The most unique hotels in Girona

If you've always wanted to sleep in direct contact with nature, among the leaves of trees, then this is the place for you in Girona. While children of all ages (please note that under-10s can't stay in the tree houses) can enjoy Selva Aventura, a nearby adventure park that includes circuits of rope bridges, tunnels, zip lines and more, there's also the chance to soak up the unique intimacy, tranquility and freedom of being in the heart of Les Guilleries, a natural park and sierra in the north-east of Catalonia. What's more, you don't have to have experience as a Brownie or Boy Scout to get the most out of this experience; the wooden cabins are fully equipped with all the essentials, and even have a fireplace! Price: €120/140 a night.

'We don't let the ceiling or the walls stop us from enjoying the stars; and we don't forget the intimacy essential for a romantic night with your partner', so says the website of Hotel Mil Estrelles. Their formula is the following: sleep in a sphere-shaped bedroom from which you can see, at all times, the open sky. The rooms are actually inflatable bubbles that stand about 3m high and 4m wide, and are made of recycled materials. And don't worry about the cold (or the heat): this particular hotel room has a silent system of ventilation and heating. As well, of course, as a shower and toilet. The man behind the bubble is French designer Pierre-Stephane Dumas, while the woman who's brought it to Catalonia is Núria Ros, the hotel director. The Mil Estrelles currently has seven different bubbles.

Les Cols is the traditional country house ('masia') in Olot where the chef Fina Puigdevall was born and where, since 1990, she's created her own particular and renowned gastronomy. Les Cols is also an amazing hotel. Can you imagine sleeping in a glass pavilion in the middle of nature surrounded by trees, water and vegetation? Don't dream about it too much, because you can live the experience at Les Cols. Although it will set you back about €300 a night. 

There was no way we could leave El Far off our list, located as it is on top of a cliff and surrounded by coves. Stay there and you'll wake to impressive views of the nearby beaches of Tamariu, Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell. What's more the building dates from the 18th century and the restaurant is one of our favourites in the area.

OK, this hotel isn't strictly in Girona, but it does visit the area from time to time! If you love the circus and want to experience it at first hand, then you should definitely consider staying at the Hotel Raluy, part of the historic Circus Raluy. It may well be the only itinerant hotel in the world. You'll sleep in a carriage dating from 1939, fully restored and equipped with a double bedroom, living room with a TV, the option of two extra beds (with a supplement of €50 per bed), full bathroom, heating, air-con and mini bar. Price: €200 per day.

This place in Lloret de Mar is one of the more eccentric projects of modernista architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch: Sant Pere del Bosc, and just that fact makes it worth a visit. There's been a building on this site for a thousand years: alternatively a monastery, asylum and home of a self-made man from the 19th century who went by the name of the Count of Jaruco. But now it's become the symbol of Lloret's more chic side, which is trying to escape the stigma of the town's reputation as a low-cost tourist destination. The building hosts a luxury hotel and renowned restaurant that serves avant-garde cooking. It's a magical setting.