Village House with Spectacular Pyrenees Mountain Views
Spectacular mountain views. Directly overlooking orchards and olive groves, 10 Mins to Nearest Town
Sleeps 4 (2 Bedrooms)
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Casa Rafela is a typical Catalan stone built cottage that has been carefully restored by its owners using traditional methods and materials. It is located in the tiny village, or rather hamlet, of Figols which nestles beneath the 1000m escarpment of the Serra de Montllobat in the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. Whilst kites, vultures and other raptors circle overhead, the house looks out directly over orchards, olive groves and open woodland before the landscape drops sharply to the floor of the Conca de Tremp, once the bed of an inland sea where dinosaurs roamed. In the distance, and in contrast to the typical Mediterranean landscape around the village, the peaks surrounding Andorra can be seen, snow capped from October to May, whereas nearer to hand lies the 'Parcs Naturals' of the Serra de Boumort and the great natural barrier of the Serra de Montsec boasting 300m sheer cliffs in its dramatic ravines; the Congosts de Terradets and Montrebei. There's much more on our website!
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 29 October 2011 - 20 December 2011 | £250 | 7 | ||
| 21 December 2011 - 6 January 2012 | £400 | 7 | ||
| 31 March 2012 - 2 June 2012 | £350 | 7 | ||
| 30 June 2012 - 1 September 2012 | £450 | 7 | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 27 October 2012 | £350 | 7 | ||
| 3 November 2012 - 22 December 2012 | £250 | 7 |
Notes on prices
Payments must be made by direct transfer to our bank account. Payment can be made in Euros based on the exchange rate at the time of booking. Holidays in March, April, October, November and December, and over the Easter and Christmas period are not fixed to the Saturday-Saturday formula and are based on a minimum booking of seven days.
NB heating fuel is included in the price: there is central heating on the bedrooms and bathrooms The living room has a woodburning stove and gas heaters.
Changeover day
Bookings are from Saturday - Saturday exept for the Easter and Christmas periods. Check-in from 4pm. Check-out before 12 noon.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | Bedroom 1 with antique double bed, en-suite shower/wc, fitted wardrobe, pine drawers, rocking chair, etc. Bedroom 2 with twin beds, French windows overlooking orchards. When not in use this room is arranged as an additional sitting room. |
| Bathrooms: | Bathroom with cast iron bath, shower, wc and washing machine. En-suite to bedroom 1 with shower and wc. |
| Kitchen: | Traditional kitchen with tiled worktop, 4 ring gas stove, microwave/grill, family fridge/freezer combination. |
| Living Rooms: | Lounge/dining room with pine table and chairs, sofa and woodburning stove. |
| Other: | Former stable on ground floor provides secure storage for sports equipment, etc. There is another pine dining table and chairs for use on separate patio. A picnic set and coolbox is also part of the 'outdoors' equipment stored here. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
Towels and bed linen are provided weekly. We also provide beach towels. |
| Amenities/Facilities: | hob/stove oven parking fridge/freezer microwave washing machine iron/ironing board central heating room fans barbecue |
| Suitability: | pets accepted |
| Location Type: | mountain village |
Notes on accommodation
With its tranquil location on the edge of a tiny hamlet, own private parking, etc., Casa Rafela is geared to providing an ideal base from which to explore this fascinating region, as well as a cosy retreat. We escape from the city for our own holidays at Casa Rafela so it is equipped to a high standard, but we take scrupulous care to ensure that our guests feel ‘at home’ from Minute One!
Our tried and tested guides to the region; its history, wildlife, restaurants, shopping (including glossaries!), etc. have helped numerous guests to settle in without delay. We are 'on-call' for queries or problems, however, and with advance notice can provide personalised advice about specific interests, e.g. details of fishing permits, local country fairs and fiestas, etc.
Children over five years old and pets are very welcome, but there is an open-plan staircase that separates the living space from the bedrooms and bathrooms, so we can't recommend the cottage for toddlers or younger children.
Outside
Private roof terrace with marble topped dining table and sun loungers leads directly from the kitchen. The house is located on the edge of a tiny village with its own private parking plus a shady patio set amongst orchards and olive groves. Delightful country walks amongst common grounds and open woodland begin right at the front door!
Coast/Beach
Beaches, complete with beach bar/tavernas, located on Lake San Antoni, a half hour drive away. There are numerous centres offering water sports, both on the various lakes as well as the faster flowing rivers, i.e. rafting, kayak, etc. and Lake San Antoni has a public launching stage for boating. River bathing possible at various beauty spots and several local open air swimming pools open in July/August.
Travel
Use of vehicle is essential.
Spanish airports (miles/kms): Barcelona 125/200, Girona 165/260, Reus 110/180, Zaragossa 150/235 - all take around three hours.
French airports: Pau, Perpignan and Toulouse.
French border via the Vall d'Aran: 75/120.
Accessible by car from the Channel ports, Bilbao or Santander.
High Speed Train (AVE) via Lleida - 60/90.
Direct coach service from Barcelona.
Full Location and Travel details are given on our website.
Distances
Fígols' situation gives ready access to some of the major sites in the Pyrenees, most notably the Parc Nacional de Aigüestortes i Llac Sant Maurici, which is an hour's drive away. The area is also rich in history including the Romanesque churches of the Val de Boi, a UNESCO world heritage site and is notable for its medieval castles dating from the Moorish occupation.
