Mas Simon, Girona

A restored farmhouse on the edge of a small town in the heart of Catalonia. The stone facades of the main house and its outbuildings are those of a traditional country estate. Inside, a contemporary renovation with eight bedrooms and five bathrooms.

The kitchen is fully equipped and built for someone who actually cooks, with a professional gas range and a food processor. The second floor living and dining room is wrapped in windows, holds a grand piano, and opens onto a large terrace. Most bedrooms are ensuite, which suits couples travelling together, and a guest wing gives extended families additional privacy. Across the courtyard an artist studio works as a further bedroom with its own kitchenette, sitting area and ensuite shower.

One side of the property adjoins the village and its services. The main views run the other way, across private gardens with a swan and duck pond, a swimming pool and a large deck, and out into open countryside. Four hours of housekeeping and a gardener are provided Monday to Saturday at no additional cost.

Girona and its historic Jewish quarter, restaurants and shopping are five minutes away. Figueres and the Dalí museum, La Bisbal for ceramics and antiques, and the village of Besalú are all within thirty minutes. The Costa Brava beaches and seaside towns are 45 minutes to an hour.

Barcelona is around 45 minutes south and the Pyrenees around an hour north. The walking and cycling in this part of Catalonia is excellent, and there is hiking in the Pyrenees, along with beaches, snorkelling and diving on the coast.