When we were planning our summer holiday to Catalonia, I knew, alongside spending some time on the coast, I wanted to head inland to the foothills of the Pyrenees.
As a family (my husband and eight-year-old daughter), we love spending time by the sea, and exploring the coves and bays of the Costa Brava was what had attracted us to this corner of Spain in the first place. And while we had great fun on the beach, our time inland beat our expectations, and this was all thanks to where we stayed, Forest Days Glamping.
The first glamping campsite to open in Catalonia, ten years ago, Forest Days is run by husband and wife John and Montserrat, and has just four bell tents set among the pine forests of the Ora valley. I was so pleased to come across it while Googling eco-friendly places to stay, it was a highlight of our trip and we didn’t want to leave.
Guest post by Bec Miles
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Where is Forest Days?
Forest Days Glamping sits in a premium location in the midst of the forest, about two hours west of the Costa Brava coastline near Girona and an hour and a half north-west of Barcelona. It’s close to the town of Solsona in the Pre-Pyrenees, a range of mountains running parallel to the main Pyrenees.
It’s set at 600m above sea level, among five hectares of ancient terraced woodland in a small valley named after the river that runs through it, the Ora. As John shows us around, he tells us that there would have been vineyards on these hills over 500 years ago, but now there’s a mix of pine, olive and fruit trees, and enough space for each camp to feel utterly secluded.
About 15-20 minutes drive away is Solsona, the nearest large town and the capital of the El Solsonès district. It dates back to the 10th century and three medieval gates still exist to enter the old quarter.
It’s an interesting place to stroll around with an ice cream in hand, and just inside the Portal del Pont, you’ll find Què Fer a Solsona, a local guides’ office with plenty of info on the artisans, attractions and activities in the surrounding area.
The camping at Forest Days
I love to sleep, and however wonderful the surroundings might be, an uncomfortable bed can really put me off a place. So I was so pleased to have some of the best nights’ sleep of our whole holiday at Forest Days.
The beautiful bell tents, the spectacular hillside setting, the incredibly thoughtful campsite design all set the bar high, and thankfully the beds, with their crisp cotton sheets, more than lived up to their surroundings!
Within each bell tent is a super-king bed with pillowy duvets and crisp linen. The heavy cotton of the tent creates the perfect Goldilocks climate, even in the heat of August, and with a thunderstorm rumbling through, we were not too hot and not too cold.
The bell tents are five metres in diameter, so there was plenty of space inside and room to stand up – and our daughter had a cosy fold out single bed on the floor. If you’re staying for three nights or more with children, John and Montserrat will add a separate smaller bell tent to your pitch for more sleeping space.
With only ever up to four families or couples staying at one time, each arrival gets a personal tour of the site – which is needed as here at Forest Days it’s so much more than just, “Here’s your tent and away you go”.
The thought that John and Monteserrat have put into this place is immediately clear, and our welcome tour starts at the Shower Shed, with two huge and separate walk-in shower areas with hot showers, flush toilets, and the neighbouring Pantry, with an honesty bar of local drinks and supplies, and fridge and storage space plus rechargeable lamps for each camp.
From this vantage point at the top of the campsite, the communal cooking area is on a broad terrace below, and has two well-stocked kitchen areas plus several communal eating areas, some under cover, others festooned with fairy lights, and a large fire pit for the cooler months.
Heading off in different directions are winding paths that lead into the forest and to the four individual camp pitches – ours, Huckleberry Finn’s Camp, is tucked down in a small clearing among the pine trees, with a hammock, swing chairs, our own dining space with a picnic area with table and deck chairs spread among the trees.
The bell tent has prime views across the valley from its entrance, and tucked away is the pitch’s piece de la resistance, our own personal eco-toilet hut.
On our welcome tour John tells us of the innovation and resourcefulness that went into creating these beautiful dry toilets, and I sense his joy and pride in being able to provide such a simple, nature-friendly solution – it’s rustic chic, clean and functional.
The camp kitchen at Forest Days
When I’m camping, eating and drinking is one of my favourite things to do. I love the simplicity of cooking in a campsite, and I love the communal experience of simply having a drink together. So I was in heaven at Forest Days’ camp kitchen.
It’s an off-grid outdoor kitchen of the greatest sophistication, powered by gas and solar power, and has plenty of space to BBQ or cook on the gas hobs. You can bring your own utensils and crockery, or do like us and hire one of their fully stocked cooking kits, neatly stored away in your own pitch’s box.
We picked up bits for a couple of meals in the main supermarket in Solsana, a treasure trove of produce from local suppliers and run by a couple who were happily encouraging us to taste much of the fruit and veg – including juicy melons, ripe figs and huge tomatoes.
Cooking up our feasts while we chatted to a Dutch family visiting for the second summer in a row while enjoying the mountain views was everything I wanted from a camp kitchen – enjoying leisurely sunsets or the added drama of a thunderstorm rumbling around the valley.
