Villa Carmen

We went to Villa Carmen for a long weekend, and in a second thought, because we pretended to stay in the Delta de l'Ebre, an incredible place for birdwatchers, with fabulous landscapes to enjoy. But there was no accomodation available in the Delta villages, so we had to wide our search zone, and it was a great idea. Villa Carmen is only fifteen minutes far from the Delta, and three minutes to Les Cases d'Alcanar, a lovely beach town with a nice seventies' look and a lot of delicious and cheap restaurants specialized in fresh fish. I absolute recommend to visit it and have a long walk along the seaside, at dawn. The guesthouse itself, I mean Villa Carmen, is a beautiful XIXth century house in the outskirts of the town. Don't get afraid by the industrial-looking sorroundings, because when you'll cross the metallic door of the house, you'll find a paradise-like garden with shadowy trees and a quiet, refreshing atmosphera. You'll wish to stay there forever with a good reading and a cup of tea...or a cool beer, in summer. Villa Carmen has three hotel rooms and three apartments, and I stayed in the biggest one. It has a big bedroom with a comfortable double bed, a cot and a dressing room; a large living room, with a flat TV set and sofas (including a sofa-bed) , and a kitchen with a solid wooden table and chairs for all the family. It has an appropiate bathroom, of course, with a fine working shower...And the best: a big, awesome terrace with an incredible view of the garden , where the nightingales seem to sing just for you. We loved it in a way that compelled us to get up early just to enjoy the place and birdwatching from the terrace. It is all comfort and wellbeing in a simple, elegant and easy way. Don't expect any luxury but the landscape and the beauty of the house itself, but you won't miss anything (maybe only a better wi-fi service, but you'll survive without it). The owner, a gentle German lady, will wellcome you and give all the information needed. She's very kind, and not intrussive at all, so you'll find free to enjoy the place without unwanted familiarities. We didn't had breakfast there, although it looked great from the dinning room door. We absolutely recommend the place, specially in spring, when you'll enjoy the beautiful view with all the birds singing. Comfortable, not too expensive, and in a fantastic location, close both to the splendid beaches of south Catalonia, and to the nature hotspot of the Delta de l'Ebre, one of the better places of Europe to enjoy birdwatching.