The Empordà region of Spain, south of the French border and west of the Mediterranean, has long been a favorite vacation destination for Barcelona residents. “It’s the Cotswolds of Spain,” says Pablo Rovira, the founder of Viu Empordà, a collection of private residences belonging to gallerists, interior designers and architects that are available to rent when their owners are elsewhere. New this season are Casa Carolina, a traditional farmhouse in the tranquil village of Fonolleres that’s a short drive from the sandy beach of Gola del Ter, a haven for birds, and Casa Arte, on the outskirts of Foixà, home to a medieval castle and a Romanesque church. The layout of Casa Carolina was inspired by that of a boutique hotel, with a double-height central living space where livestock used to be housed, and six bedrooms off a balconied upstairs corridor. There’s a second kitchen outside, with a wood-fired oven, and a swimming pool and pavilion surrounded by olive trees. Casa Arte is a conversion of an 18th-century farmhouse and adjoining buildings owned by an art curator and antiques dealer. It has four suites, six living rooms and a large study, with midcentury furniture by Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé. Viu Empordà also offers local experiences like ceramic and perfume-making classes, walking tours of the Montgrí mountain range and boat trips along the Costa Brava. From about $9,940 for a week at Casa Carolina; from about $12,960 for a week at Casa Arte; viuemporda.com.
