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Special Interest Holidays in Catalonia

Great Food

Barely a week goes by without a specialist food fair in one of the villages of Catalonia; some are harvest festivals, and others are religious, but good eating is the key and Catalans take them very seriously. Here are just some of our favourite Catalan foods to get your taste buds buzzing:

 - wild Autumn mushrooms roasted over a barbecue in the square at Ribes
- fresh Springtime sea urchins & a squeeze of lemon on the beach at Calella
- Winter entré stew with pork sausage and the white beans of Santa Pau

Catalonia has some of the best restaurants in the world. Top of the list used to be El Bulli, near Roses which was almost impossible to get into and is now closed. Luckily Girona's very own Celler de Can Roca now rivals it in accolades, with 3 Michelin stars and voted into the world's top five. It is still possible to find a table there within the year but give us a call if you want us to book for that special night out. We have found that Numun Restaurant at the Palau de Bellavista Hotel in Girona which is run by Cellar de Can Roca and is a fraction of the price, has great food, great views and jazz on a Thursday night in the Summer.

There are many more modest restaurants that provide an excellent three course lunch and wine for under 20€ per head around the region. for instance, just 5 minutes down the road and open at weekends there is the excellent restaurant, Cal Boscatà, whose owner raises Iberian pigs often seen roaming in our forest. He also prepares his own sausages and meats which is a traditional Catalan speciality. At the bottom of our hill is Can Maikel, only 10 minutes away, which also boasts the Always Chill-Lounge for cocktails and snacks into the small hours.  15 minutes away from Can Torras and the choice is endless! We can help you find one to suit your taste and your pocket.

If you want to eat at Can Torras and would like to learn more about Catalan cooking, then ask about Catalan Cookery Classes. We would love to show you how to make the most of local ingredients and organic vegetables and you can go home with some new ideas.

Great Gardens

At Can Torras we eat as many of our own fruit, vegetables & herbs as we can from our terraced organic veggie garden and orchard. There are clouds of bees and butterflies about in the summer, as we have encouraged wildlife into our dry Mediterranean garden with a pond, scented flowers and hibernation sites. There are opportunities to work with us at Can Torras as volunteers or you can include one afternoon learning about organic growing and Mediterranean gardening into your holiday. Ask for details.

You are welcome to look around, but there's lots more to see in the surrounding countryside. Our favourite Catalan planty places are: 

- Girona Flower Festival when the back streets & courtyards of old Girona, its museums, cathedral & even the convent, are open for a display of flowers & plants in both traditional & avant garde style (second week of May)
- Cap Roig Gardens near Calella has stunning views & a wonderful music & dance festival in July
- Pinya de Rosa gardens is a forgotten little gem of a cactus gardens with walks near Lloret de Mar
- wild flowers in the Pyrennean foothills & Cap de Creus Park near Roses
- Marimurtra Botanical Gardens at Blanes & more stunning views

Great Art

If you love Art History then there's lots to inspire you in the museums and galleries of Catalonia. Dali and Picasso are two of its most famous sons, but the light and countryside inspired a whole new movement of Fauvism just across the border into France, so our favourite arty places include a couple of French towns:

- Gaudi, Gaudi and more Gaudi in Barcelona!
- the excellent Picasso, Miro & Tapies Museums also in Barcelona
- three Salvador Dali Museums, including our favourite at Port Lligat
- Ceret Art Museum & the galleries of Collioure

In two years time the Thyssen-Bornemisza Foundation will base part of its international collection in an old monastery twenty minutes away at St Feliu de Guixols which is exciting news for the little seaside town. They have plans to encourage activities inside the museum but, better still, stay at Can Torras for your own artist's retreat! We can also put you in touch with local artists, experienced in teaching, if you would like a little coaching.

Great Cycling

Where do we start! Lance Armstrong was based in Girona for 7 years and put the place on the map for road and down hill racers all over the world. In 2009 the Tour de France began its Barcelona leg from our lane end! With over three professional teams and hundreds of professional cyclists based here every year, there are no end of routes geared up for every level. We can arrange for down hill or road bike guides to take you on a day trip for your training level and we can pack you a picnic or guide you to a midday eating spot to suit your pocket!

See our links page for ideas to explore on the internet.

Contact Karen@cantorras.com or ring (+34) 972468731 for more information

Last updated 23/01/2012