- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Just back from a week staying here, Can Nas de Gos (which translates as "Dog nose house"!). I can't recommend it highly enough, if you're looking for somewhere wonderful for a peaceful dog walking holiday. The house is small, but larger than I thought it would be from the pictures. There is a good sized double bedroom, a smaller (but still perfectly serviceable) twin room and a third room which would be a good size for a single bed and might fit a second at a push. To be honest, I think the house would be rather tight for six people, but fine for four.
The owners live in their house a short distance away, but the houses are private from one another. It is right in the middle of a tall pine forest, but still receives a lot of light in the garden and by the raised pool (although we're not pool people ourselves).
The house itself is quite dark inside because of the location, so at this time of year was quite cool in the evenings, but the large open fire had it warmed up in no time.
From the house, there were several routes you could set out to walk, and there were countless others just a short drive in any direction. Some in the foothills of the Pyrenees, some across the wide open fields of grain, some along the river. It is perfect dog walking country, and with so many walks and being early in the year, we rarely saw another person - just how we like it!
The owners, Terry (English) and Gloria (Spanish) are just delightful! They have owned their house there for 53 years! They are friendly as can be, happy to stop and chat but won't disturb you unless approached. Gloria said she would make us a traditional tortilla, but was sadly ill for much of the week, so didn't manage. However, she promised that WHEN we go back (not "if"!
) she will make us one.
The village of Crespià is in walking distance (about 2km) and is very small, but has a bar/cafe. We didn't visit, because of the dogs! Then, another couple of km down the road is Esponellà, where there is a restaurant owned by the parents of the renowned Roca brothers (of El Celler de Can Roca fame - which has been ranked as the top restaurant in the world on multiple occasions). This restaurant (Can Roca d'Esponellà) is rather more cosy and serves traditional hearty Catalan dishes, done well. And, as they offer takeaway, we were able to enjoy a "home-cooked" meal made by someone else, which was a real treat.
A short drive away (about 20 minutes) is the larger town of Banyoles with its huge lake, and in the other direction is the beautiful walled town of Besalú, which is like a smaller, less touristy version of Carcassonne. We didn't visit either on this occasion, as we have been to both quite regularly.
A point to note is that there is no boundary fence around the house, so you can't leave your dog unattended if they are likely to roam. Willow slipped my attention one day and went into their open house! Gagh! I apologised profusely, but Gloria was totally unfazed - "She's a dog! The door was open! What else was she supposed to do??"
There are also LOTS of wild boar around and, although we didn't meet any, you would have to be careful if you were walking at dawn or dusk, and not let your dog wander into the forest.
We had a totally wonderful time here, and will be returning, without a shadow of a doubt.
I found the place through the HomeAway site, and booking through there cost more than twice what it would have cost if I had gone directly to them, but I still felt it offered great value for money. And at the standard rate of €400 for a week at this time of year, it's mind-bendingly cheap.
Can Nas de Gos. Vacation Rental. Crespià. Girona Costa Brava.
The owners live in their house a short distance away, but the houses are private from one another. It is right in the middle of a tall pine forest, but still receives a lot of light in the garden and by the raised pool (although we're not pool people ourselves).
The house itself is quite dark inside because of the location, so at this time of year was quite cool in the evenings, but the large open fire had it warmed up in no time.
From the house, there were several routes you could set out to walk, and there were countless others just a short drive in any direction. Some in the foothills of the Pyrenees, some across the wide open fields of grain, some along the river. It is perfect dog walking country, and with so many walks and being early in the year, we rarely saw another person - just how we like it!
The owners, Terry (English) and Gloria (Spanish) are just delightful! They have owned their house there for 53 years! They are friendly as can be, happy to stop and chat but won't disturb you unless approached. Gloria said she would make us a traditional tortilla, but was sadly ill for much of the week, so didn't manage. However, she promised that WHEN we go back (not "if"!
) she will make us one.The village of Crespià is in walking distance (about 2km) and is very small, but has a bar/cafe. We didn't visit, because of the dogs! Then, another couple of km down the road is Esponellà, where there is a restaurant owned by the parents of the renowned Roca brothers (of El Celler de Can Roca fame - which has been ranked as the top restaurant in the world on multiple occasions). This restaurant (Can Roca d'Esponellà) is rather more cosy and serves traditional hearty Catalan dishes, done well. And, as they offer takeaway, we were able to enjoy a "home-cooked" meal made by someone else, which was a real treat.
A short drive away (about 20 minutes) is the larger town of Banyoles with its huge lake, and in the other direction is the beautiful walled town of Besalú, which is like a smaller, less touristy version of Carcassonne. We didn't visit either on this occasion, as we have been to both quite regularly.
A point to note is that there is no boundary fence around the house, so you can't leave your dog unattended if they are likely to roam. Willow slipped my attention one day and went into their open house! Gagh! I apologised profusely, but Gloria was totally unfazed - "She's a dog! The door was open! What else was she supposed to do??"
There are also LOTS of wild boar around and, although we didn't meet any, you would have to be careful if you were walking at dawn or dusk, and not let your dog wander into the forest.
We had a totally wonderful time here, and will be returning, without a shadow of a doubt.
I found the place through the HomeAway site, and booking through there cost more than twice what it would have cost if I had gone directly to them, but I still felt it offered great value for money. And at the standard rate of €400 for a week at this time of year, it's mind-bendingly cheap.
Can Nas de Gos. Vacation Rental. Crespià. Girona Costa Brava.
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