John had also enthusiastically encouraged us to book their continental Breakfast Bag for each morning of our stay. Unsure of why it deserved such excitement, we agreed, and on our first morning sent our daughter off to collect it from the Pantry. She came back empty-handed – but said it wasn’t because it was missing, it was because it was too big for her to carry alone!
The huge paper sack was full of treats carefully packaged with not a piece of plastic in sight – including pastries, breads, fresh yogurts, jams, coffees and fruit. It was a feast, and served us for a light lunch too.
It’s also possible to request organic BBQ feast packs and, new for this year, camp food ready meals prepared by the neighbouring restaurant Santa Llúcia. We visited at the end of last summer and the butcher was on holiday, so we sadly couldn’t try the BBQ pack – but if breakfast is anything to go by they’ll be fantastic.
Things to do near Forest Days
The Forest Days campsite space is so well designed that it’s easy to simply spend your days exploring it, and moving from one dappled spot to another as the mood takes you. But it’s well worth jumping in the car for day trips to explore the local area, starting with the Ora river that runs along the bottom of the valley.
Every so often along the valley’s narrow winding road that follows the course of the river are white rocks – spot these and it means park up, there’s something interesting nearby to explore. And so we did, coming across naturally formed plunge pools, waterfalls and sandy spots to paddle in and picnic by.
John recommended places to aim for, as did the Dutch family – including one spot with a 10ft-high cliff to cannonball from. The water was fortunately not freezing, just fresh! Sometimes we’d come across other people also enjoying the babbling river, other times we’d have it to ourselves.
I could have happily spent all our time in and around the river and the campsite, but John convinced us to venture a little further afield for the vulture feeding experience, high up in the Lleida mountains about half an hour’s drive from Solsana. And I’m so glad we did.
Unsure what to expect, we met our guide in Solsana, transferred to her car, and climbed up into the mountains. Towering cliffs rose above us as followed a wiggly road higher and higher. Then, on a shoulder of the mountain, we parked up next to a bare patch of ground. Here were two discrete bird hides, and our guide unlocked one for us, made sure we were comfortable, and told us to call her when we wanted to be collected.
She then went to leave the food out for the vultures, and we settled in for the show. The only bird hides I’d been in before were basic ones in wetlands in the UK. This hide was next level. The whole experience and operation is owned by Carles, who runs Photo Logistics, a world-leading company based in Solsana who specialise in making the glass for bird hides. It’s of such good quality that it’s fitted around the world.
I had no idea the glass was so important, but of course if you want to take amazing photographs of the birds, without disturbing them or being seen, then you need to be behind some amazing one-way mirrored glass.
And what about the vultures? Within a minute of the guide leaving the food, they swooped in to feast. Not just one or two, but 10, then 20, then more. Picking over the scraps, and seeming to fly straight at us before soaring off over the hide then returning for more.
We thought we might stay in the hide for about 30 minutes, but ended up in there for over an hour, in awe at the size of the vultures’ wing spans and fascinated to see these huge creatures up close. And in testament to the quality of the glass, we were able to get some incredible photos of these magnificent birds – on our iPhones.
Carles is expanding the amount of activities and experiences visitors can do in the area, and works closely with John and Montserrat at Forest Days, so talk to them before you visit as everything is possible, from nature walks to kayaking, climbing to caving, truffle hunting to wine tasting.
When to visit Forest Days Glamping
Forest Days is open year-round meaning that you experience this unique glamping retreat during both hot sunny days and winter months as well. During the colder months, guests are invited to make the most of the wood burning stoves in the sleeping tents and they all come furnished with cosy and fluffy bedding. The minimum stay is typically two nights although this depends on the season, check the website for details.
Know before you go
Forest Days Glamping is ideal for nature lovers but you should really consider a stay here even if you think camping is not for you. This is a beautiful and comfortable glamping experience and one that all families will love.
Forest Days welcomes children aged 6 and older and is hugely encouraging of children putting down electronic devices and getting outside to play, building dens, exploring the woods, naming constellations in the starlit night sky and more. Up to 2 children can be accommodated in each tent.
Be aware that electricity is minimal. Solar charging lights provide nighttime illumination in the tent and camp areas, and the central services area such as the central kitchen does have electricity.
The rain showers are warm and there are even hair dryers and charging points. That said, don’t expect to send any work emails or post TikTok videos while here, not only is WiFi patchy at best, it goes against the Forest Days’ spirit!
The Forest Days website covers everything you can think of, and more, but despite the advice, we still struggled to find the remote campsite – mainly because both our phones had died! The landmark to look out for is a metal gate with stone posts on the left as you drive along the valley road – turn up that track and keep going for about five minutes, and you’ll arrive in Utopia.
To find out more and book, visit the Forest Days website.
For more on the wider region visit the Solsona website.
