest resort to Barcelona. Magnificent views, antique furnishings, clubhouse with pool and tennis for residents only, daily maid service, WiFi, etc, etc. Each apartment occupies a floor. Only the pool area is shared. Contact me for me details and I will put you in direct contact with the owner, who speaks good English.

one week minimum in high-season, rental rates: 250 Euros per night per apartment

2008: available/disponible/frei: as of May - bookings for the entire house welcome, about 6500 Euros/week in high-season

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 new pool they put in in 2004. Its six bedrooms and three baths are distributed over two floors and about 160m2. In front of the house is a wide lawn with a barbecue and outdoor seating area and the remnants of a picturesque ruined barn. The lovely unspoilt countryside, 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. 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, 1800 Euros/week rest of year

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: Easter, 21-28/6, 19-26/7 and 2-16/8, only

El Molí de la Vila

El Molí de la Vila: is a house I escape to often. Sleeps up to 7. This, along with El Capsec, 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 masterbedroom upstairs) but cozy and very atmospheric. The interior doors and floors and stairways are fashioned almost entirely of stained cherrywood and anchored in stone walls. I love this house but some guests have complained that it is just a bit too rustic (rustic with 3 en suite rooms and a dishwasher?). 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, 1300 Euros/week rest of year

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 4-18/7, 25/7-1/8

La Quintana

La Quintana is where my wife and daughter and I have been renting for two weeks the last two summers. The house sleeps up to 8 or so. An attractive four-bedroom independent stone masia set in one of my favorite spots in the low-Pre-Pyrenees, 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

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 26/7 to 9/8, only

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)

2008: check with me for availability and prices for your dates

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. Last summer (2007) the owners put in a small swimming pool (measuring 3 by 6 meters) mostly for the kiddies.

Sat to Sat rentals in high-season, low: 900 Euros, mid: 1200 Euros, high-season: 1350 Euros/week

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: 2 to 23/8

Mas d'en Bou

Three two-bedroom apartments 60m2 each on an attractive farm just 800 meters from the wide sandy beach, 2.5 kms south of the wide beaches at l'Estartit and the Isles Medes, the coast's best area for SCUBA diving. The apartments are very nicely done, with a separate garden and outdoor seating area, and barbecue for each apartment. I normally don't like apartments near the beaches - too noisy and commercial. I've stayed here and I liked it and come back often, and now with the large new swimming pool (15x6m) along with a small kiddy pool and new landscaping around the garden, this place just gets better and better.

100 to 145 Euros per day, one week minimum in summer

2008: booked/réservé/belegt: Easter, 20-26/6, 19/7-30/8

Can Massanes

Can Massanes: two apartments built into an ancient hay-loft in an old masia which has a four-bedroom B&B in the main house. Excellent location - close to Pals and beaches. Breakfast and dinner available. Not fancy but undoubtedly one of those best-kept-secret sort-of places... Garden and new swimming pool. However, if you are looking for a lot of privacy in high-season, look elsewhere as the is shared and the place is usually quite full.

Saturday changeover, one week minimum in summer, 85 to 140 Euros per day.

2008: check with me for availability for your dates

San Antoni de Calonge:

San Antoni de Calonge: Sleeps up to 7. This popular resort town lies between Platja d'Aro and Palamós. I usually shy away from beachfront rentals. Beachfront-rentals is usually a cut-throat market where you get chinzy apartment that have been abandoned for 10 months of the year that are suddenly brought back to life to make big bucks from sun-crazed tourists.... But this 100m2 sea-side apartment is owned by some farmers who have one of the farmhouses I rent inland, and the place is basic with a sort-of 70´s decoration, but genuinely nice, and they actually live there part of the year. The flat is on a very nice beachfront promenade full of cafes and restaurants, on the fourth floor with elevator, with three rooms, one full bath, one WC, a dining/living room with fireplace, a full walk in kitchen, and two terraces affording views: one overlooking the beach just below, the other facing the distant mountains. The owners also rent out a berth (7x14 mtrs) in the local marina, less than a kilometer away. Not fancy, but excellent value, and the beach here is top-notch.

925 to 1050 Euros/week.

