Mas El Casal

1,000 meters high in the Catalan Pyrénées-Orientales department of Languedoc-Roussillon, France, and just outside the village of Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste, Mas El Casal farmstay has a stunning setting for its working cattle farm and traditional stone farmhouse where guests will be welcomed with the best in hospitality and comfort.

THE ACCOMMODATION:

Their spacious rooms are rustically stylish and come with en suite bathroom, air conditioning, flat screen satellite TV, WiFi, a seating area plus an outdoor terrace with beautiful views over the valley below.

It’s B&B and you’ll be treated to a very good and generous breakfast in the morning, with fresh bread, fruit juices, homemade jams cakes, yoghurts and more. And if guests feel like cooking for themselves later during the day they can also have access to the farmhouse kitchen.

The farm is a working beef cattle farm, with lush green pastures and meadows, and comes with incredible views over the surrounding valleys.

THE LOCATION:

As mentioned before, the main attraction of this farm stay is the location, the views are breathtaking from the farm itself and there are some great hiking trails around that go all around the mountains. You could really spend days exploring the trails around the farm, or just sitting on the grass contemplating the beauty of it all.

It’s also about five kilometres from the centre of the very pretty Catalan town(s) of Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste. The Prats-de-Mollo section has a lovely old town with cobblestone streets and stylish squares guarded from above by the impressive medieval walls of Fort Lagarde, and a 14th-century round tower. 

The fort is a bit of a climb from the town centre but has amazing views. La Preste is the adjoining, more modern part of town as is known for its therapeutic spa waters. They have allegedly many beauty and health benefits, and your feet might enjoy an evening dip after that tough hike up to Fort Lagarde!

The nearby Reserve Naturelle de Prats-de-Mollo (about 30 minutes by car from the farm house) is a stunning nature reserve with an abundance of wildlife on its rocky plateaus; vultures, eagles, wild cats and the famous pyrenean chamois (wild goats), for example. It also has a cafe, and plenty of place for a picnic.

About a half hour’s drive to the north east, by the town of Arles, is the Gorges de la Fou, reputed to be the narrowest gorge in the world which you can walk through with the help of a raised wooden pathway.

While there you could also visit another well known and very lovely spa town; Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda about five minutes further to the east by car.

For onward journeys the border with Catalonia/Spain and the Tech Valley is only about 7km away.

WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY:

“Wonderful host, knowledgeable about the area and things to do in the locality. We had a great time in his beautiful house….”

“We were pleasantly surprised by our stay at El Casal. Fell asleep with the distant sound of cowbells, woke up to a delicious homemade breakfast….”

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