Can you keep a secret? There are times when writing about travel experiences, when sharing offbeat gems and little-known wonders can have you all glowing on the inside. There are times when it gives you a calm sense of pride. And there are times when you want to publish your work on a Mission Impossible style self-destructing tape. So I’ll ask you again, can you keep a secret?
Not much more than an hour and a half in car from Barcelona, some 40 minutes from either the city walls of Girona or the cinematic ruggedness of the Costa Brava’s stirring coastline, Alta Garrotxa is a simply stunning region of untouched natural beauty, winsome rural enclaves and dramatic medieval towns. Known to local cyclists for its undulating landscape, it’s much lesser known outside of Catalunya; meaning that this is officially the sort of place where one will feel compelled to switch off, and disconnect.
Which is where Off Grid Girona slides into the picture. Located at the foot of Mare de Déu del Mont, surrounded by ancient forests and mainland Spain’s largest volcanic landscape, this lovingly restored 17th-century masia is an ‘open home’ that encourages its guests to slow down, to adopt a simple approach to living, to share experiences, and to connect with the local countryside, community and craft. Opened this September by the former co-founder of YOTEL, Gerard Greene, you are invited to join in his own journey toward a more grounded life; himself having traded a fast-paced urban lifestyle for this very Catalan farmhouse.
Greene has been fully hands-on with the restoration, which was led in collaboration with Girona-based designer Ariadna Puigdomenech. Slowly clearing the farmhouse’s cluttered spaces, salvaging the best of its original features and vintage furniture, upcyling historic pieces back to life, incorporating modern fixtures and products from local makers, retaining the character whilst introducing a clean, contemporary aesthetic … the transformation has been overseen with an impressive authenticity that brims with passion in every nook and cranny.
From tired farm buildings to a beauty of a ten-bedroom rural hotel with adjoining four-bedroom barn, the restoration and redesign has been led by a commitment to regional craft and low-impact sourcing, an ethos that continues to inform the project as a whole.
Dinners are prepared by the resident chef and served served family-style at the communal table; honesty bars are stocked with local wines, craft beers and small-batch coffee; bathrooms have been updated with local La Bisbal hand-cut tiles and are stocked with amenities from Olively in Andorra; organic mattresses and sublimely comfortable bedsheets are too supplied by local businesses. Off Grid’s staunch commitment to its principles offers an inspiring antidote to the continuing acceleration of the modern world.
Locally grown carrots are prepared into a sublime dish by the resident chef.
We share local wild mushroom curry around the communal dining table.
A friend joins us for breakfast set around the stunning pool area.
From the very moment we arrive, there is a sense that you’ve come back home, that you’ve returned to the pace your soul was built for. Local recommendations come flying at us, from the hostess, from the chef, from Greene himself … the team already feel part of the fabric of the hotel, all eager to share their enthusiasm for the region that they themselves are still falling in love with.
Complimentary breakfast is a slow-paced affair, accompanied by Gerard’s Labrador and set around the swimming pool that is still enjoying warm morning sunshine even as we move into November. Prepared for the day, we traverse some of the surrounding area: slowly exploring the imposing medieval town of Besalú; taking a meandering hike through Fageda d’en Jordà, a beech forest that grows on a terrain formed by a cooled lava flow from the volcano del Croscat; witnessing the town of Castellfollit de la Roca, built atop a monolithic basalt cliff; and enjoying a glass of wine as we watch the sun set over the Lake of Banyoles.
The dramatic town of Castellfollit de la Roca sits atop a 50 metre basalt crag formed by the overlaying of two lava flows.
The volcanic beech forest of Fageda d’en Jordà is a fantastic spot in which to lose oneself for a few hours.
We enjoy a glass of wine watching the sun set over the beautiful Lake of Banyoles.
For those with foresight to bring more than city slicker — or pixapins as they’re known up here (ask a Catalan to explain) — clothing with them, curated hiking and cycling trails start directly from the house, and a fully equipped bike garage is on hand for those who take that sort of business more seriously; yoga classes and workshops will also take place in the garden studio that was close to the end of its conversion during our visit. For the rest of us, though, find a quiet contemplative corner, pour yourself a glass of natural wine, and enjoy the intimate pleasure of an empty mind.
A place for introspection and exploration, for reflection and connection, Off Grid Girona’s open house concept offers hospitality with honesty and authenticity at its heart. Hyper-local, slow-paced, sustainable in every undertaking, this is a very special project indeed. Just, please, don’t tell anybody about it.
@offgridgirona
@aripuigdomenech
Photography, courtesy Off Grid Girona / Ariadna Puigdomenech / © We Heart.
