My Creative Cup of Tea

May 20, 2023

#MCCOTPlacetoStay {16}

Casa Nereta

Cadaqués

Catalonia

Spain

The well-deserved summer break is coming soon. If you are still looking for the perfect getaway to spend some quality time, there is a charming eco-friendly and arty 12-room boutique hotel opened in 2016 and located in Catalonia, five minutes of walk from the village of Cadaqués and from the Salvador Dalí's house in Port Lligat. Its name is Casa Nereta. Originally built in 1952, the latter was since 1966 the painting studio and private family residence of famous Spanish painter Joan Ponç, member of the avantgarde artistic movement Dau al Set. The hotel is now co-owned and managed by his grandson, the Barcelona-based multidisciplinary freelance photographer and artist James Pons and his mother Romy Pons Ruiz. Are you ready for 'A contemporary experience in a unique and confortable house with great food and a beautiful selection of natural wines, drinks and music'?

What makes the place so unique?

It takes a lot of dedication to keep it trendy; every year we aim to upgrade our guests’ experience during their stay. We care about being sustainable: every year we try to take a step further on that direction. Our new restaurant is also a highlight; this year, as head chef, I've tried to find an interesting balance between the Mediterranean cuisine and the Japanese and Peruvian fusion to create a selection of small plates easily enjoyable and well curated; it is still a work in progress but I think it is a good start. Our collaborations are also something to consider when staying here; this year we started partnerships focused on sustainability, equality and design with beauty brands like Rowse, Mid/night and Rassa in our shop corner. In our main shared space, we are building up a small coffee shop with NOMAD coffee/ kiosk with books and magazines from Apartamento Studio / Magazine, Openhouse, Kinfolk to mention a few. We are also starting with a few events as music sessions, reads and collaborations with natural wines and hosting beauty brands' presentations. Our team wears vegan and sustainable sneakers by SAYE. And we keep doing our best to create a space that people enjoy and within they can find their favorite brands or discover new ones!

Do you have an anecdote about the place?

Romy came up with the name Casa Nereta, because Nereta means swallow; in the summertime you can see them flying around in the sky. When my parents were remodeling the house, a swallow, a bird that normally don’t stand in the ground, fell into a water tank and couldn’t fly away anymore. They saved its life by helping it to fly again. Afterwards, it kept flying in circles around the house. Another fun family anecdote… it was years ago when my grandfather Joan Ponç lived with his family and had his studio in this house; he was a methodic and devoted painter, quite famous at the time. One day, he was away but a museum came to pick up his biggest painting that he had painted inside his studio in the house. The fact is that they couldn’t get it out of the house because it was too big. As it couldn't go through the windows or the doors, my father had to cut the railing from the porch / balcony in order to get it out of the house into this old-fashioned fancy quilted truck out of a movie.

What kind of people stay at Casa Nereta?

We have people coming from many different places cultures, and atmospheres, but we are happy that most of them share a similar vibe: they all belong to an international community that enjoy and appreciate all the efforts we have done to create such a one-of-a-kind place like Casa Nereta. A place you don’t find usually find in a village like Cadaqués. A place that combinates the authenticity of the ocean, of the land and the heritage of Cadaqués. A place not to miss on your trip.