THE STORY OF A MADNESS
We are Jordi, a tourism specialist, and Inma, an environmental specialist. Shortly after the birth of our first daughter, Violant, the multinational company where Inma worked laid her off along with a large part of the staff. That marked the beginning of a change in our family's mentality. We decided to start our own project, based on tourism and respect for the environment. After a few failed attempts, the opportunity finally presented itself to fulfill our dream: to create something of value for people and for Benicarló.
In 2016, we bought one of the last original houses in the port of Benicarló to renovate it and give it a new lease of life. A real madness, given its small size, its dilapidated state, and our lack of experience.
In 2018, as we were about to finish the renovation—a true nightmare—Jordi suffered a pulmonary thrombosis caused by a 25 cm blood clot in his femoral artery. The clot traveled to his lungs and caused a PE that left him dead. The cause of it all: a blow to his ankle, caused by hitting his bed during a sleepless night. He couldn't sleep, paralyzed by the fear that everything would go wrong with the renovation. After five days in the ICU, he was incredibly lucky to survive.
The social pressure was enormous. Everyone told us we were crazy to invest in such a project: a healthy (vegan/vegetarian) gastronomic space on the ground floor of the building, and two apartments upstairs. On the one hand, a culinary offering still seen as "strange" locally. On the other, the idea of competing with just a couple of lofts—no elevator or pool—in a destination with more than 7,000 accommodations and almost 55,000 tourist beds on just 30 km of coastline. Hence the warnings from friends and family, concerned at the mess we were getting into.
At the end of 2018, La Caseta del Port was revived, offering a healthy and innovative culinary experience led by young chef Anay Bueno and his space "Cor de Carxofa." And for those seeking exclusive, private tourist accommodation, we opened two loft-style apartments, with a special charm and a strong connection to the sea. For us, the port of Benicarló has always been a place to "inspire" the sea, to find peace strolling among boats and fishing nets. This is where our project's brand, inspiramar, was born.
We're thrilled to see our guests enjoying this little house, which has grown in height over time, thus regaining its original welcoming function. Those first foreign visitors who, in the 1950s and 1960s, discovered the Levantine coast by staying with locals are now travelers escaping the tourist crowds and seeking authenticity.
Those were tough times, but over the years we've reaped the rewards of our hard work. This family project has allowed us to travel, generate additional income beyond our jobs, and continue investing to grow the family wealth. Personally, Jordi is doing perfectly fine. Thanks to that scare, we discovered he has a genetic condition that affects blood clotting. This vital information acts as a lifeline for him and our daughters, as knowing it allows us to anticipate and prevent serious health problems in the future.
WE CONTINUE TO CREATE PROSPERITY
Years after the project began, we continue to improve every day, reinvesting all the income we generate into expanding and improving the project. With great effort, we managed to acquire the cottage next door, also in a state of disrepair, to create three more accommodations in the near future. It will be the same concept of intimate, charming accommodation, with some surprises and details that we will present here.
Our logo:
An original idea from our daughter, Violant. The letter "a" reminds us of the action of breathing in and out, followed by an ocean wave that evokes calm.
Graphic design by the brilliant Arnau&Cutanda