Kicking back in Catalonia: a new eco-retreat in Spain with yoga, ebikes and volcano hikes

<p>Set within a volcanic nature reserve, this charmingly repurposed 17th-century farmhouse has all bases covered for a relaxing, rustic microadventure</p><p>It’s 10pm, and I’m chatting with new friends after dinner at a guesthouse in wilds of Catalonia. The candlelight flickers off stout terracotta jugs of wine and on to the faces of Thomas, a management consultant from New York, and Viktoras and Gabije, a charming Lithuanian couple I’ve been grilling about Baltic holiday spots. Ellen is German, living in Barcelona and training to be a therapist. It’s testament to the relaxed vibe that the conversation flows as smoothly as the wine.</p><p>I’m at <a href="https://offgridgirona.com/">Off Grid</a>, a new 10-room retreat<strong> </strong>(plus four-bedroom barn) in <a href="https://www.catalunya.com/en/continguts/patrimoni-natural/alta-garrotxa-protected-natural-area-17-17001-573270">Alta Garrotxa</a>, a protected nature reserve about 30 miles (50km) north of Girona. A converted 17th-century <em>masia</em> (farmhouse), it’s encircled by the fertile green humps and limestone crags of the pre-Pyrenees, with sloping gardens sheltering a large swimming pool. With its rustic, slow-living ethos, it’s perhaps a surprising departure for owner Gerard Greene, former CEO of Yotel – the modern, tech-driven city-centre brand with hotels in New York, Amsterdam and Tokyo among other cities. Just being here is a kind of therapy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/oct/28/new-eco-retreat-catalonia-spain-yoga-ebikes-hiking">Continue reading...</a>