Everything is still asleep as the sun slowly rises over the hills of La Garrotxa, brushing the stone walls of the masia and bathing them in warm gold. Nestled at the foot of Mare de Déu del Mont, where the Pyrenean foothills fade into forests and ancient lava flows, lies Off Grid Girona.Once you arrive, there’s no need to drive anywhere else. Hiking trails, running routes, as well as gravel and road loops all start right outside the door. The landscape is rolling, calm and surprisingly expansive. Dense woodland alternates with open ridgelines, with traffic reduced to a distant rumour.
A 17th-century masía
Off Grid Girona is a 17th-century masia, a former Catalan farmhouse still deeply rooted in the landscape of the Alta Garrotxa. It’s not a boutique hotel, nor a curated retreat in the usual sense. Instead, it’s a house that shows its history openly while allowing it to continue.
The renovation follows this idea with conviction. The original fabric remains intact without feeling like a museum. Thick stone walls, old wooden beams and clear proportions define the spaces. New elements are deliberately restrained and subordinate themselves to what is already there. Nothing feels staged, nothing decorative for the sake of it.
The main house has ten individually designed rooms, complemented by a converted barn with four additional bedrooms. The rooms are generously sized, quiet and functional. Natural materials, muted colours and plenty of daylight set the tone. There’s no television and no technical distraction. Instead, you get windows with views, rustic luxury furniture and surfaces that are allowed to age.
Where agriculture once shaped everyday life, openness has taken its place. The communal areas are spacious, yet carefully designed to preserve privacy. You meet casually, linger for a while, then move on. The house imposes nothing, yet provides structure, and that’s precisely where its strength lies.
Off Grid x GRAN FONDO
For our test sessions, Off Grid Girona was far more than just a place to stay. For two weeks, it served as a fixed home base while we juggled multiple bikes and constantly changing setups. One decisive factor was the workshop. Space, light and calm. Changing tires, fine-tuning setups, washing bikes and storing them properly. Exactly what you need when testing is meant to be structured rather than rushed.
Our rides started right from the doorstep. The surrounding routes are ideal for putting road and gravel tires through their paces in real conditions. Quiet tarmac roads, changing surfaces, long climbs, fast descents, plus everything from fine to rough gravel through forests and across open ridgelines.
Off Grid doesn’t function like a classic bike hotel. There’s no staging and no event character. Yet this restraint is what makes the place so special. If you’re working, you find structure. If you’re riding, you find calm. And after the final test session of the day, you return to a place where everything has its place.
If you don’t just want to read about Off Grid Girona but experience it for yourself, now is your chance. Together with Off Grid Girona, we are giving away a three-night stay including breakfast and one dinner at the masia in La Garrotxa for two persons (one room). To enter, simply send @offgridgirona ba private message on Instagram with the keyword “GRAN FONDO”.
Conclusion
Off Grid might not be the place for everyone. And that’s exactly what makes it so good. If you are looking for constant room service, a television and permanent connectivity, or if you need the buzz of Girona city, you won’t find it here. But if you’re after a retreat that brings together nature, movement, good food and honest architecture, you’ll find it hard to leave. Everything is within easy reach without first burning miles in traffic. A calm, well-functioning counter-design for people who are active outdoors and do not need noise indoors. No gimmicks, no staging. Instead, landscape, great food and enough space to rediscover your own routines. Off Grid Girona is a refuge that understands the ride as well as the rider. A place where life on the bike and life beyond it move to the same rhythm.
For more information, visit offgridgirona.com
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Words: Jan Fock Photos: Jan Fock, Calvin Zajac