THE PLACE is the Bay of St. Pol in the Costa Brava region in the northeast of Spain, roughly halfway between Barcelona and Perpignan in France. From Barcelona airport it takes an hour and fifteen minutes to reach St. Pol (half an hour from Gerona airport) and its 900m-long beach with vintage huts for bathers. The city of Gerona, the capital of Catalonia’s Province of Gerona, is inland, an hour away by road.
The pool at Hostal de La Gavina with the Bay of St. Pol and its beach in the background
Overlooking the bay and beach, Hostal de La Gavina, was built as a guesthouse in the early 1930s (when each of its eleven guestrooms cost 25 pesetas a night). Substantially renovated and enlarged since then, with a spa, gym and indoor pool, an outdoor seawater pool, clay tennis and padel courts, restaurants and bars, it is proud of its heritage as a Catalonian home for travellers and has remained in the same family.
Instead of modernist art on the walls or gimmicky adornments there is period furniture, tapestries and the accomplished, unhurried air of refined luxury to appreciate (plus Sèvres vases in the Louis XV-style Royal Suite). The parquet-floored bedrooms tend to be either soberly classical or with light Mediterranean-style touches; the dozen ‘superior sea view’ bedrooms are a winner.
The classical style of Hostal de La Gavina
Landscaped grounds with Grecian statuary, mulberry trees and sea views create the feel of a secluded resort but Hostal de La Gavina’s sense of privacy is all its own. This helps explain why Hollywood stars liked the place: Bogart and Bacall, John Wayne, Eva Gardener (following her here, annoyed by her penchant for bullfighters, came Frank Sinatra), Elizabeth Taylor, Liam Neeson; other luminaries attracted to La Gavina include Salvador Dalí and Lady Gaga.
On the water’s edge at Taverna del Mar
With nearly 20 Michelin stars awarded to restaurants, the gastronomic delights in the hotel and the Gerona area are in a class of their own. They start on arrival at La Gavina with a light Mediterranean lunch at Garbi or, outside the grounds on the edge of the beach, La Taverna del Mar. The hotel’s fine-dining restaurant, Candlelight, has a lovely patio setting with a lemon tree and Italianate fountain.
An artistically crafted tasting menu at Candelight is one of the highlights of the hotel’s three-night Gastronomy Route which also includes a visit to Gerona’s environs and one of the restaurants from the famed Roca brothers (Joan, Josep and Jordi). While a table at their three-star El Celler de Can Roca needs reserving a year in advance, the Gastronomy Route will bag you a seat in Espirit Roca, the most recent culinary adventure by the renowned family. It occupies a part of what was once a military fortress and this hits home when you pass through the awesome domed wine cellar.
The architecture and style brings the brutalism of London’s National Theatre to mind and, in the culinary sphere, Esperit Roca, has its own sense of theatre. There are two unique menus – Espíritu Salado (6 dishes and 2 desserts) and Espíritu Dulce (2 dishes and 6 desserts) – as well as à la carte and whatever is chosen expect some memorable dishes and spectacular presentations.
Food with finesse at Candlelight
Part of Catalonia’s appeal is the opportunity to experience a variety of wines which are not exported to the UK, especially ones from the local Empordà region. Some of them help make up the 80,000 bottles in Esperit Roca’s cathedral-like wine cellar and at Clos d’Agon (also part of the Gastronomy Route) you will be introduced to their six types of wines and the terroir that makes them distinctive.
Vintage beach huts on the Bay of St. Pol’s beach
The city of Gerona, with its cobbled winding streets in the medieval quarter, has tremendous allure. Anyone with an interest in food will enjoy its artisanal bakeries – the local favourites are cream-filled pastries called xuixos – and specialized jamón ibérico, cheese and coffee shops. If wandering around, look for the sign ‘flequers artesans’ outside shops and cafes or sign up with Gerona Food Tours.
by Sean Sheehan
La Gavina’s gym or courts will help burn the calories but so too will the Cami de Ronda coastal path that can be picked up outside the hotel. It runs along the Costa Brava, virtually to the border with France, and you can set your own pace after relishing Catalonia’s ongoing gastronomic revolution. Hosta de La Gavina’s Gastronomy Route is a three-night experience and starts from £2,500 for two guests.The route is available to book during the Spring (April, May) and