Spain is a vast country and from one corner to the other there are vast differences in culture and lifestyle as well as geography that make visiting Spain something new each time you go to another region. Therefore, in Catalonia in Northwestern Spain from Barcelona to the French border and along the Mediterranean coast, there is a unique lifestyle and country called Cataluynia (Catalonia) to be discovered.

If you speak Spanish, you will quickly realize that Catalan is not the same language. Although you will be understood and appreciated for your Spanish, you may be surprised at the difference. In fact, there is much resemblance to French and Catalan could be said to be similar to both French and Italian as it is to Spanish. Notwithstanding, getting around is ever so easy and the people of the region could not be more friendly and welcoming!

As we go cycling in the region from Girona to Figueres, from inland to seaside, the over arching theme is a lovely countryside that is truly off the beaten path! There are places to buy pottery and museums such as the Dali Museum in Figueres (Catalonia being the birthplace of Salvadore Dali), and there are ancient greek sites as well as some natural parks and sanctuaries where a traveler can spend some time. In between, and along the riding routes, are many small sleepy villages that take you away to another place and time. Stone and rockwork is everywhere, and little villages like Monells and Teradellas which are entoured by stone walls and buildings are simply picture perfect! The rolling green countryside is a relaxing site for city eyes and the smells of fresh country air clear the head of dense city lifestyle. Going off the beaten patch sounds cliché, and it is a cliché to be sure, so saying so, one really has to be genuine to achieve it truly.

Hospitality is one of the great positive points in visiting and cycling on either of our tours we offer here. The choice is from B&B farmhouse living to 3 and
4 star hotels. Naturally, the hotel choice sounds like something less than hospitable, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, all the hotels offered could qualify as B&B style because of their unique charm and character as well as the fact that they are family run establishments. They are however slightly larger, located in towns sometimes, and they offer more upscale (gastronomic) dining. The difference in price is not much from B&B to Gastronomic, and a traveler will not go wrong in either choice.

All properties for lodging are stunning works of stonework, tile, and masonry. They are all well done, sometimes with so much creativity and art that the hotels themselves could be works of art. They would be fine examples for the homebuilder looking for a model Mediterranean style upon which to build his dream home. An example is in the Hotel La Placa in Madremanya, near Girona. Rooms have been outfitted with names of local trees such as “olive” or “orange”
or “Cyprus” and in each room are found the very plant for which the room is named. They have fireplaces, terraces, and views overlooking the pool and surrounding hillsides. You can take a glass of champagne, sit back on the terrace and let your mind fly away over the view you enjoy! Your bed may sit below a stone and brick archway and your ceiling covered with a fresco. The dining room at the Placa is a white tablecloth ambiance in stone and brick and tile room that has a wine cellar feel to it but with natural light coming in from the garden and courtyard.
You could choose to dine on the terrace instead and enjoy the scents from the herbs in the garden surrounding the terrace.

Going off the beaten trail means getting into a place where culture and lifestyle are the greatest qualities. Famous sites are not the attraction for that is what makes a path well worn. Among all the tours we offer, this is as much away from the crowds as we get. There are charming places like Provence and the Loire Valley or Tuscany that get write-ups in all the magazines and travel books, but then there are places like this in Catalonia that you won’t see on the cover of Food and Wine. So much the better for you, and your genuine discovery of this charming Spanish countryside.