Filed under: casa rural, catalonia, Hotels & Places to Stay, out of Barcelona, out of town, Outdoors & Recreation, road trip, spring in the country
Out of Town: Hitting the Countryside around Barcelona
Mas Xifre
It’s spring people, and all the trees are budding with that new baby green that only lasts for a couple weeks. It’s been raining cats and dogs here in Catalonia, which has added to all the shades of emerald that are scarcely visible within the city limits of Barcelona. While there are parks in the city and Barcelona’s ‘mountain’ Montjuic is green as a clover because of the showers, those who really want to feel spring need to go on a road trip.
This is easy to do. You can catch the train, a bus or rent a car and get out of dodge! Whether you go into the countryside for a day, a night or a whole weekend, it will be a special experience. Not only is the Catalan countryside gorgeous this time of year with all the wild flowers and poppies in bloom, but it is not as crowded as it soon will be when the heat of the summer rolls in. Come June, the northern part of Catalonia, especially around its beaches really fills up.
Now is the time to go! I was recently out of town for a night at stayed at a very traditional sort of lodging called a Casa Rural. There are Casa Ruales all over Spain, and they are basically old homes fixed up for tourism in the country. Usually they operate like a B&B. The one I stayed in was inland from the coast, but close enough to it to reach by car. It was also directly beside a bike path which I rode along briefly before getting caught in a thunder storm.
The Casa Rural, named Mas Xifre, is run by an American woman and her Spanish husband. The house is 500 years old, and has been her husband’s family for generations. I recommend staying at a Casa Rural because it allows a closer look at ‘real’ Spain. Unlike generic hotels, at a Casa Rural you get a very unique, traditional experience.
Mas Xifre has just been opened for a year and is still being fully developed. A highlight of our stay there was when we were served breakfast: omelettes, OJ, toast, goat cheese, coffee….most of which was produced locally if not right on the Mas Xifre property!
