Camiral Golf and Wellness: Experience a Royal reboot

Between the Catalan mountains and the sea, close to Girona (and its flurry of Michelin stars), medieval villages, pristine beaches and hidden coves, is the Camiral Golf and Wellness resort.

Formerly PGA Catalunya, Camiral gets its new name from the Cami Ral, or Royal Way, an ancient Roman route connecting the Iberian Peninsula to Rome. The route passes through the hotel grounds and can be followed today by bike or on foot. 

The re-naming also reflects the resort’s growth from seriously good golf resort – although it is most definitely still that – to a seriously stylish retreat with wellbeing programmes, gastronomic restaurants, organic vineyards and pristine nature underpinned by a genuine commitment to sustainability.

Camiral’s evolution in no way detracts from its heritage; golf remains the beating heart of the resort and the Stadium course is still the star, one of Continental Europe’s best courses and three-time host of the Spanish Open.

The course winds through forest, hills, lush vegetation and an abundance of heather. Large lakes support the resort’s bio-diversity and also create monumental semi-island greens.

The kinder, but no less beautiful Tour course would be the stellar draw anywhere else were it not alongside the Stadium. Shorter and a little less tricky, dominated by pine trees and lakes, it is a ludicrously good second course.

The Golf Hub is home to one of the largest practice facilities in Europe, including a PGA Academy, Toptracer Range, swing analysis and a 2,000 square metre putting green and chipping area.

But there is more to the story. Camiral’s 500 hectares, including the golf landscape, is protected and nurtured as a natural sanctuary would be, with a resident biologist working hand in glove with greenkeeping teams to create natural habitats enabling indigenous species of flora and fauna to flourish, which in turn help with the natural maintenance of the golf courses. 100% of water used to irrigate the courses is recycled.

Care has been taken to ensure animal habitats are not fragmented by the resort’s development. This is a thriving case study of how a golf resort can have a positive impact on the environment.

The Hotel Camiral itself is a model of modern, laid-back glamour, the work of Catalan designer Làzaro Rosa-Violan. Soaring ceilings let the light flood in. Décor is low-key luxury, with leather sofas you’re not afraid to sit on, eclectic artwork on the walls and billowing drapes.

The pool belongs in Architectural Digest. Staff are warm, relaxed and quick to smile. 138 rooms and suites have contemporary furnishings, hand-painted Spanish tiles in the bathrooms and views over a lush landscape.

There is a kids club, adventure playground, tennis courts and an ambitious leisure lake project in the pipeline with watersports and a pool. The second hotel on site, the four-star 50-room Lavida is the cool younger sibling, all buzzy hang-out spaces and super-fast Wi-Fi. The relaxed vibe attracts a younger crowd, especially golfers and cyclists, and is a little easier on the wallet.  

Girona is arguably the culinary capital of Spain and is 15 minutes down the road, so it’s no surprise that the main restaurant, 1477 (named after the year the first cookbook was written in the Catalan language) offers up quality cooking that celebrates simple, fresh local ingredients sourced exclusively from local artisan suppliers.

Think fresh langoustines from Palamòs, prime aged beef or stuffed courgette flowers harvested from the resort’s own kitchen garden. Breakfasts are a joy.

The resort’s new €5 million state-of-the-art Wellness Centre is a real game-changer. Serious, considered wellness breaks offer a holistic approach to modern-malaises like stress, burn-out and anti-aging.

Cutting edge technologies lead the way with treatments like cryotherapy, oxygen chamber therapy, photobiomodulation and IV infusions. Plus more traditional therapies including massage and facials delivered by the best team of therapists we have come across. A high-tech gym, yoga studio and the most beautiful Pilates studio complete the picture.

Camiral shows a different face depending on who is looking; it is a world-class golf resort, a tranquil wellness retreat, a chilled family hang-out and a laid-back city-break. It is a model for sustainability and a resort for our times – an authentic place that remains true to its roots but is embracing a future that we all need to adapt to.

To find out more about Camiral Golf & Wellness, visit their website.

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