2008: check with me for availability for your dates

Mas Dalt apartments

sleeps up to 35 or so guests in 17 rooms, with 14 bathrooms, this enormous masia (nearly 1000m2) on a 15 hectaire private property of fields and forest above the historic lakeside town of Banyoles. There are three distinct living quarters in two separate houses: the huge main house is divided into two parts, the main part upstairs has 10 rooms, (3 rooms en suite and 7 rooms sharing 4 baths) as well as the huge kitchen/living/dining rooms. Around to the side of the house there is another independent apartment under vaulted ceilings with 3 en suite bedrooms, as well as kitchen/living/dining room. Across the new 12x5m kidney-shaped swimming pool and lawn area from the main house is another fully equipped 4 bedroom (all en suite) stone house. Situated 1 km from Can Tapies - see below.

- rents out per apartment only in the low-season -

2008: check with me for prices availability for your dates

Can Tapies apartments

Can Tapies is a huge baronial stone mansion (sleeps up to 31 guests) consisting of three indepedent fully equipped apartments, one with 5 bedrooms with private bathroom, another apartment with 3 bedrooms with private bathroom, and one apartment with 4 rooms sharing a bathroom. (Total is 12 rooms + 9 bathrooms for a total of 31 guests!) The villa is rented as a whole in high-season. It is very important to stress here that these are not 3 apartments crammed into a normal farmhouse. Each apartment is very generously proportioned, with large living/dining room, private terrace, set well apart from each other. There is a new 12x5m swimming pool set on a terrace just below the house, as well as a BBQ area with great views. For larger groups, this one gets a big thumbs up from me! Excellent location too, 5 kms from historic lakeside town of Banyoles, 20 kms to Girona, 35 kms to the beaches.

- rents out per apartment only in the low-season -

2008: check with me for prices availability for your dates

Mas Ros

Mas Ros: a restored 15C masia converted into a B&B with 7 rooms (all with full bath) and offering sumptuous meals. Situated in a beautiful and quiet hamlet just two quick kilometers from the main highway to France and Barcelona, this is a privileged area much sought-after by well-heeled Catalans in search of a country villa. Swimming pool and large garden. The owner´s have a farm several kms away with farm animals. Very nice indeed... and the owner is president of local rural tourism association and can be trusted to run a tight ship!

check with me for availability for your dates

Can Sort

Can Sort is a gorgeous 10-room B&B on a large property which also offers horseback riding. However, the stables and the living quarters are quite far apart, and so even if you aren´t at all interested in horses, you will probably give this B&B top marks for its large and well-appointed rooms, excellent meals, elegant common areas (including a nice dining room and a huge 120 living room and a good-sized - 6x12m - swimming pool), the idyllic rural setting, and of course, the relaxed hospitality of the owners and their young staff. All told, this is another one of those best-kept-secret sort of places, but don´t tell them I told you so. 80 Euros night for double room with private bath and breakfast. Minimum one week in the summer.

check with me for availability for your dates

Can Massanes

Can Massanes: a four-bedroom B&B set in a tiny hamlet in the heart of historic Costa Brava - close to Pals and beaches. While not luxuriously furnished, this masia has a lot going for it. The four large rooms, each with full bath, are articulated around a central sitting room on the first floor. A large walled-in patio outside offers good-sized swimming pool, picnic tables, and plenty of play room. Breakfast and dinner available.

check with me for availability for your dates

Mas Salvanera

Mas Salvanera: a luxury 8-room B&B set in the hills above the historic Medieval town of Besalú. A fortified masia dating from 1651, Mas Salvanera has eight rooms with full bath, sumptuous meals, and facilities for business conferences. This is an ideal place for family and business reunions. Large swimming pool and playgrounds. Credit Card bookings welcome.

check with me for availability for your dates

Mas Dalt

sleeps up to 35 or so guests in 17 rooms, with 14 bathrooms, this enormous masia (nearly 1000m2) on a 15 hectaire private property of fields and forest above the historic lakeside town of Banyoles. There are three distinct living quarters in two separate houses: the huge main house is divided into two parts, the main part upstairs has 10 rooms, (3 rooms en suite and 7 rooms sharing 4 baths) as well as the huge kitchen/living/dining rooms. Around to the side of the house there is another independent apartment under vaulted ceilings with 3 en suite bedrooms, as well as kitchen/living/dining room. Across the new 12x5m swimming pool and lawn area from the main house is another fully equipped 4 bedroom (all en suite) stone house. Situated 1 km from Can Tapies - see below.

check with me for availability for your dates (the house only rents whole in summer months)