Spain – Maçanet de la Selva (En)
We went to spend Valentine’s Day in Maçanet de la Selva, in Girona. The only thing I’d heard about this place was that it had a beautiful Romanesque church and lots of walking trails. I was surprised by how small a town could have everything and by how friendly the people were.
Where to stay
We stayed in the village’s designated motorhome area (41.782749, 2.737207 lat, long). It has 16 spaces and is free. There’s a designated area for emptying grey- and blackwater tanks. Water costs €1 for 5 minutes, more than enough to fill the tank. Electricity is also free. When we arrived, we were lucky enough to catch a motorhome leaving and plug in. The problem is that the electricity keeps cutting out; I suppose people try to run heaters and refrigerators. We didn’t complain, though; it’s free. There are rubbish bins at the entrance. The area is next to a petrol station, a supermarket, and several bars and restaurants. The views from the area are very nice. It’s about a 15-minute walk to the village centre and the church. We had a bit of an adventure on our last night when a couple started shouting, and we had to call the police. Otherwise, it was very peaceful and comfortable for sleeping. I recommend it.
On Valentine’s Day, Ben had gone to the supermarket without me noticing, and I woke up to a pleasant surprise: flowers and chocolates!
What to see
We walked to the town centre and saw the town hall before reaching the main square. There was a mural on one side of the building that we loved.
We arrived at the church square of Sant Llorenç. The square was very lively, with bars full of people. The church is one of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen. It’s a Romanesque church, built between 1040 and 1070. During the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, elements were added to the old church, and in the 17th century, the sacristy was annexed. It was a shame that it was closed and we couldn’t see the inside.
We explored the area around the square, where there are some very beautiful views.
We went to La Fusteria d’en Mero restaurant because we’d seen black rice on their menu and decided to have lunch there for Valentine’s Day. When we arrived, the owner, a super-friendly Romanian woman, told us she served Romanian food. She’d taken over the restaurant a year ago and hadn’t been able to update the listing. Disappointed because we’d planned to have black rice, we decided to have a few drinks on the terrace. The owner sat with us outside and treated us to a typical Romanian dessert for Valentine’s Day. The dessert was delicious, very simple: flour, cheese, yoghurt, and strawberry jam. It didn’t contain eggs. I highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or drinks; you’ll be very welcome.
We didn’t know what to have for lunch, so we decided to check out the restaurants nearby. We ended up at Café Bar Pizzeria Cami d’Itaca, where we decided to have pizza. It was one of the best pizzas we’ve ever had, and very reasonably priced at only 10 euros. If you come to this town, I highly recommend trying their pizzas. They were delicious.
The next day, we decided to go hiking, as there are many trails near the area. We chose the Estanys trail. Estanys is a protected natural area with wetlands, floodplains, and riparian forests.
Next stop is Santa Pau, one of the 10 most beautiful towns in Girona for its medieval monuments, which you can see in the next blog.
