Mas Masaller

The ground floor of Mas Masaller still displays all of its original layout of stables.  The wine barrels are integrated into the dining-room located in the part renovated in 2010.  Outside the house, in what was formerly the vegetable garden, there is now a garden of some 500 m², fully enclosed by a stone wall and containing the house’s well and plant nursery.

The first floor of Mas Masaller is the part that has been reformed to be enjoyed for rural tourism. The hay loft is now the main lounge of the house, with a communal TV, a fireplace, a games area and free Wi-Fi connection with 3 MB capacity.  The rest of the house contains the dining room and the 6 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, free Wi-Fi connection with 3 MB capacity, heating/fan and TV with USB port.  In the outdoor part of the first floor there is a large solarium terrace (where dinner is served in the summer) and a relaxing porch with views over the garden of Mas Masaller.

• A large main lounge (formerly the hay loft) with a fireplace, a children’s area, a large, varied library, and a TV and DVD player with a collection of films on DVD.
• A smaller lounge for relaxing in front of the fireplace.
• A large dining room with an “apostolic” table 5 metres long in one single piece, ideal for sharing a hearty meal, entertaining stories and recommendations of the guests of Mas Masaller.
• A porch with magnificent views over the garden of the house, where lunchtime conversations can be continued and it is permitted to smoke.  And outside the house, a large garden of some 500 m², containing a pool with protected access, an area with hammocks under the shade of mulberry trees, a playground, a Ping-Pong table and a large terrace ideal for serving dinner in the cool of a summer evening.

Mas Masaller offers a half-board service (bed, breakfast and dinner). Our Empordanese cuisine is all home-made and based on seasonal products.

Have your breakfast in peace between 9.00 and 10.30. Breakfast is served buffet-style with ‘country’ products like cold meats, fresh fruit, home-made jams, three types of cereals, pastries and home-made sweets, all accompanied by a variety of juices, infusions and coffee.

We serve dinner at 21.00, with everyone together at the same table. You will find the day’s menu written on the “hen slate”: if there is anything you don’t like or can’t eat due to an allergy or a special diet, we will be happy to offer you an alternative menu. 

We also make special menus for celiacs and vegetarians.  Mas Masaller offers the maximum facilities for families with young children to keep food in the fridge or freezer and to cook or heat them up. We can even offer you, free of charge, our ‘Babycook’ service, warm up your baby bottles or even prepare your vegetable purées for you. And for your day trips, if you ask us in advance, we can prepare you a PICNIC.

Mas Masaller has 6 bedrooms (doubles, triples and quadruples) with a total capacity for 15 guests.

In keeping with the general style of Mas Masaller, the decoration of the bedrooms is sober and elegant, with a predominance of the old furniture of the house, suitably restored and updated. All the bedrooms of Mas Masaller are equipped with en-suite bathroom, TV with USB port, heating and fan and free Wi-Fi connection with capacity 3 MB.

Between the Gavarres and the plain of the Empordà, from Mas Masaller you can enjoy a wide variety of activities, such as BTT routes (routes 21 to 23), walking on the local trails, hot-air balloon flights, horse-riding routes (the house has plenty of space for horses) …

And in the autumn it is a great area for searching for wild mushrooms such as saffron milk-caps, milky agarics, scotch bonnets and purple-red wax-caps, among others.

From Mas Masaller you can take mountain bike routes (the routes closest to the house are 21, 22 and 23, which you can combine with other longer ones), and you can also enjoy walks along the local trails close to the house.

Towns and beaches on the Costa Brava

Cruïlles, Peratallada, Monells, Pals, Ullastret and many other medieval villages, some very well-known and others much less visited, are located very near to Mas Masaller, as are the prettiest beaches of the Costa Brava (the coves of Begur, Platja de Pals, Calella de Palafrugell, Tamariu, Cala Salguer and many more).

Industrial tourism

For enthusiasts of industrial tourism, Mas Masaller lies 12 km from Palafrugell, the centre of the local cork industry, where you will find the Cork Museum (www.museudelsuro.cat) and just 2 km from La Bisbal d’Empordà, the capital of the Catalan pottery trade.

Dalí

Mas Masaller is a good spot for visiting the ‘Salvador Dalí Triangle’: it is 10 km from Púbol (with its castle that was a gift from Dalí to his wife Gala), 30 km from Figueres, the home of the Dalí Museum, and 60 km from Cadaqués, where you can visit Dalí’s house (www.salvador-dali.org)

Parks and bird-watching in l'Empordà

Lovers of bird-watching will be pleased to know that we are only 18 km from the Montgrí Hills and 40 km from the Empordà Marshes (and we can offer you a picnic breakfast).

And if you want to enjoy a day in the countryside, you have three Nature Parks to choose from: the Garrotxa Volcanic Area at 60 km, the Albera Hills at 45 km, and the Cap de Creus headland at 40 km – not to mention the Gavarres Hills just a stone’s throw from the house.

Water sports in Costa Brava

Apart from spending a relaxing day on the beach in one of the loveliest coves of the Costa Brava (Cala Castell, Cala Estreta, Illa Roja, Sa Riera, Sa Tuna…), you can also enjoy all the thrills offered by this coast: kayaking, water-skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, sea cruises, glass-bottom boats, boat hire, snorkelling or diving.

Balloon flight in Costa Brava

We can also help you organise a hot-air balloon flight.

Location:

To reach Mas Masaller from the AP-7 motorway, take exit 6 (Girona Nord) and then the C-66 road towards La Bisbal and Palamós. On reaching La Bisbal, follow the indication “Palamós–Calonge per rondes” and continue straight on to the traffic lights, then turn right towards Calonge (DON’T take the road to the centre of the village Cruïlles, we are on the outskirts). Leaving La Bisbal by the Gi-660 road, after 2.3 km you will reach the turning for Mas Masaller, then you just have to follow the signs to the house (the last section of 300 m is a track).

If you want to discover a section of the old Catalonia–Costa Brava Rally route, leave the AP-7 motorway at exit 8 (Aeroport–Cassà de la Selva) and take the direction of Riudellots de la Selva and then Cassà. In the centre of Cassà you come to a T-junction where you turn left for La Bisbal. This road has lots of bends but provides some splendid panoramas. We suggest a stop at Santa Pellaia, just outside Cassà, to enjoy the view.

Coordinates: 41.94201 E ; 3.0225 N

Hi Anne

We absolutely and genuinely enjoyed our short stay there and have recommended it to several of our repeat guests who come across each year from NZ. In fact we are trying to see if we can return to them again next year - we love the Emporada Region and we love that place.  Very good value, comfortable bed in big bedroom and extremely likeable and patient hosts.

The food was excellent and our only regret was that we couldn't extend our stay.

We have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone and will do so. A real gem of a place.

All in all it was a pleasure dealing through you and the hosts.

Kindest regards
John & Julia Bishop
17 July 2011

Why not enjoy a holiday in our maison du village in Languedoc-France.
go to www.theolivegrove.co.nz