A warm welcome awaits you at CasaNickel, which is under the personal supervision of the resident proprietors, Joan and Trevor Holt.

CasaNickel is on the Costa Brava and is perfectly located for the beaches, golf courses, marinas and Girona Airport, which is 30 minutes away.

For UK residents, daily flights are available into Girona from Birmingham, Bournemouth, East Midlands, Glasgow, Liverpool and Stanstead through www.ryanair.com.

The villa is located on a pine-clad hillside with wonderful views overlooking Palamos Bay and the surrounding countryside. A personal vehicle is highly recommended, for which there is ample parking space.

There is a private swimming pool and Jacuzzi to relax in. Guest numbers are limited to six so the house and facilities are always peaceful.

We guarantee that during your stay at CasaNickel you will receive friendly service, quality and be able to enjoy all the benefits of a luxury villa holiday at affordable bed and breakfast prices.

For your added comfort, we operate a no smoking policy throughout CasaNickel.

Rooms:

Guest Rooms are superbly appointed with Satellite TV showing BBC, ITV, Channel 4 etc; use of a computer with Broadband Internet access; an Internet telephone which is billed at a low rate for UK calls; hairdryers, and toiletries.

The villa is light and airy and the bedroom accommodation comprises:

Aiqua Blava Room:

The Aiqua Blava is a deluxe double room with en suite facilities. It has its own external entrance. Patio doors leading to the Jacuzzi terrace where there are teak sun beds, table and chairs.

Tamariu Room:

The Tamariu is a double room that overlooks the mountains and the sea and shares a bathroom with the Llafranc Room.

Llafranc Room:

The Llafranc room is a double/twin room, which overlooks the bay of Palamos. It has shared bathroom facilities with the Tamariu room. However additional toilet facilities are located on the ground floor.

Additional facilities include:

• Outdoor heated Jacuzzi
  Poolside table and chairs
• Tea and coffee making facilities
• Heated outdoor swimming pool
• Poolside sun shade and sun beds
• Chilled water dispenser 24 hours
• Poolside honesty bar containing wines & beers
• Breakfast served in the dining room or on the terrace

Breakfast Menu:

An excellent choice of continental or full English breakfast is available as shown in the menu below.

Continental:

• A wide range of bread, rolls, croissants, cooked meats cheeses and preservatives are available on a self-service basis.

Full English:

• Cereals, fruit juice and coffee/tea followed by traditional British breakfast, choice of:
  • Toast
  • Bacon
  • Sausages
  • Tomatoes
  • Mushrooms
  • Baked Beans
  • Fried/Scrambled or Boiled Eggs

Welcome To Catalonia:

The Costa Brava starts at the border with France and stretches down to Blanes, 60 kilometers north of Barcelona.

The rugged coastline is renowned for small creeks and spectacular scenery and it is a popular destination throughout the year for walking and other leisure activities.

The warm Mediterranean climate of Catalunya, along with its historic towns, gastronomic delights and rich cultural heritage makes Catalonia a perfect choice for your holiday in Spain.

Places to visit include:

Calogne:

A historic local town with a few bars, shops and restaurants offering good value menu del dias (3 course meals with wine). The castle of Calonge, originally built in 1019 has recently been refurbished.

Palamos:

This fishing port at the eastern end of Palamos bay was founded in 1277 and soon became an important naval base. In the 19th century Palamos was the chief export harbour for Catalonia's cork industry and despite the growth of tourism the town retains a significant commercial base today. The fishing fleet still sails each day from Palamos and its arrival each afternoon is followed by a lively fish auction by the harbour. To the north of Palamos are two good sandy beaches, Platja de la Fosca and Platja de Castell.

Playa d'Aro:

Over the last 50 years Platja d'Aro has grown into the Costa Brava's second largest resort, with a population that rises from 3,000 in winter to more than 100,000 in summer. The beach is 3 kilometers of golden sand; the nightlife is legendary and there are numerous activities for children. From discos to water sports, whatever you want in Platja d'Aro is probably there.

St. Pol:

St. Pol is the sandy bay fronting the exclusive villa development of S'Agaro. Built in clasical noucentisa style, the resort is an attractive mix of Italianate villas, landscaped gardens and delightful coastal promenade around a succession of rocky coves. Film stars and politicians have long flocked to S'Agaros famous hotel, Hostal de la Gavina, designed by Maso as a Gothic villa and given a more austere classical style by Folguera.

St Feliu De Guixols:

This used to be the Costa Brava's busiest resort. It's an unexpectedly handsome and dignified town, where most of the building took place before the 1960s high-rise boom. Fishing and boat building are important industries and during the 19th century the town grew rich on the export trade in cork.

The main beach is a wide arc of sand with a fishing harbour at its north end. From the beachfront promenade, Rambla vidal leads into the old town of narrow streets and squares. The market square contains an unusual 1929 market hall, with art deco touches and bright stained glass. From the southern end of the beach, a road climbs 2 kilometers to the chapel of Sant Elm. A tourist train runs up here regularly in summer.

