Peralada Resort - Golf, wine and spa on the Costa Brava

Around 20 minutes' drive south of the Spanish-French border and around an hour and a half from Barcelona airport, the Peralada Resort welcomes its guests near Figueres (Empordà region). The resort includes a five-star hotel, which was extended in spring to include a garden restaurant and impresses with its modern facilities and excellent service. The gastronomy is also one of the highlights; in addition to the L'Olivera restaurant in the hotel, the Michelin-starred Castell Peralada restaurant in the castle is particularly well-known among gourmets. Of course, there is also a wonderful golf course on offer - and on non-golfing days and for non-golfers, the wine spa entices with a selected range of offers. The resort also includes the castle with a very interesting museum - and the winery, but more on that later.

Peralada Resort offers views of the Pyrenees

The golf course offers 18 holes and a maximum length of 6,070 meters as a Par-71 with a variety of holes, some including water hazards. There are four tees per hole, making the course ideal for golfers of all abilities. On many holes, it is worth taking a look to the left and right, as the Pyrenees form a wonderful contrast to the green of the course in the background, especially in spring and fall, with their slightly snow-covered peaks. The first nine holes run to the right of the clubhouse. The design surprises again and again with gentle differences in elevation, so you should always make sure you choose the right club. If you like, you can complete the course with a buggy, but it can also be easily mastered on foot.

The most difficult hole lurks at the start

On the front nine, the most difficult hole of the entire round awaits directly on hole 2 - and a small ditch in front of the green requires a clear decision as to whether it is better to go ahead again or to play the green with the second shot. The dogleg left on the third hole, which rises towards the green, is also beautiful. The par-4 on the eighth hole is also challenging, with a slight uphill slope from the tee over or past a water hazard over a hollow before the first part of the round ends with a par-3 including an island green. The second nine holes to the left of the clubhouse are also very varied. You often have to make sure that the ball doesn't get stuck in the trees next to the fairway, for example on the par-3s on the 12th and 14th. The 16th is also exciting, with another dogleg left with a significantly elevated green - and a pond to the left of the green. The round ends with a challenging par-3 up to 214 meters long, where you tee off from small islands in a pond.

Peralada winery is a must-see

A visit to the Peralada winery, just a two-minute drive away, is almost a must. The stylish main building, built with sustainability in mind, invites you to visit. It is best to book a tour of the winery and combine it with a wine tasting - not only are there excellent red wines here, but also very good white wines and sparkling wines. If you like, you can take some home with you in the wine store.