The peace and tranquility offer a superb contrast to Barcelona or the coastal resorts, making a 'two centre' holiday possible.
Further details
Tremp is a bustling market town of considerable local importance due to the isolation of the region. Given that its resident population is only about 3500 its numerous butchers, fishmongers, patisseries, bakers, grocers, haberdashers etc. plus a large Monday market draws large numbers of shoppers from the surrounding villages - the only time when there could be said to be a traffic problem! NB. Although Tremp is only ten minutes drive away on a quiet secondary road, the town itself is hidden behind a mountain and cannot be seen from Fígols, therefore spectacular starry nightscapes can be seen from the terrace due to the absence of light pollution. Indeed, Catalonia's own observatory is located nearby on the Montsec d'Ares mountain range.
The most noted restaurants are mainly located in picturesque villages around the area. There are several good restaurants in the town, however, plus terrace/cafés offering tapas, etc. Tremp is justly famous for its charcuterie and the local style of Catalan cuisine is well known for its vegetable recipes, snail dishes, what may be described and an obsession with diverse culinary mushrooms and much much more!!
The immediate area, called the Conca de Tremp, is world renowned for its geology and palaontology, drawing students from centres like the University of Utrecht and even further afield. Local tourism tends to focus on 'ecoturism' in which the rural mountain economy is supported by grants for farmhouse accommodation and educational activities geared to sustaining the environment. However, for the more adventurous the region offers every variety of action sports from hang-gliding to caving to white water rafting, as well as a rich wildlife in the various game reserves - several local operators offer action sports and guided tours including 4x4 trips and ascent by hot air balloon! Check-out our website for much more info and pictures!
Booking notes
Bookings can be made by telephone or email. A deposit of 20% must be made to confirm booking with the balance due 6 weeks before the holiday start date. Payments should be be made direct by bank transfer. Payment can be made in Euros based on the exchange rate at the time of booking. A refundable deposit of 100 Euros against unreasonable wear and tear is collected on check-in. Please consider travel time from the various airports or overland journeys before booking (see 'Travel' above).
Guest comments
The eagles, the wild flowers and the amazing poppy fields!... the perfect retreat, I so enjoyed cooking every night and serving it up on the terrace. It really was a joy to cook in the well-equipped kitchen. Tony and Lynn, West Sussex.
Our expectations for a return visit were not disappointed! Fabulous views, peace, glorious wildlife – swallows, lizards, bullfrogs, griffon vultures and other eagles - too many to identify.
John & Frances, Cheshire.
From the moment we set foot on the terrace we knew we’d have a wonderful holiday – and we did! The view is wonderful and the antics of the goats, lizards and vultures kept us reaching for the binoculars! We’ve spent much of our time visiting the Romanesque churches and marvelling at the views, wildflowers butterflies and aquamarine lakes in the Vall de Boi and Vall Fosca (Aigüestortes and Lac San Maurici National Park). Sal & Chris, Somerset.
Don’t want to go home and that’s quite a compliment from a Welshman! Dave & Joan, Clywd.
Owner profile
About the owner
Polly and I have lived in Spain since 1997. We bought Casa Rafela as a ruin in 1986 and spent the next decade patching it up - and having some terrific holidays into the bargain! When we moved to Spain for good we restored the cottage completely before moving to the beautiful and historic city of Tarragona, where we now live and work, in 2001. Before long we realised what a waste it was for Casa Rafela to stand empty and had the idea of letting it out for holidays – a move that we have never regretted! But Casa Rafela remains very much at the centre of our lives. We have our own holidays there and always make sure to be in the village for fiestas, weddings, etc. After twenty five years we are now fully fledged ‘Figolíns’ and our guests too enjoy this honorary status!
Year purchased: 1980's
Why the owner chose a home in this location
By the time we bought Casa Rafela we already knew Spain well, having had an ‘accidental’ gap year in 1982/3 (we ran out of money on the Costa Blanca and never quite earned enough cash for the fare home!). During the following years we returned to Spain as often as we could, researching this fascinating country and exploring its diverse regions - between us we’ve written three school textbooks on Spain’s geography. All this time we planned our dream holiday home and searched for the ideal location. But in fact we found Casa Rafela and ‘discovered’ the Catalan Pyrenees, with their fabulous natural parks and amenities like rock climbing, white water rafting, etc, one fine day just by sitting at home reading the Sunday papers. As they say, 'the rest is history.
Unique benefits of the property
Casa Rafela provides space to relax, breath fresh air, wallow in the tranquillity of the countryside and much more; watching the sunrise over the mountains from the terrace, sharing the pleasure with the geckoes (the ‘Household Gods’) and birds too numerous to mention. Woodland rambles start right outside the front door, or seek adventures further afield. Later, after shopping in Tremp’s wonderful specialist grocers, return to the terrace to eat out as the stars wheel overhead in the perfect night sky. Even after all these years we discover more, adding details to our extensive guides (you can view these in advance of your stay our website).
For booking and further information
Property Ref S809
Contact Name:
Simon
(SPAIN) +34 675626563
Mobile (voice mail message in Spanish)
Owners Website: Click here
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Property Ref S809
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