Our #CocoCouples love spending quality time outdoors. An overnight stay at Hotel Mas La Ferreria, a delightful family-run boutique property provided an excellent opportunity for our writers, Omo and Eulanda to explore the scenic La Fageda d’en Jordà forest in the Girona province of Catalonia, northeastern Spain. They found that mother nature, design and hospitality combined tastefully at Hotel Mas La Ferreria.
The world’s forests and green spaces are vital to our survival. Not only do they provide the much-needed biodiversity that our planet requires in order to sustain itself but they also provide immense psychological benefits for humanity.
Spending time outdoors improves our physical and mental health as many studies have shown.
Unfortunately, research also suggests that many of us are not taking opportunities to get out into nature due to constraints such as time and accessibility.
According to the Global Wellness Summit (2019 trends report), “more people are living in settings with little – and sometimes no – nature. Not only has this resulted in a decrease in experiencing the joys of nature, but it has also meant that the healing power of nature is not readily available for most people in the world.”
Visiting La Fageda d’en Jordà
Places such as La Fageda d’en Jordà, a forest located within the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park in Girona Province, Catalonia provide excellent opportunities to experience nature.
La Fageda d’en Jordà is only one of the many reasons to add La Garrotxa to a road trip itinerary across Catalonia, the semi-autonomous region of northeastern Spain.
La Garrotxa is home to many charming medieval villages such as Santa Pau and Besalú. Factor in the chance to visit first-century monasteries, thirteenth-century castles, see lots of Roman architecture and experience authentic Catalan cuisine and you’ll have enough to see for days.
The Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park itself is an outdoor paradise.
Spread over 12,000 hectares of protected land, it is home to over 40 extinct volcanoes such as Croscat and Santa Margarida, all covered and surrounded by rich vegetation and forests such as La Fageda d’en Jordà.
Hikers will have the chance to experience the changing colours of the forest over the course of the year. In the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, autumn is the best time to witness this transformation firsthand.
For details about visiting the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, see en.turismegarrotxa.com.
Where to stay in La Garrotxa – Hotel Mas La Ferreria
While visiting La Garrotxa, we stayed one night (way too short) at Hotel Mas la Ferreria.
Hotel Mas la Ferreria is a 14th-century churchyard/blacksmith’s forge turned into a beautiful boutique property with lots of history and character.
Surrounded by a charming landscape, this is a place where you wake up to see the sunrise over the Pyrenees mountains in the distance and walk out into a private garden to feel the morning dew under your feet.
We got a north-facing room, named Suite Barcadura, which was one of eight (each one especially unique in design) in the property and located outside the main property at the back of the house.
Suite Barcadura has a modern-art-studio meets rustic-barn interior design. The wide bed, rain shower, and in-room bathtub are key highlights. The eco-friendly bath amenities are a thoughtful choice.
The hotel designers have made some effort to preserve the original character of the property and also its connection to the surrounding landscape.
Guests can enjoy stunning sunrise views of the Pyrenees mountains before heading outdoors to explore the surrounding landscape in places such as the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park and Olot.
Home-cooked meals (the manager’s mum is also the chef) are available in the family-style dining room. In ancient times, we were told that the multi-purpose space was used as an animal shelter and sleeping quarters for the family.
The dinner menu is uncomplicated and offers guests an opportunity to sample produce from farmers and producers local to the region. The ingredients are fresh and the quality of food excellent.
This is one property where you will want to stay a few days longer…for nature, design and simple Catalan hospitality.
Prices for the room pictured are €230 per night including breakfast. Off-season discounts and special packages are available. Visit the Hotel Mas la Ferreria website for details, email info@hotelmaslaferreria.com or call +34 972 29 13 45
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