Golf in the Area:
Villa Caro is perfectly situated to access three of the best golf courses of the Costa Brava (all within 10 minutes drive): Emporda, Playa de Pals and Serres de Pals Golf Clubs form the Golden Triangle of golf courses in the area. EMPORDA offers two 18 hole courses, the Links and the Forest. It is without doubt one of the finest courses on the Costa Brava and one of the best in Catalonia. Highly rated by professionals and amateurs alike Golf Emporda was made permanent headquarters for the PGA PreQualifying School II European Tour. SERRES de PALS is a championship golf course set in rambling agricultural land and boasts beautiful views over the Emporda region of the Costa Brava. It is composed of three distinct areas with smooth hilltops, pine tree forests and fairways between lakes, giving a challenge to golfers of all levels. PLAYA De PALS runs parallel with the beautiful white sands of Pals beach and is surrounded by dense green pine forests.
Skiing in the Area:
The proximity to the Catalan Pyrenees makes the villa a good place from which to take a day trip to the slopes. The nearest resort is Vallter 2000 (approx 120kms), but there are many others scattered throughout the region. The skiing season tends to start fairly late in December, but usually runs through until April. Vallter 2000 is a fabulous ski station which offers a good variety of runs from a baby slope to black runs and off piste. The drive from the house to the edge of the piste takes 1 and three quarter hours, but as it's a really picturesque drive, you won't notice the time passing. Enroute the lush Catalan countryside gradually gives way to more rugged landscapes as you meander your way through the fabulous medieval town of Besalu with it's magnificent 12th Century Roman Bridge, Olot - famous for it's Volcanic formations and into the picturesque village of Camprodon - each village seems more pretty than the last. Even if it's too warm to ski - the drive alone is worth it.
Scuba Diving in the Area:
As the natural habitat of some 1,350 classifications of marine life, the waters around the Illes Medes (15 mins drive away) rank as one of the top scuba diving spots in the Mediterranean, and are the unparalleled diving paradise of the Costa Brava. Diving is the Illes Medes' claim to fame, but non-divers don't have to miss out on the fun. Glass-bottom boats make tours of the area, letting passengers get a peek at the abundant life under the water. On the dry land of the islands, birds including the cattle egret, the night heron and yellow-legged gulls have made their homes, making this area popular with bird watchers. Those wanting to test the diving waters can do 'try dives,' short, shallow-water dives that are supervised by an instructor and intended to give a feel for scuba diving. The area is so important that it has been declared a marine reserve and is strictly protected, with limits on the no. of divers that can visit the site and a complete ban on fishing.
