What we actually bought in 1983 was a very large stone house, accessed only on foot through the village, with its roof partly collapsed and everything left as it had been 20 years before when its inhabitants had moved out. However, the house had a charm of its own and the views are spectacular! We have since been trying to establish the age of both the house and the village but as neither was big enough nor important enough no records have been kept. All we can tell is that they both go back over 1000 years to the time of Charlemagne when the beacon was built in the village but it is impossible to establish if there was a village here already - there are some indications to support this.

In restoring the house we have tried to keep as much of what was here as possible in order to retain its original rusticity which we feel is part of the charm in these old stone buildings. We have built a road so that cars can be brought to our bar door, we have installed water and electricity and have converted part of the stables into a bar, the hayloft into a sitting-room, granaries and animal pens into extra bedrooms, the animal courtyard into a terrace and a swimming pool perched on the edge of the rock overlooking the valley. We prefer to limit the number of guests to eight so that our guests can feel that the house is theirs to come and go freely from.

As we are twelve kilometres from the nearest town our prices include a continental breakfast and a full evening meal. We serve European country meals consisting of a soup, a first course, a main course, dessert with wine and coffee and brandy included. All guests eat together on the same table usually at 8.30 pm. We will also prepare a 'childrens' meal at 7 pm so that little children can be put to bed earlier. If our guests eat out any night, we naturally will discount the cost of the meal provided we have been previously advised. We do not serve lunch but we can prepare filled baguettes or sandwiches. As our meals include meat, game, etc. please advise us at the time of booking if you have any special dietary requirements.

Our tourist rating is that of 'Casa de Pages' which actually means 'farmhouse'. This is a category which is becoming popular throughout Europe because it offers people an opportunity to visit the rural areas of Spain. The region is also becoming more widely known and is being promoted under the name of 'Pirineus'.
Casa Guilla has been featured in the Independent newspaper by Sue Carpenter (July 1991), included in the Telegraph Magazine Guide (March 1992), 'The best hotels, restaurants and bars in Northern Spain', is listed in the latest Duncan Petersen 'Charming Small Hotel Guide, Spain', 'Holiday Which?', March 1996, titled Destination Catalonia, Alastair Sawday's Guide To 'Special Places To Stay In Spain', 'Special Places To Stay Europe', Dorling Kindersley 'Great Places to Stay in Europe', 'The Rough Guide to Spain' and 'The Rough Guide to The Pyrenees'.

One of the obvious advantages in this type of accommodation is that nature and wild-life are on your doorstep, another advantage is that you are not surrounded by a multitude of people, however there are disadvantages such as bad roads, shortages of water, electricity and telephone - we are in a better position than many but, of course, it is not like living in an urban area!

The diverse countryside around Casa Guilla has a lot to offer. From our terrace it is possible to watch eagles, vultures and falcons from above and below and sometimes very close by. Lammergeiers (Gypaetus barbatus) nest below the pool and sometimes can be seen in the morning as they ascend on the thermals. The lists of birds, butterflies and botanical species seen in Santa Engracia and on excursions in the area are impressive. At night it is possible to see boar, genets, wild-cats, beech-martens, etc. There are fossils of many kinds and even the footprints of a dinosaur in the village itself. Pleta Verda (green plateau) which is just behind us is a game refuge as well as being the tip of the olive belt (the Mediterranean climate) and has a mixture of Alpine, Mediterranean and Atlantic plants and flowers.

Water sports can be practised on Lake San Antonio or in the rivers which are excellent for white-water kayaking or rafting as well as for trout fishing. There is horse-riding all the year round. The Terradets gorge, which is a rock-climber's target, is about 23 kms away and a little further on there is a hang-gliding centre. For those who enjoy winter skiing there are many ski resorts, including Baqueira-Beret. Andorra, with its shops and ski slopes, is about two hours away.

If you have no particular interest the area may still appeal to you as the scenery is very beautiful and our main town, Tremp (12kms/30 mins) is a friendly and pleasant centre. There are good restaurants at reasonable prices and the lake is clean and good to swim in.