Vilamacona

Ancient Farmhouse Near the Sea

An expansive rural farmstead, this spacious vaulted property can host up to 28 guests across its 10 double bedrooms, each room sleeping two, three, or even four, some equipped with sofa beds or in-room singles, and all featuring ensuite baths.

Given its proximity to the Mediterranean Bay of Roses, the Aiguamolls de l’Emporda Natural Park, the Fluvià River, and acres of orchards, woods and coastal grasslands, the farm makes a great base for water sports practitioners or cyclists. Plus, it’s an easy drive to two quiet beaches on Spain’s wild Costa Brava as well as up into the mountains around Girona (25 kilometers).

Revealing its 17th-century pedigree, the spacious farmhouse features vaulted dining and game rooms, with some bedrooms also set under the massive arched ceilings. Other bedrooms reveal ancient exposed stones and wide, arching windows.

The farmhouse's manicured lawn holds a long, lean lap pool, and terraces offer outdoor lounging that’s both shaded and open air. Owner/designer Albert Aubach is known for his kitchens, and the farmhouse’s redesigned space is the most contemporary room in the house, a sleek modern space, ideal for meal prep for a crowd.

Besides the pool, outdoor spaces are also places where old meets new. A stony, arched terrace spreads along one side of the farm’s upper level, a rustic-chic, spot to relax in the shade. An outdoor living room with shade umbrellas is set against one soaring stone facade, and an adjacent outdoor grilling and dining zone is built fortress-like into the property’s walls.

Around

Located only a few minutes from the small town of Sant Pere Pescador and 10 kilometers from the regional capital of Figueres, birthplace of famed surrealist Salvador Dalí, the farmhouse benefits from its proximity to both the sea and the mountains inland from Spain’s Costa Brava. Sant Pere is the starting point for several marked walking and cycling routes, suitable for families and beginning cyclists. The town is perhaps better known for its water activities, from kayaking the Fluvià River to exploring the rich wetland bird and marine life within the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park. The farmhouse is close enough to the coast to enjoy the beaches, villages and fishing ports along the Mediterranean.

Figueres, reachable by train, is a Spanish/French border town that’s home to Dalí’s Teatre-Museu Gala, a museum designed by the artist himself. Not to be missed near Figueres, Cadaqués is a Catalonian coastal town located right on the Cap de Creus peninsula that's famed for its rocky coastline, quiet swimming coves, and its cobbled, whitewashed Old Town that once welcomed Picasso and Chagall, and was another one-time home to Dalí, who lived beside Port Lligat Bay, today the site of a house-museum dedicated to the artist.

Aiguamolls Natural Park is one of Catalonia’s most important wetlands, a refuge for thousands of migratory birds cut through with walking and cycling routes and hideout observatories. Beachgoers will want to head to the nearby hamlet of Sant Marti d’Empuries and neighboring village of L’Escala, site of ruins dating from Greek times and a striking medieval hilltop enclave, in addition to the Bay of Roses, which UNESCO classified as "one of the most beautiful bays in the world." The beaches here are long sandy crescents loved by water sports enthusiasts, backed by tree-lined promenades, and even featuring historic ruins that are great for snorkeling around.

Location

Nearest airports: Girona (25km); Barcelona (140km)

Best time to visit

May to October