Tancat de Codorniu

Idyllic hideaway in southern Catalonia.
Located in the southernmost part of Catalonia, the three and a half acre estate that makes up the Tancat Cordorniu is, in a word, idyllic. Indeed, surrounded by some 2,500 orange trees which are fully cultivated to this day and located only some 200 metres from the beach, this 19th century house cum estate could not be anything else.
It really is an impressive place to while away one’s time in peaceful oblivion to the rest of the world. The word Tancat even means closed and in this the Tancat de Cordiniu fully lives up to its name.
So attractive has it been over the years that even Royalty, namely Alfonso XII the King of Spain, have spent their summer holidays there. Despite such lofty connections, there is nothing pompous about the place. Rooms retain a light and airy feel to them, being decorated with tasteful modern furnishings, where the combination of light textured colours works well with the brown hues of the beamed roofs.
Families even have the option of two swimming pools, one for adults and one for kids. With only eight rooms for such a large estate it’s odds on that it will never get too crowded either.
There is also an in-house tennis court for the more sports minded, though for this particularly lazy guest, a walk in the orange groves would suffice to recharge the batteries.