Estació de muntanya Vall de Núria

Mas el Mir

"Why book? There’s more than a touch of the yesteryear to this charming stone house, which transports you into the Catalan countryside via cottage-core décor, board games, and leafy hillside views. The best spot in the house is curled up on the sofa in front of the open fire—if you can beat the house cat to it. An outstanding restaurant, overseen by the founder of Barcelona’s trendy Asturian-Catalan tapas joint, Llamber, stops it from erring on the side of too twee. Set the scene The non-technical description of your location is: middle of nowhere. Rural enough to see a sky full of stars; civilized enough to swerve a GPS meltdown. Guests (mainly couples) arrive with the same purpose—to spend the day exhausting themselves in nature (hiking, cycling, marveling at how beautiful it all is), and then bed down somewhere ridiculously cozy, where the food is satiating and the drinks are poured on a help-yourself basis. The fireplace turns into a share-your-story mixer event, where you may well be joined by a cat or one of two pet dogs. All rooms are pet-friendly, too, so if you’re not an animal person, this probably isn’t the place for you; ditto if your decor aesthetic is modern minimalism. The backstory The house dates back to 1366, and subsequent restorations preserved that history. You’ll marvel at tree-trunk-sized ceiling beams, raw stone walls, wiggly floors, and vintage decoration. Mas el Mir is the baby of multi-hyphenate Eva Arbonés—an interior designer, trained chef and restaurant owner—who brought her vision to the interiors, her recipes to the kitchen, and her pets to whoever is offering cuddles. The phrase “home from home” gets bandied about, but this is the real deal. The rooms The five rooms are adults-only to ensure optimal sound-proofing, but families are welcomed in the standalone apartment that sleeps six, and has self-catering facilities. The overall look is rustic, as you’d expect, but Arbonés hasn’t scrimped on smart touches that elevate a stay: waterfall showers, bathrobes, solid shampoo and conditioner bars, linen bedding. If you’re used to city living, a highlight is opening the wooden shutters in the morning and seeing the vast expanse of nature right there. If there’s a downside, it’s that the toilet plumbing sometimes needs a few attempts to get going. Food and drink You have to pay extra for breakfast and dinner—€18 and €43, respectively—but both are worth it. Brekkie features buffet-style platters of local goodies: cured meats from Ripollés; fruit and veg from an ecological orchard in La Garrotxa; cheese and milk from a dairy farmer in the valley; fried eggs from the hotel’s hens. For dinner, Arbonés prepares, cooks, and serves everything herself—a staggering feat. It’s a set tasting menu, and the courses are plentiful, beautifully executed, and feel like a steal for the price. The spa There’s no spa, but massages and facials (including lymphatic drainage, Dien Chan reflexology and Gua Sha) can be pre-booked with a therapist. There’s also an outdoor pool. The neighborhood/area The nearest town is Ripoll, a 15-minute drive away, famous for its Benedictine monastery, Santa María. In other words: you come for the wild nature, not the wild nightlife. The service Arbonés is a one-woman marvel, running everything here. With notice, she can arrange electric-bike rental, workshops on natural cosmetics, even canyoning trips. Eco effort “Local” is the word, be it sourcing food, second-hand decoration, and even stone during the property’s renovation. Cosmetics are plastic-free, and the pool is saltwater. Accessibility The property isn’t wheelchair accessible. Anything left to mention? Dinner is a standout—and the fact that you can snuggle by the fire beforehand, then haul yourself up one staircase to bed afterwards, only adds to the indulgence." - Gemma Askham