Hostel Empuries, l'Escala, Spain

Not cheap, but great place!
The hotel (a real one, despite the misleading name...) is situated litterally on the sea, within walking distance of the Empuries greco-roman ruins. It used to be the house of the archelogists working on the excavation site, hence its location, right in a middle of a protected area (no other construction in view).

We went there last autumn, actually it's probably a good idea to go outside the peak season, to enjoy the stroll along the seaside without sharing it with too many visitors...

 

 

There is a nice footpath along the beach, taking you to l'Escala in the south (15mn walk, don't miss the anchovies), and to San Martin d'Empuries in the north (10 mn walk, cute tiny village with a few restaurants and bars)
There are 2 parts to the hotel, the main building, with classical accommodation, and half of the rooms with seaviews, and then the modern rooms, very spacious and well designed.
There is a gastronomic restaurant inside, and also a spa but we did not try any of them. Being with the kids we went for the buffet option which is quite nice as well, lots of choice and good quality.
Consult the website for more details, http://www.hostalempuries.com/en

Hotel Terramar, Llafranc, Spain

Llafranc et Calella de Palafrugell font partie de nos destinations préférées sur la Costa Brava, nos virées de ce côté-là ont remplacé nos sorties à Sabaudia et San Felice di Circeo de notre époque italienne...

 

Un hotel qui nous plait bien est le Terramar à Llafranc, situé idéalement en face de la plage, et ayant la bonne idée de faire des chambres familiales communicantes bien pratiques pour nos besoins de famille nombreuse...

Pas la peine de manger sur place par contre, mieux vaut aller à Calella, aux Voltes ou encore mieux au Fiego sur la plage de Port Pelegri, juste à côté du Club de plongée, bien pratique pour les amateurs du genre...

Cal Rei, Lles de Cerdanya, Spain

With the winter getting closer, we wanted to check up the Catalan Pyrenees and get a first feel of the Spanish snow.
Following the recommendation of a Catalan friend, we headed for Lles de Cerdanya, a small mountain village, 1500m altitude, only 2 hours drive away from Barcelona.
The place to stay is called Cal Rei (www.lles.net/cal.rei), it is a casa rural, the equivalent of the Italian agriturismi and French gîtes ruraux.
It is an old house full of charm, very nicely restored by the owners Lluis and Piluca, the views over the Serra del Cadi, on the other side of the valley, are just amazing, and Lluis does a good cooking in the evening based on local dishes, with everyone eating at the same long table.
There are great walks from the nordic ski resort which is 10mn away by car, at 2000m, the Estany de Llori for example, a little mountain lake.
For a good Arroz you can go to Cal Lliuret in Travesseres, a tiny village on the way back to the valley, good food and great settings!

Bar-restaurant Cap de Creus, Costa Brava, Catalunya, Spain

One of the best places I know to watch the sunrise...
Nice restaurant, fresh fish and good Indian food, but best of all a few hidden apartments on the top floor where you can stay the night.
No one in sight for kilometers, surrounded by nature, fantastic sea view.
Beware: it can be very windy (and cold!), and beware of the mosquitoes when it's not...
Contact them at 972-199-005 to book a table or find out if they have a spare room (usually booked up though...)