La Bisbal:

La Bisbal is best knows as the centre of the Catalan ceramics industry. Its most abiding image and the only one that many visitors see, is the dozens of pottery shops lining Carrer de l'Aigueta on the Girona road. There are good bargains to be had if you shop around, from simple glazed terracotta pots to innovative local designs.

Llafranc:

A picturesque fishing village, popular with discerning British since the 1960's, yet still retaining its charm. Pine trees shade a beachfront promenade and yachts flutter in the small marina beside a perfect bay, where tamarisks grow out of the rocks around an arc of fine sand. A coastal path leads to Calella de Palafrugell or you can walk or drive up to the lighthouse at Cap de Sant Sebastian for views back down over Llafranc.

Calella de Palafrugell:

This pleasant resort consists of a series of coarse, sandy beaches strung out beneath an old fishing village. The village now includes a few whitewashed holiday villas, but it has lost none of its original charm. You can still see working fishermen here, and fishing boats on the sand add a splash of colour to the scene. The people of Palagrugell and beyond head to Calella at weekends to eat at the waterfront seafood restaurants, especially during the late winter, when sea urchins are on the menu.

A cliff path from Calella leads around to the next bay at Llafranc. At the other end of the village, high above the bay, is the Jardi Botanic de Cap Roig, a beautiful garden that has hundreds of Mediterranean plants, tall cedars and pine trees.

Aiqua Blava:

The stunning bay of Aiqua Blava houses a small sandy beach and a few beachside restaurants, a haven for yachts. The bay at Aiguablava is overlooked by the Parador hotel, built on the cliffs to take advantage of the views. Across the bay is the chic resort of Fornells, little more than a marina, a smart hotel and a pair of tiny beaches. North of here are more small coves - Sa Riera, with views over the Medes islands and Aiguafreda and Sa Tuna, linked by a footpath cut into the rock.

Palafrugell:

A growing community of British expatriates has been attracted to this busy market town on the edge of the Lower Emporda plain. They are drawn to its down-to-earth Catalan atmosphere and to the excellent nearby beaches. It was once an important centre of cork production and the Museu del Suro (cork museum) has some interesting displays on the history of the cork industry, as well as a selection of artifacts made from cork. The best time to visit Palagrugell is on Sunday, when the streets fill with stalls for one of the region's liveliest markets.

Girona:

The ancient city of Girona is 30 minutes by car and has many museums, shops (including El Corte Ingles) and restaurants.

The city is bisected by the river Onyar, which separates the modern city, from the narrow cobbled streets and steep stairways of the old town. Built right on the banks of the Onyar are ochre coloured houses, forming a colourful parade. The river is spanned by several bridges, including one by Gustav Eiffel, responsible for the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the design of New York's Statue of Liberty.

Barcelona:

A fascinating city, the capital of Catalunya. See the Olympic village, the Ramblas, the fountains, the Cathedral then visit Port Vell or Port Olympic for a choice of over 100 seafront restaurants.

Don't forget to visit Gaudi's Segrada Familia, the unfinished church and his many other architectural wonders throughout the city.

At 50 kilometers from Barcelona to the northwest is the massif of Serra del Montserrat. This mountain is also called "La muntanya dels cent cims" (The 100 Peak Mountain).

Nestled between the peaks for centuries the famous "Monestir de Montserrat" (Monastery of Montserrat) is the centre of the Catalan faith. It contains and protects the "La Moroneta", the Black Madonna and a great collection of famous paintings.

This site is one of the most visited tourist places of Catalonia and the problem of the accessibility of the pilgrims and the tourists was solved by the construction, in 1892, of a cog wheel train from Monistrol de Montserrat to the Monastery and later a faster way was built with an aerial cable car (gondolas) from a new train station down in the valley.

Local Markets:

Sunday: Palafrugell L'Escala, St. Feliu de Guixols.

Monday: Torroella de Montgri, Cadaques.

Tuesday: Palamos, Pals, Girona.

Wednesday: Begur. St. Antonio de Calonge, Banyoles.

Thursday: L'Estartit, Figueres, Calonge.

Friday: La Bisbal, Platja d'Aro.

Saturday: Girona, Mont-ras.

Activities:

We have our own 6 metre Janneau boat, equipped for sea fishing and scuba diving. Both activities can be arranged locally or if you prefer just snorkelling/swimming trips.

The Costa Brava has 9 major courses, 14 pitch and put courses. There's an 18 hole par 72 within 15 minutes of the villa.

Casa Nickel has its own outdoor table tennis table - bats and balls provided. All challenges are welcome.

Facilities are available for you to create your own unique ceramic holiday gifts or momentums. All items are painted and glazed on the premises.

While you are away from the hustle and bustle of your daily life, why not book computer training classes, which are available at the villa.

Weekly poolside barbeque hosted by Joan and Trevor can be provided at guests request.