Casa Sant Jaume

*Featured in the May 2019 issue of Travel+Leisure and 2021 Sustainability issue of Condé Nast Traveler"

Welcome to our picturesque family-owned vineyard with 400+ years of history! 

Have you ever stayed in an estate with over 400 years of history? Welcome to our home, Casa Cerdà de Palou. Enjoy the unbelievable and timeless beauty of the simple things. A never-ending lunch. An afternoon relaxing by the pool. Early morning vineyard walks. Picking figs for the afternoon snack. Tasting the most delicious local wines.  

Our one-room, two-bathroom house is an elegant, comfortable, private, and incredibly relaxing way to visit one of Spain’s most vibrant wine-making regions and get a taste of one of the country’s hidden gems, the Penedès region in Catalonia.  This is a unique opportunity to stay in a house from 1600. This part of the house was renovated but maintains the charm from old times, when several generations would live in the same house. It is a small (yet large!) part of the old house and it was used as quarters for the younger generation. They would all be in the same house but have “some privacy”.  

The house has been in the family since 1600, however during the Spanish Civil War (Between 1936 and 1939) my family had to flee to France and the house was occupied. Many of the old documents were burned during that time, as well as the interior of the chapel.  However, many invaluable objects remain. For instance, a stunning dowry (or hope) box at the entrance. The brides that would marry into the family brought this chest with fine clothes. The nicer the chest and the clothes, the more valuable the dowry was.  The same place where the chest is, in the entrance, has many old handmade plates hanging in the wall. Check out the old class picture from when my grandfather went to university in Barcelona in 1923. As you can see, the class was very small! 

If you check out the living room, you’ll see the fireplace stands out. It is a traditional “modernist” design from 1900 and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary of Montserrat (which you should visit, too! It’s located at the top of the mountain of Montserrat).  The last round of renovation is from 1993. As tradition marks, when Santiago's parents passed away we moved into the “main” house.  If you look out of the window of the living room you’ll see our beautiful chapel from 1623 (check the inscriptions on the wall!). It is dedicated to Santiago (Saint James), the patron saint of Spain. Sadly, it was burned during the Spanish Civil War but restored later. Let us know and we’ll give you a tour! You can see the relics, too. Oh, and the chapel is part of one of the routes of the Camino de Santiago (de Compostela).  You'll have access to the house in its entirety with a separate, private entrance from our main home. 

The space is fit for up to 2 people and is seconds away from the family vineyard -- a place all guests are encouraged to enjoy -- complete with a private pool area for optimal sun bathing, a charcoal barbecue and a gorgeous outdoor dining area (please see photos).   

Your house itself is a quiet, charming escape complete with a fully equipped kitchen to meet all of your cooking and dining needs; it has plates, glasses, pots, pans, microwave, Nespresso machine, and oven. And complementary olive oil made on premises from our very own olive trees. And air conditioning!

The bathrooms include fresh towels and we always provide fresh linens.  You will have access to the vineyards for beautiful walks and great runs; I recommend early morning runs or runs at sundown. If you need anything or have any questions, we're here to help make your stay as enjoyable as possible!  Shaded parking is available across from your house (shared with other guests), as well as recycling bins.  

The swimming pool and parking spaces are shared with the hosts.  Our level of interaction will depend on what makes you comfortable. 

Our location is optimal. You're a brief drive to Barcelona (40-45 minutes), a stone throw away from some of the best restaurants in the world (Celler de Can Roca, Disfrutar, Tickets, Sant Pau and more)... 15 minutes from the beach (in Sitges, Vilanova, and elsewhere), close to wineries, medieval villages, the stunning mountaintop monastery of Montserrat, art museums and galleries, two and a half hours from Madrid by high-speed train, and about 10 seconds from beautiful trails which will lead you through my family's ancestral vineyard. 

We will be happy to prepare breakfast and we will also share a guide of the area so you can make  the most of your stay!

We love to share our (sometimes decadent) lifestyle with visitors -- check out our adventures on Instagram @maspalou.

Disclaimer: Mas Palou is a private property that we rent both as accommodation and for events and shootings, with different rates. The rental of the accommodation is for tourism and leisure purposes and does not include the rental of spaces for events, photo shootings or audiovisual productions of any kind. Only with the written consent of the property the spaces can be used for photo sessions, video, and other purposes. If you are interested in a shooting or an event, write to us at maria@maspalou.com