Hostal de La Gavina

Even back in 1932, when it first opened, Hostal de la Gavina must have felt like something of a throwback. Set amidst the sweeping lawns and rocky cliffs of a promontory jutting out into the Mediterranean, it’s a meticulously well-kept world of priceless antiques, elaborate tapestries, fine silks and glinting candle-lit chandeliers. Walking the grounds, you half expect to bump into Dalí working en plein air on some rocky overlook, or Ava Gardner sunning by the pool, as young as they were when they first signed the guest book way back when. If Barcelona is just an hour down the coast (and it is), it’s also at least half a century away — Hostal de la Gavina, like much of Catalonia’s spectacular Costa Brava, remains wondrously lost in time.

The rooms are quirky and eclectic — some relatively restrained Mediterranean-style rooms, with white stucco walls and tile floors, some truly florid rooms, all patterned silks and gold trim — but they share an airiness (plenty of sunlight helps) that’s unexpected of spaces furnished in such an unapologetically old-fashioned style. As at many classic European hotels, an upgrade goes a long way. Rooms run from small to positively sprawling, with balconies overlooking the sea as you get toward the top of the scale.

You could easily spend a full day wandering the resort’s grounds — strolling the gardens and paths along the coastline, hanging out by the pool, going for spa treatments, learning the finer points of clay-court tennis, enjoying leisurely meals of fresh local seafood and Catalan cuisine. Just out the driveway, the ruggedly beautiful Costa Brava is dotted with ancient walled towns and medieval castles, plus small-scale vineyards and sheltered little beaches in between. There’s any number of activities on offer, from golf to floating around in a hot air balloon, but best of all is simply driving along the hills and taking it all in.

Please note:
Hostal de la Gavina is a seasonal hotel and is open from April through October. Bookings for other months can be arranged upon request.

How to get there:
Hostal de la Gavina is located 65 miles up the coast from Barcelona.