A Mediterranean Villa with an 18-Meter Pool at Calella de Palafrugell
Casa Verbena is a villa in a garden of pines, olive trees and fields at Calella de Palafrugell, in the Baix Empordà on the Costa Brava. It sleeps up to 12 guests in five en-suite bedrooms. El Golfet cove is five minutes on foot, and Calella village is five minutes by car.
The house pairs contemporary design with Mediterranean materials: white walls, terracotta roof tiles, white-painted timber beams, and black-framed glass doors that open to the garden. Large windows look out over the fields and hills, and the interiors keep to natural materials and soft tones. The kitchen, dining area and living room run together, with a long wooden table for meals, a fireplace in the living room, and a kitchen with oak cabinets and a Smeg range cooker.
Outside, the garden is lawn and gravel under the pines and olive trees, with fields beyond. The pool is 18 meters in length, with a row of sun loungers beside it, and it can be heated on request. Two covered pergolas hold an outdoor dining table and a lounge area, and there's an electric grill for the evenings.
Layout
Casa Verbena is 500 m² (about 5,400 sq ft) and sleeps up to 12 guests in five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and its own door to the garden. All the beds are singles that can be pushed together, so the rooms work for couples or for children.
• Bedroom 1: King (180 x 200 cm, two singles joined), en suite
• Bedroom 2: King (180 x 200 cm, two singles joined), en suite
• Bedroom 3: King (180 x 190 cm, two singles joined), en suite
• Bedroom 4: King (180 x 190 cm, two singles joined), en suite
• Bedroom 5: Four singles (80 x 180 cm), en suite with tub and shower
Experiences
Offered by host: Local experts run experiences for guests, including a trip along the Costa Brava in a llaüt, the traditional Catalan fishing boat, tastings at Empordà vineyards, a ceramics workshop, an olive oil visit among hundred-year-old trees, and a walking route through the Montgrí massif. Balloon and plane flights over the region can also be arranged.
Bookable by house guests only, priced on request.
• Olfactory Capture
• Ceramics workshop
• Bicycle route
• Sailing in Cap de Creus
• Walking route through the Montgrí
• Llaüt along the Costa Brava
• Wines D.O. Empordà
• Vermouth by the sea (Voramar)
• Tasting among olive trees
• Balloon flight
• Plane flight
• Towns of l'Empordà
• Explore the Costa Brava
Good to know
Cleaning is included three times a week, plus a final clean. The pool can be heated on request, at an extra charge. The four single beds in Bedroom 5 are 180cm long, so they're best for children. A €4,000 security deposit is payable to the host four days before arrival. Check in is at 5pm and check out is at 11am.
Tourist tax €2.50 per adult (16 or older) per night, up to 7 nights
Amenities & services
18 x 4m (about 59 x 13ft) pool (heated on request at an extra charge), garden with lawn and olive trees, two covered pergolas, outdoor dining table, lounge area, electric grill, sun loungers, fireplace, underfloor heating throughout, air conditioning in all bedrooms, high-speed Wi-Fi, fully equipped kitchen with Smeg range cooker, cleaning three times a week, final cleaning, sheets, bath and pool towels, eco bath products, welcome basket.
On request: Extra housekeeping, private chef, in-home yoga and massage, concierge and activity planning.
Full equipment; bed linen, bath towels and pool towels; final cleaning; eco bathroom amenities; welcome basket; cleaning during the stay three times a week.
Available on request
Extra housekeeping; Chef at home (lunches, dinners); In-home services (yoga, massage, etc.); Concierge and activity organization; pool heating at extra cost.
Around
El Golfet, a small cove reached from the coastal path, is five minutes from the villa on foot, and Calella village is a 15-minute walk (or five minutes by car). From Calella, the Camí de Ronda reaches Llafranc in about 20 minutes on foot, and the Cap Roig Botanical Garden, created in 1927, is about an hour away. A bar-restaurant, a grocery shop and a supermarket are each 10 minutes by car, and a golf course is 20 minutes. Girona is an hour by car, and Barcelona about an hour and 40 minutes.
Location
Calella de Palafrugell, Baix Empordà, Catalonia, Spain. Nearest airport: Girona–Costa Brava (GRO), 50 minutes by car.
Best time to visit
June to September is the season for swimming and the coves, and May and October are best for walking the Camí de Ronda. In early July, Calella holds its Cantada d'Havaneres, an evening of Cuban-influenced sea songs on the beach.
